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. 

It’s been twelve years since Floyd Mayweather handed Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez the first defeat of his career.

Mayweather fought Canelo in a WBC and WBA light middleweight title showdown in September 2013. It was the 45th contest of the American’s glittering career, coming up against the young Mexican who was facing his toughest challenge to date.

‘Money’ dominated the fight throughout, using his skills and expertise 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 114-114, which baffled many of those in attendance, including Mayweather.

Speaking to Fight Hype, the 47-year-old did not hold back when talking about Canelo’s boxing ability, initially summing up in three words how the fight went.

Mayweather then explained further what he thinks of the Mexican’s ability.

“You can take a guy like Canelo. I’ll tell the truth about Canelo. The mo**erf**ker was easy. A cakewalk, easy. You’re all praising this dude. He was nothing. I was almost 40 and I cooked this dude, easy.”

After tasting defeat for the first time against Mayweather, Canelo went on to win his next 15 fights, winning world titles at middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight in the process.

The 34-year-old from Guadalajara, Mexico currently holds the unified WBC, WBA and WBO titles at 168lbs, as he looks set to defend his crown against fellow pound-for-pound superstar Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford later this year, in what could be one of the biggest fights in the long history of boxing.

Canelo’s only other career defeat came in 2022, when he was beaten comprehensively by the former WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.

Boxing is an amazing sport, made even greater by some undefeated boxers who refuse to lose no matter what. This sport has been home to several cherished streaks that made this sport far more enjoyable and intense than it should have been. There have been many boxers with an undefeated streak, but Floyd Mayweather with his 50-0 career record, might hold the most celebrated streak in boxing.

‘Money’ retired without a single blip in his professional career with a record of 50-0. While there have been many boxers with a career-defining winning streak, no one has come close to the Michigan native in the modern era of boxing.

Furthermore, the way boxing is progressing, it looks like no one might ever get close to Mayweather’s streak. Let’s take a look.

At this point, no active boxer is even close to Floyd Mayweather’s record. Terence Crawford is the closest boxer with 40-0 straight career wins. However, at 37 years old, the Omaha native does not have much time at the top. Furthermore, with Crawford getting closer to his dream fight against Canelo Alvarez, he might not even remain undefeated by the end of this year.

On the other hand, other boxers closest to Mayweather’s record like Naoya Inoue (24-0, 21 KOs), Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs), Oleksandr Usyk (21-0), still have a lot of ground to cover in seemingly very little time.

Boxing is an unforgiving sport, and no one can escape aging. We recently saw Mike Tyson mercilessly failing in his attempt to cheat age against Jake Paul in front of 70,000 live fans. With the brutal nature of boxing, combined with their age and rigorous physical demand, achieving 50-straight wings, seems quite impossible.

High-stakes matchups and Saudi Arabia’s big-money fights

The entry of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has completely changed the boxing scenario. With dreams and high-stakes fights being made like never before, the chances of everyone remaining undefeated are getting lesser. Undefeated vs. undefeated matchups like Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia, Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, and Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev have completely changed the boxing scene.

Floyd Mayweather remarkably suggested he earns $300 million a month thanks to huge investments outside of boxing.

The legendary fighter earned his ‘Money’ moniker during his boxing career, pocketing some of the biggest purses in the sport’s history including for his most famous fights with Conor McGregor and Manny Pacquiao.

It is estimated that Mayweather generated in excess of $1.2 billion in total earnings from his professional career, a staggering number which is barely matched by any other fighter.

As a result, it has set the American icon up for a lifestyle of luxury and wealth, as well as for generations to come.

Of course the money can dry up if not careful, given Mayweather retired from competitive action in 2017.

He has since been fighting in lucrative exhibitions against the likes of Logan Paul, Deji and John Gotti III but his fighting exploits are likely to be behind him entirely soon.

But it is his investments outside of the sport that are currently paying dividends, including his passion for real estate and property.

And incredibly, during an acceptance speech after being inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in 2021, he suggested he makes a colossal $300 million each month.

He said: “I will continue to give back to the sport of boxing in my time, and I will also give back financially because I got it.

American boxing legend Floyd Mayweather is among the highest-paid athletes of all time. Mayweather, with an impressive record of 50-0, had career earnings of $1.48 billion before he retired in 2017.

A recent report by the Sport Bible said that Mayweather, 47, was among the top 10 highest-paid sports stars- a list that included Michael Jordan, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lebron James.

Jordan topped the list with career earnings of $3.75 billion, followed by Tiger Woods at $2.66 billion, and Ronaldo at $1.92 billion.

Neymar’s career earnings so far have been around $1.01 billion, Hamilton has earned $880 million while Mike Tyson earned $905 million.

Floyd Mayweather: The richest boxer of all time

He might not be the richest athlete across sports, but Mayweather is the richest boxer of all time- ahead of his former arch-rivals Manny Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez and old-school legends such as Mike Tyson and George Foreman. 

A list released by Sportico in March 2024 said that Pacquiao had career earnings of $750 million, Canelo at $640 million, Tyson at $950 million, and Foreman at $705 million.

Despite being insanely wealthy, Floyd Mayweather has always trained as if he were an amateur boxer moving up the ranks in the combat sport.

From boxing to real estate

Having amassed a massive wealth from boxing, Mayweather is still making money and expanding his empire.

