The boxing world is at an all-time high in terms of popularity right now and it is all thanks to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao finally coming to terms and agreeing to meet on May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Vegas. The event will likely generate the most money in prizefighting history and is considered to be the biggest fight ever in terms of the overall dollar. It will surely eclipse every modern record previously set, including the all-time PPV buys record set by Oscar De La Hoya and Mayweather back in 2007.
Some are claiming this fight will help to resurrect boxing back into the commercial spotlight while others are suggesting this fight will bring the sport one step closer to extinction. Those detractors claim that once Mayweather and Pacquiao fight each other there will be nothing remotely close to it on the horizon, and, therefore, the popularity of boxing will decrease with the completion of the fight.
There could be a rematch, maybe even a trilogy, but the point is Mayweather and Pacquiao are considered to be the last “big time” fighters left in the sport.
However, boxing doubters have long made these claims with other fighters, especially once those “cash cows” were nearing the end of the road. They claimed that no one would be left to grab mainstream attention once De La Hoya was gone and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. before him and Tyson before them and “Sugar” Ray Leonard and so on.
Someone always comes along; it is inevitable. In fact, some might suggest Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is already in place. But it stands to reason that there is currently no fight on the horizon that is even half as big as Mayweather-Pacquiao.
It isn’t fair to compare any fight to the mega fight of the century, but it is logical to look for the next big fight. The one that gets everyone talking and the one that we have to dream about while we look forward to the eventual clash by keeping a close eye on every outing the two fighters have before meeting.
It is an important aspect in boxing because the sport is fought by single combatants. Unlike the Super Bowl, which is huge every year because the teams go through a fair process where the best is decided by taking on the best that year, boxing must conjure up the best through a process of performances, commercial appeal, and big stage wins. This takes years.
The one big fight that seems plausible is the one we almost got already between Canelo and lineal middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. The fight is significant, but it wouldn’t come close to the attention of a Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown.
There is another fight out there for Canelo that could theoretically come close to Mayweather-Pacquiao, and even though it wouldn’t be as big it certainly is the best bet to come as close.
A matchup between Canelo and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. would do crazy numbers, and if it were held it Mexico it would shatter any attendance record to the point that it would be virtually unbeatable.
The fight was once talked about openly and didn’t seem as impossible to make as it does today. That was because Chavez Jr. wasn’t the filled out version of himself that he is today, and his metabolism was strong enough to ward off the lazy pounds he’s easily acquired over the years. Canelo and Chavez Jr. were a lot closer in weight back then, and a collision course seemed plausible.
As farfetched as it seems today, there are some reasons to hold out hope. The main reason is that the sport of boxing brings out a desperation like no other sport and where there is a will there is a way. Add a couple million dollars to every pound between Canelo and Chavez Jr. and the math starts to make sense.
Chepo Reynoso told ESNEWS in a video published on their YouTube channel that it isn’t likely at this point, but if they could find a middle ground then anything is possible
“I don’t know as of right now,” Chepo told ESNEWS. “I don’t think so because Canelo fights at 154lbs, and Chavez Jr. weighs as much as 180lbs [on fight nights].
“Maybe they could fight if Chavez could meet at a catch weight at 160lbs.”
