Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn attracted plenty of attention last summer when he stated that pound-for-pound great Floyd Mayweather was continuing to box in exhibition contests because he wasn’t actually as rich as he likes to claim he is.

For a man that calls himself ‘Money’ those comments were never going to sit well with Floyd. As a result, once Mayweather found out that Hearn was in his home city of Las Vegas visiting a local boxing gym earlier this week, a face-to-face meeting between the pair was inevitable.

If anyone is qualified to speak about finances in modern day boxing, then it’s Hearn who fronts one of the biggest promotional companies on the planet. Mayweather, though was having none of the idea that his riches have been in any way exaggerated.

Eddie Hearn Jokes His Way Out of a Confrontation With Floyd Mayweather

‘Money’ Mayweather is believed to be worth $400 million – but Hearn doesn’t buy it

Footage of their encounter has now emerged – and it had a surprisingly friendly tone. Floyd even admitted that “he likes Eddie” before going on to explain how he had heard about Hearn’s comments on this financial situation.

Hearn has previously been very vocal about Mayweather’s financial situation, despite the two not having an official working relationship within the sport. The 45-year-old promoter has not only questioned some of Floyd’s reported income figures, but has also cast doubt over how much of whatever he has earned is left in the bank, given the American’s extravagant spending habits.

The British matchmaker isn’t the only one to pose these questions, either. In the build-up to his August 2017 mega-fight with Mayweather, UFC superstar Conor McGregor continually hinted at Floyd having trouble paying his taxes.

Floyd Mayweather Jr is one of the few fighters in boxing history to walk away from the sport with an unblemished professional record.

The 47-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan won world titles five weight divisions during his tenure, defeating the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto. His unique defensive style earned him a place as one of, if not the greatest fighter of all time.

Although he faced an array of great fighters throughout his career, ‘Money’ was once accused of ‘being afraid’ of a showdown with Antonio Margarito, which was reportedly due to happen back in 2006.

In an interview with Marca, Mayweather was asked to explain why this fight did not go ahead, as he claims he was ‘glad’ to not face the three-time world welterweight champion.

“Antonio Margarito said over and over again that I was afraid of him. He was pressing, and he wanted to fight so badly, because he was beating fighters with loaded gloves (with ‘casts’), so I’m glad God didn’t let that fight happen.

Because you don’t know what kind of effect it would have had on me. Those (punches) would have wreaked havoc after my boxing career was over. He could have ended up killing me in the ring, you don’t know what could happen. So sometimes you have certain signals (to face fighters or not), I was never afraid of him and at that particular moment it didn’t make sense for us to fight”

Just before he was due to face Shane Mosley in a defence of his WBA light middleweight title in 2009, Margarito was found with illegally wrapped hands that had to be re-wrapped three times to make them legal. Despite this, Mosley went on to stop Margarito in the ninth round to capture the WBA title, although things could have been very different for ‘Sugar’ Shane if it wasn’t for his trainer Naazim Richardson who spotted the issue.

Saul Alvarez, the current unified super middleweight champion, has had a remarkable career since his very first knockout victory against Abraham Gonzalez in 2005. He was only 15 at the time. However, after a series of victories over some formidable opponents like Jose Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley, Canelo Alvarez faced his first professional loss against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September 2013. Despite tasting defeat for the first time, the ‘Cinnamon’ went on to dominate the ring, winning 15 consecutive fights and securing titles across multiple weight classes. And with a victory over Jaime Mungia in May 2024, Canelo even extended his record for the most successful undisputed title defenses in the four-belt era to four.

So reflecting on that fateful night against Money Mayweather, the Guadalajara native recently opened up during a conversation on the Ring Magazine podcast. As he prepares for a potential bout with Terence Crawford later this year, he shared insights about his past experiences, including the lessons learned from his loss to Mayweather.

ESPN’s Mike Coppinger noted that Canelo Alvarez was just 23 when he fought Floyd Mayweather at MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He mentioned that the Mexican superstar lacked the skills that come with more extensive experience. He further discussed how Alvarez had to give up weight concessions and rehydration clauses, which may or may not have impacted the fight’s outcome.

After more than 11 years, the 62-2 boxer, while acknowledging Mayweather’s superior skill and accomplishments in boxing, admitted, “He deserved the position in the moment.” He recognized that he was trying to make history himself but admitted that things didn’t unfold as planned. So the question is, what did he regret the most? The answer is clear. Reflecting on his career trajectory, Alvarez speculated that if he had fought seasoned opponents like Miguel Cotto before facing Mayweather, the outcome might have been different. “But you know, we never gonna know,” Canelo Alvarez lamented. “I learn from that fight. Things happen for a reason.”

To be honest, the fight itself was a masterclass from Floyd Mayweather. He showcased his defensive prowess and tactical brilliance to outclass Canelo over 12 rounds to claim a majority decision victory. Despite being the clear winner at the end of the contest, Judge C.J. Ross scored it a 114-114 draw, which baffled many of those in attendance, including Mayweather. Anyway, for Canelo Alvarez, this defeat became a catalyst for growth, making him the fighter he is today.

After Floyd Mayweather’s retirement in 2017, he took up the mantle of the face of boxing. Today, as Canelo Alvarez looks at his own retirement from the sport, a couple of years down the line, who will take up the mantle next? Coppinger decided to ask Canelo who he thinks can be the next big star in boxing. And the Guadalajara native had a few names in mind.

Canelo Alvarez predicts the next generation of boxing stars

In the same interview, Alvarez pointed to two rising stars. He believed these fighters could emerge as the next faces of boxing. According to Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia‘s knockout power and strong social media presence makes him highly marketable. With KingRy’s suspension ending soon in April, Garcia is set to face Rolando Romero in May at the 147 lbs division. If Garcia wins this fight, he could line up a rematch with Devin Haney, provided Haney defeats Jose Ramirez. A victory over Haney would not only bolster his previous win-turned-no-contest but also set him up for a title fight with Jaron Ennis for Ennis’ IBF welterweight title in early 2026, enhancing his claim to being the next face of boxing. And who’s the other one? It’s Gervonta Davis.