Floyd Mayweather gets no farewell from Showtime despite reports the boxing legend would get a finale from the network.
The former pound-for-pound king will never appear on the platform again despite making his former partners hundreds of millions of dollars.
In 2012, a lucrative six-fight deal broke records for a professional boxer. Three years later, Mayweather smashed the Pay Per View purchase record out of the ballpark.
His fight with Manny Pacquiao captured the imagination of the public. It doubled the sales his Oscar De La Hoya event garnered in 2007.
Floyd Mayweather broke records at Showtime
Not content with one super-event, Mayweather added another two years later. Facing UFC star Conor McGregor, Mayweather sold almost five million PPVs worldwide.
The partnership was the most successful between any sportsman and a network. However, it wasn’t enough to save Showtime from extinction.
Six years after Mayweather earned $400 million in the ring, Showtime will cease boxing programming. Even more scary is that it’s only two years since Mayweather fought a YouTuber on SHO PPV.
Whether that contributed to the demise will always be a question in the minds of the actual boxing fans. HBO had already succumbed to the TV boxing graveyard when the YouTube boom began.
Which network will Mayweather fight on?
Mayweather’s chosen TV station has always been Showtime over the last decade. So the question is, where does he take his exhibitions now?
His ‘Heist Tour’ has stalled despite an official announcement for 2023. The Pacquiao fight is again in talks but most likely will head to Japan.
RIZIN has close links to both Mayweather and Pacquiao, with talks already underway between all parties. Pacquiao confirmed this in Saudi Arabia by taking in the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou clash.
It will be nine years since the first encounter in just a few months. But depending on who you believe, the rematch will happen in December 2023 or December 2024.
For now, Mayweather seems content to stay out of the ring. The last time he was seen inside the ropes was training his son some of the basics.
He’s also yet to comment on Showtime’s untimely decision to leave the sport for good. The parting left several deals still on the table for Al Haymon to complete.
FOX may have to pick up the slack. But it wouldn’t be unlike Mayweather and Haymon to develop a replacement network or streaming service moving forward.
A dream exhibition ending is off the cards for Floyd Mayweather, with a frosty goodbye the only comfort.
