The Sept. 14 Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Canelo Alvarez bout at MGM Grand Garden Arena has “at least a shot of breaking the pay-per-view sales record of 2.5 million buys,” but that is “unlikely, given that the 2007 bout between Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya is the only one ever to surpass 2 million buys," according to Kevin Iole of YAHOO SPORTS. However, Mayweather-Alvarez “has a chance, and that is the key thing for Showtime and, to be honest, for the sport.” There “aren't many sporting events" that will generate more than $100M in a single night, "as this event will easily do.” Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said, "This fight is by far -- and when I say by far, I don't mean 10, 15, 20 percent; it's much more than that -- the single biggest guarantee for a closed circuit deal, ever. I mean, ever. The ticket buys? If I compare it to De La Hoya-Mayweather and the amount of tickets (the MGM bought), I'm not talking about double the amount. I'm talking about much more than that.” Schaefer said that Mayweather will “earn a substantially larger guarantee" than the record $32.5M he made for defeating Robert Guerrero last month. He added that MGM is “buying more tickets than it ever has.” Iole reported the promotional tour for the Mayweather-Alvarez bout will “cost in excess" of $1M, but it will be "a pittance for what it will do.” There was “no press tour or kickoff news conference for the Mayweather-Guerrero fight, and that was clearly felt" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/24).
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR: The AP’s Dennis Waszak Jr. noted fans “packed into Times Square” yesterday as Mayweather and Alvarez “kicked off an 11-city tour to officially announce and promote their title fight.” The tour includes stops in DC, Chicago, Miami and Mexico City, and is “jumpstarting the hype ahead of one of boxing's most anticipated bouts in recent memory.” Showtime Sports Exec VP & GM Stephen Espinoza said, "In every sport, there are certain rare occasions when you have the best fighting the best. The Super Bowl, Final Four, the college football national championship. Sept. 14 will be one of those occasions” (AP, 6/24).
