By Michele Emrick
The Floyd Mayweather and Saul Alvarez fight that is slated for September 14 in Las Vegas is easily the most anticipated fight of the year. That was proven when the pair set out on a multi-city promotional tour that was attended by thousands, and the fight was sold out in less than 24 hours with a gate of well over $19 million. Additionally, sponsorships and foreign television rights are also setting records.
While that fight alone may have been enough to satisfy most boxing fans, things just got a lot better on Thursday when it was announced that the much-anticipated fight between junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia and interim titlist Lucas Matthysse has been added to the card as a co-feature.
The fight promises fireworks and will crown a clear champion at 140 lbs. So important is this match up considered, that even though it is not the main event, this too will have a media tour to support it.
“To get these kinds of fights done is not so easy,” Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer said. “I’m glad in the end it worked out. The fight fans will get a special treat.
“These people who wrote Danny was scared of Matthysse have egg on their face. He wanted the fight more than any other fight. I am really pleased this is happening. I was asked everywhere I went, ‘Will you be able to pull it off, Garcia-Matthysse?’ Well, yes, we did.”
With the addition of yet another mega-fight to the Mayweather-Canelo tilt, this pay-per-view certainly sets up to be one of the best in history. Shaeffer added that he thinks there is a strong possibility that this card can challenge the previous record for buys set by Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya in 2007.
“This is a huge visibility event, so as the leading promoters in the sport, we want to take on the responsibility of making new fans,” Schaefer said. “This is the kind of event you are going to see non-boxing fans, people who have never seen a boxing match before, buying that night, and I think we want to take advantage of that and not only deliver them a great main course, but stellar appetizers.
“I want people, when they turn off their TV, to say, ‘Wow, that was amazing, and I can’t wait to see another boxing match.'”
While the purses for Danny Garcia and Lucas Matthysse were not disclosed, it is believed both will be making seven figures, making it most likely the most expensive fight to ever be on an undercard.
“There was not much of a debate or issues with the fighters, but it’s the most expensive fight ever put on a pay-per-view, so that took a lot of maneuvering and negotiations and a lot of money to get it done,” Schaefer said. “And that really was the main reason it took so long.
“Of course, Floyd had to approve it because he’s the overall captain of the ship, but it was up to us to find additional revenue sources, being from sponsors or foreign television sales, so some of the cost could be carried by other revenue sources.”
The Philadelphia native Danny Garcia (26-0) won his title back in March of 2012 by defeating the legendary Erik Morales. Since then, he has defended the belt three times, with victories over Amir Khan, Morales again, and finally Zab Judah back in April.
Just a short time later, Garcia watched from ringside when Matthysse (34-2) knocked out Lamont Peterson. Shaeffer said that he had hoped to match the winners of those two fights all along.
“This is the fight I wanted and the fight that I asked for,” Garcia said. “That is why I’m so happy this fight has been made and will be a part of this huge event. I’m more confident than ever in my abilities, and I’m going to show it on Sept. 14. Matthysse is a good fighter and has a big punch, but I’m a talented fighter with what it takes to be a champion and stay that way. This is an opportunity for the world to see what I can really do in the ring.”
Said Matthysse, “I’m glad I finally get a chance to fight Danny Garcia. This is the fight that the entire boxing world, especially my country Argentina, and I wanted. I want to thank my promoters Golden Boy Promotions and Mario Arano for making this fight possible. On Sept. 14, I will show the world that I am the best 140-pound fighter on the planet.”
Floyd Mayweather’s manager Leonard Ellerbe said that it was Mayweather’s wish to beef up the card.
“Floyd is trying to bring the awareness to the sport and give this fight the worldwide platform it deserves,” Ellerbe said. “This is a tremendous fight. You have Lucas Matthysse, who is running everyone out the ring and who a lot of guys don’t want to fight, and Danny Garcia stepped up and said, ‘I want to be the guy to beat him.’ Matthysse has tremendous punching power, but Garcia can punch with either hand. We want people to leave away from watching this whole card and want to see the next card we put on. … This is Floyd trying to make boxing a mainstream sport.”
While all that may be true, it is also possible that Floyd Mayweather has other reasons for the move. The winner is a strong candidate to be his next opponent, so it makes sense that they appear on the same card as him.
“Our focus is just on Sept. 14,” Ellerbe said. “There are a number of guys who want to fight Floyd from 140 to 154. There are a lot of guys in the Mayweather sweepstakes.”
