Floyd Mayweather's Last Fight Should Be on Network Television
We don't know for sure when Floyd Mayweather Jr. will end his boxing career, but when he does have his last fight, it should be a part of a special Premier Boxing Champions event. I can't take total credit for this idea. It was originally brought up to me at a fight party by my cousin Lou (doesn't everyone have a wise cousin named Lou?). The more I rationalized the concept, the more sense it makes.
A final bout on free TV would be an excellent way for Mayweather to say thank you to his fans, and it would undoubtedly be the highest-rated television boxing event in history. Mayweather is perhaps the most polarizing athlete in sports today. He's hated just as much—if not more—than he's loved. His presence is controversial and lucrative, thus a free-TV fight would be a historic event.
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Mayweather is all about making history. He's already the common factor in the three highest-grossing fights in boxing history. His recent bout with Manny Pacquiao now tops the short list that also includes Mayweather's wins over Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya.
Mayweather has maintained that his last fight will take place in September of this year. It will finish out his contract with Showtime/CBS and run his record to 49-0 if he wins. That mark would obviously tie him with Hall of Fame heavyweight Rocky Marciano for the longest undefeated championship career in boxing history.
Because of the money and the stamp he could put on his career by taking one more fight beyond September 2015, it would seem the lure of a 50-0 record and the opportunity to help out friend and manager Al Haymon would be something that is very attractive to Mayweather.
Money talked about his fans, Haymon and more in this rather revealing interview with FightHype.com shortly after his win over Pacquiao.
Haymon has helped to guide Mayweather to where he is today in the sport and as a businessman. Per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, it was Haymon who helped Mayweather buy himself out of his promotional deal with Bob Arum.
PBC is Haymon's baby and he's already established an impressive roster of fighters in Keith "One Time" Thurman, Danny "Swift" Garcia, Deontay "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder, Adrien "The Problem" Broner and others.
As good as that crop of young fighters is, none of them carry the power, influence and interest that Mayweather does.
It's hard to quantify what having Mayweather go for the most hallowed record in the sport on PBC would do for Haymon's company and the sport on network television on a whole. If the card was laced with two solid undercard bouts, possibly featuring Broner and Wilder, the rest of the sports-related networks may as well broadcast reruns during the time slot.
PBC would likely dominate the ratings during that run.
This is all merely speculative, but it's hard not to see the appeal from every side. Whomever the opponent in September is could ruin all these plans, but if Mayweather continues his dominance, there's no reason he shouldn't give his loyal fans, the boxing community and cousin Lou a free-TV farewell to a Hall of Fame career.
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