Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley might be a
better pure fight; Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto is much better business.
While Pacquiao-Bradley may
or may not break a million buys, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer is telling
anyone and everyone that this pay-per-view will do well over 2,000,000
purchases. Schaefer has been known to aim high (anyone remember his
4,000,000-buy prediction for Mayweather-Shane Mosley? Hey, who says he didn't
learn anything from Arum?) However, Schaefer's bold claims are really just
promoter-speak for 1.5-to-2,000,000 pay-per-view customers projected for Cinco
de Mayo.
That in itself will be a
significant victory for Mayweather in his claim that he, not the Filipino icon,
is boxing's biggest attraction. For his troubles, Cotto is guaranteed significantly
more (said to be right around 10,000,000 bucks) than the others who have recently
faced Mayweather and he deserves every penny. Top Rank isn't even upset at his
decision; they knew it was a deal he simply couldn't- or shouldn't- refuse. And
if there's anybody who deserves it, it's Cotto. He's that rare superstar who
has been willing to be both the A and B-sides in big fights.
Mayweather gets another
big-name scalp and what he believes is bargaining leverage in a fight that may
never come to fruition. -
*** Please Note: This was an excerpt from Steve Kim's latest article. read the full article here: Azad Championship Report - Mayweather Plays Moneyball