The 37 year-old came through some rough patches to carve out a majority decision victory over the rugged Argentine champion, and for his trouble, Mayweather banked an amazing $2.6m per round.
Once the pay-per-view numbers are crunched, ‘Money’ Mayweather could well pocket another $40m to take his total to over $70m for what turned out to be one of his toughest fights in recent memory.
Talk has already turned to a rematch between the two fighters in September, which could turn out to be far more lucrative than the first as Maidana’s name has been elevated a notch or two higher given his performance at the MGM Grand.
‘El Chino’ gave his all for the duration of the clash as promised, with one of the ringside judges even going so far as to hand him a draw. Maidana, 30, has now earned the right to a second helping of Mayweather in September, in which the two-weight world title holder can command a considerably higher fee than the estimated $5m he is set to clear this time.
The fight certainly lived up to hype, and Maidana delivered on all levels, although Mayweather will still be a hot favourite to come through the return as he adds another sizable cheque to his already swollen balance.
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