Well, the show went on, this despite the fact that the 20,000 capacity O2 in London was practically empty, with the entire top tier of the venue closed off. This was last night’s Floyd Mayweather-Aaron Chalmers exhibition show. One the fans stayed away from.
Mayweather, who was having his UK debut, this at a time when he is “retired,” with only easy money exhibitions being something the 46 year old is interested in, appeared to win all eight rounds on cruise control.
Great crowd at @TheO2 tonight for Mayweather Chalmers 🔥 pic.twitter.com/e1yaEtdB6u
— EverythingBoxing (@EverythingBoxi2) February 25, 2023
No winner was announced, however, as the fight was an exhibition only. Chalmers, former star of the reality TV show ‘Geordie Shore,’ will no doubt be happy he was able to go the distance with the self-proclaimed “T.B.E.” But with the poor ticket sales attached to the latest leg in “Money’s” exhibition tour being pretty sad and embarrassing, it is possible Mayweather will now hang it up, realising he has taken all the cash there is when it comes to engaging in bouts with such clearly mismatched opposition.
The suckers may have given all they have to give and, without a genuine test of an opponent in the other corner, Mayweather will not be able to go on taking what he himself referred to as paydays that are akin to “legalized bank robberies.” The British fans voted with their feet as far as last night’s event went, and reports say tickets were being offered for as little as £5 on the night, with there still being no takers.
Mayweather, speaking at the post-fight presser, blamed the fact that tickets for the Chalmers bout were released too late, and that this explains the poor ticket sales.
“We did this in one month – not even four weeks. I think the tickets should’ve went on sale a lot faster,” Mayweather said. “My new team is still learning. I have got to take my hat off to them, it’s not their fault. It’s just when we fight in the US, as soon as we announce the fight, tickets are on sale. Here, we announced the fight and the tickets didn’t go on sale until a week or two later.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHGuXr1METk
You can buy this reason for such dire ticket sales if you wish. But maybe the obvious mismatch Mayweather offered his UK fans bombed because it was not only a terrible mismatch but also one that was being offered during a cost of living crisis. In any case, Mayweather still got paid and this as we know is all that matters to him.
In what may have been one final effort at proving last night’s fight was legit, Mayweather also stated at the post-fight presser how he hurt his left hand during the fight with the “tough, he can take everything on the chin” Chalmers.
“We razzle, we dazzle. I hurt my hand actually. [It was] when I was breaking with the hook. A lot of people don’t know,” Mayweather said. “When I was breaking with the hook, that’s boxing language, I hurt my left hand, bad. It could be broke. We’re not worried. I’m still able to use the left. You have to use the jab to set everything up. He was tough, he can take everything on the chin.”
Maybe, if he has indeed broken his hand, this, along with the poor ticket sales, could be looked at as a sign that Mayweather really should call it quits and retire for good. Floyd may have robbed his last bank.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moRuA5xA4XU