The jig may be up for Floyd Mayweather as disappointing photos of a near-empty arena show a fading interest in his world tour
Photos by Getty Images
- Floyd Mayweather boxed in an exhibition at a largely empty arena in London.
- It demonstrates dwindling interest in the former five-weight boxing champion's world tour.
- Mayweather shared the ring with reality TV star Aaron Chalmers in an unofficial eight-round contest.
The jig may be up for Floyd Mayweather as photos of a near-empty arena show a fading interest in his world boxing exhibition tour.
Mayweather has made a small fortune in his post-fight career, which he finished in 2017 with a 50-0 record after beating a who's who of the sport's biggest names.
In the years since, he's taken part in unofficial contests, sharing the ring with MMA fighters and influencers in Japan, the UAE, and the UK.
His most recent stop was in London's iconic 20,000-seater O2 Arena. But just 15 minutes before the show was due to begin, only a few people could be seen at the venue.
British tabloid newspaper The Sun posted photos on Twitter to highlight the lack of interest in the event.
—Sun Sport (@SunSport) February 25, 2023
Even during the ring walks hundreds of empty seats could be seen from the floor, with many sections in the arena seemingly obscured from the camera's point of view.
—Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) February 25, 2023
Mayweather looked as sharp as ever in the ring, though
Despite the extraordinarily low turnout, Mayweather's skills looked like they'd barely faded as the legendary boxer literally waltzed his way past reality TV star Aaron Chalmers.
Photo by Getty Images
Mayweather's evasiveness in defense and accuracy in attack was on display, together with his uncanny ability to dance, quite literally, in an effort to put on a show.
—Danny (@dantheboxingman) February 25, 2023
Between rounds, he even sat on the ring ropes rather than the stool to reflect how at ease he was against an overmatched, underqualified opponent in Chalmers.
As no official result can be declared, there was no winner, with the show lasting the full eight rounds.
"I would like to thank all the UK fans," said Mayweather in the ring. "The fans are unbelievable.
"I'm glad that I came … If the fans want me to come back, I'm coming back."
Considering how few people turned out, though, it is unclear for how long Mayweather's exhibition tour can remain profitable.