Floyd Mayweather and his entourage arrived at the O2 Arena for his UK debut. However, it appeared that the fans were not particularly interested. The 20,000-capacity stadium was only half full when Mayweather faced off against Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers on February 25th.
Floyd Mayweather Failed to Draw Crowds
The exhibition match seemed to be taken lightly by the former world champion, who spent most of the fight teasing his opponent, a reality TV personality. Floyd Mayweather won all eight rounds with ease. However, it appeared that the fans did not take the fight as seriously as Mayweather did, as very few of them showed up. The broadcast of the event focused solely on the ring, with no shots of the crowd.
Despite the presence of some fans, photos and videos from the event revealed hundreds of empty seats scattered throughout the arena. Some reports suggested that a ticket agency attempted to sell off remaining tickets for as little as $6 on the night of the fight. Initially, neither Aaron Chalmers nor Floyd Mayweather made any reference to the sparse attendance.
After the fight, Floyd Mayweather expressed his appreciation towards his UK fans and credited them for turning the country into a boxing Mecca. He stated he would like to thank all the unbelievable UK fans, adding he was glad that he came. He further stated that if the fans wanted him to come back, he would. However, after the fight, Mayweather acknowledged the low turnout, attributing it to the late release of tickets.
Mayweather Blamed the Failure to Tickets
Mayweather expressed his belief that the tickets should have been made available for purchase at a faster rate. He acknowledged that his new team was still learning and commended them, stating that the situation was not their fault. However, he noted that when they host fights in the US, tickets go on sale as soon as the fight is announced, and for this fight, the announcement was made, but the tickets did not go on sale until some weeks later.
Following his retirement, the undefeated champion Mayweather has been engaging in a series of exhibition fights, such as those against Logan Paul and Deji Olatunji, which were mainly held in the Middle East. In light of the recent low attendance, it is uncertain whether or not the American fighter will consider returning to the UK.