Boxing fans appear to have snubbed Floyd Mayweather’s UK debut.
‘The Best Ever’ fought Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers at the 20,000-capacity O2 arena in London tonight but the huge venue was largely empty.
Richard Pelham / The Sun
3 Mayweather and Chalmers fought in a half-empty O2 Arena in London
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Mayweather easily won all eight rounds but at the end of the fight, no winner was announced due to the fact it was an exhibition bout.
At the peak of his powers, Mayweather amassed a historic 50-0 record by beating fight legends Manny Pacquiao, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, Oscar De La Hoya, Conor McGregor, and many more.
Since retiring from professional boxing in 2017, the 46-year-old has made millions fighting in exhibition bouts against novice opponents such as Logan Paul and Deji.
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After going eight rounds with ‘The Maverick’ in 2021, Mayweather bragged during his post-fight press conference about the ‘legalised bank robbery‘ he had just pulled off.
He said: “Who really is the smartest one in the sport of boxing? If you guys don’t want to see me do no exhibitions don’t come, don’t watch.
“When it comes to legalized bank robbing, I’m the best. I don’t care if you write good stories. I don’t care if you write bad stories. At the end of the day, I will always have the last laugh.”
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3 UK fans decided to skip Mayweather’s latest exhibition
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3 The 46-year-old made it look easy through six rounds against Chalmers
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In the build-up to fight night, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn predicted that Mayweather’s latest event would be a disaster because no one would turn up or buy the pay-per-view.
He told Boxing Social: “Someone has hired out the O2 Arena thinking that they’re gonna sell out the O2 Arena with Floyd Mayweather and they’re going to do a couple hundred thousand buys on pay-per-view.
“It’s either going to get cancelled or someone is gonna do their absolute conkers, or people are not going to get paid. One of the three.”
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Mayweather was planning more exhibition bouts in 2023 and former UFC champion Jose Aldo had been touted as a potential opponent.
Following tonight’s lacklustre event in London, the former five-weight world champion may decide that he’s had enough of travelling the world for fights with people unfit to share the ring with him.
talkSPORT has landed exclusive radio rights for the blockbuster boxing showdown between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury.
Our coverage of the fight will start at 7pm on Sunday, February 26 on talkSPORT 2 before switching over to talkSPORT at 9pm ahead of the main event.
talkSPORT.com will bring you all the build-up across fight week, exclusive interviews with both camps and the very latest from Saudi Arabia as well as a live blog on fight night.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.