In a report published in late November 2024, Bein Sports said that Mayweather is continuing to make waves in the world of businesses and investments.

Mayweather recently made a $402 million real estate purchase in New York, but he is taking things even further with a massive $10 billion project.

On October 16, the 47-year-old finalised a deal to acquire over 60 buildings, which will provide more than 1,000 affordable housing units. 

This deal, ranked among the largest real estate transactions in New York City for 2024, the report said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Boxing may soon welcome a new promotion. Not entirely new, though. Dana White has been in the combat sports business for the last 32 years. He transformed the UFC from a small $2 million business into a $10 billion behemoth. White could bring similar success to boxing, particularly with the backing of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Together, they may reshape the traditional structure of a sport that has long been defined by its conventions.

Introducing significant changes, HE Alalshikh and Riyadh Season have already made notable strides in boxing. Their efforts have brought some of the most high-profile fights in recent years to the forefront. Speaking with Carl Froch, HE Alalshikh roped in a Floyd Mayweather example and hinted at potential transformations. With Dana White’s involvement, fans can expect notable changes in the sport moving forward.

HE Turki Alalshikh: Changing Perspectives on Losses in Boxing

On Froch’s channel, HE Alalshikh shared his views on a possible matchup between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, both of whom have suffered recent losses. For Alalshikh, the key question was whether both fighters were focused and determined enough to make the historic clash happen.

“We must now, uh, be, uh, normal, uh, to be, uh, normal, uh, to have losing some fights in the boxing,” he said. The Riyadh Season pointed out that most fighters dream of maintaining an undefeated record like Floyd Mayweather Jr. However, such records are rare, and phenomena like Mayweather’s success come along only once in a generation. “All the fighters want similar to the career of (Floyd)Mayweather – zero losses. This can happen one time every 50/60/70 years,” the Saudi Royal contended.

Citing Muhammad Ali‘s example, HE Alalshikh said, “We need like the UFC model now, where the champions are losing and winning. Muhammad Ali lost five times and he’s still the legend.”

New vision for boxing and Dana White’s arrival

A recent report by The New York Times revealed that a team from Saudi Arabia is in talks with TKO Holdings, the parent company of UFC, to create a new boxing league. It’s been suggested for long. Rather than having separate governing bodies, the idea of consolidating boxing under one unified organization, similar to the UFC, sounds appealing to many. This consolidation would simplify the sport for fans. For promoters, it could also become easy to organize major fights that appeal to the audience.

Dana White’s involvement in boxing isn’t entirely new. Despite his focus on mixed martial arts, the UFC president has long been enthusiastic about the sport. In the past, he played a significant role in promoting the mega-fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Last year, White expanded his partnership with Riyadh Season. The ‘Riyadh Season Noche UFC’ in Las Vegas became the highest-grossing event in UFC history. White also made his formal entry into boxing with the launch of ‘UFC Fight Pass,’ which featured Callum Walsh in the main event in Dublin, Ireland, in September. Speaking with the media, White reportedly said, “We’ve been kicking the whole boxing thing around for a long time, but you’ve never heard me commit and say ‘I’m in’. Well, I’m in.”

With his vast experience and innovative approach, Dana White could introduce groundbreaking concepts to boxing. His involvement may open new opportunities for young fighters who often face long waits for major bouts, ultimately benefiting the sport as a whole.

Floyd Mayweather record unlikely to be repeated in new era

Boxing is on the brink of a transformative era, with UFC President Dana White and His Excellency Turki Alalshikh working to reshape the sport.

White, known for turning the UFC into a $10 billion global powerhouse, is now partnering with Alalshikh and Riyadh Season to reimagine boxing. Together, they aim to simplify the sport’s structure and create new opportunities for fighters and fans.

Redefining success: Normalizing losses in boxing

Alalshikh noted that many fighters aspire to replicate Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s 50-0 record, but he emphasized that such perfection is extremely rare.

“All the fighters want similar to the career of Mayweather – zero losses. This can happen one time every 50/60/70 years,” he said.

Instead, Alalshikh pointed to Muhammad Ali, who lost five times but remains a legendary figure. He argued for a model similar to the UFC, where champions can lose and still be celebrated.

“We must now be normal to have losing some fights in boxing,” he stated, emphasizing that losses shouldn’t overshadow a fighter’s overall legacy.

Reports suggest Saudi Arabia is in talks with TKO Holdings, the UFC’s parent company, to establish a unified boxing league. This would bring the fragmented sport under one umbrella, streamlining governance and making major fights easier to organize.

Dana White’s passion for boxing isn’t new, but his recent commitment marks a turning point. Through UFC Fight Pass, he has already hosted boxing events, including a Callum Walsh-headlined bout in Dublin.

“We’ve been kicking the whole boxing thing around for a long time, but you’ve never heard me commit and say, ‘I’m in.’ Well, I’m in,” White declared

The vision of White and Alalshikh could lead to a more accessible and dynamic boxing world. A unified league would simplify the sport for fans while offering fighters more frequent opportunities to compete. Young talents, often sidelined due to the sport’s fragmented structure, would particularly benefit from this new approach.

By combining White’s innovative strategies with Alalshikh’s commitment to elevating the sport, boxing could see a renaissance. This partnership promises to redefine success, break down barriers, and bring fresh energy to a sport steeped in tradition.