Ray Rice lost at least $10 million for punching a woman in Atlantic City in February. Floyd Mayweather will earn at least $32 million for punching a man in Las Vegas tonight.
When the Marquess of Queensberry approves, so do wallets.
Fighting in the fourth of a six-match, $200 million contract with Showtime, Mayweather stands to earn even more than the guaranteed purse through foreign television rights, pay-per-view bonuses, the gate, and other means. Mayweather’s opponent, Marcos Maidana, pulls in a guaranteed $3 million. It’s less than a tenth of the purse of his opponent but double his previous guaranteed-take high.
For gamblers seeking to get rich quick, Las Vegas offers $500 for a winning $100 bet on Maidana. The casinos offer $100 for a winning $800 bet on Mayweather. A few bettors may better their fortunes tonight. The house, stacking the math in their favor, figures to cash-in on the heads-I-win-tails-you-lose odds that put the “sin” in Sin City.
Maidana roughed up Mayweather in their May encounter, earning a draw on one judge’s scorecard and a rare return engagement. Just once in Mayweather’s 46 fights has he granted an opponent–Jose Luis Castillo–a rematch. But with Amir Khan resting during Ramadan this summer, and Manny Pacquiao fighting later this fall, Maidana seemed a good fit for the fight. The public doubted that the Argentine could compete with Mayweather back in May. They believe he can now.
The boxers met Friday in Las Vegas at the weigh-in. The undefeated champion tipped the scales at 146 1/2. Maidana registered a reading of 146.
The motherlode the pugilists haul away from the gambling mecca slightly outweighs the combatants. In $1 bills, the combined guaranteed purse weighs 71,428 pounds–heavier than 487 Floyd Mayweathers laying atop one another on the scale. Alas, the betting favorite’s hat worn to the photo-op didn’t read, “Money: Just Weigh It.” It said, “Money: Just Make It.”
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