Over the past week, the boxing world has been ablaze with apprehension and rumors. As the drama around Garcia-Haney continued to unfold, there were rumors that Floyd Mayweather was being held in Dubai over an unpaid debt. This rumor, of course, started after ‘Money Mayweather’s former protege and current WBA lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis made this claim in a tweet last week.

Along with ‘Tank’s tweet, there were other signs that something was off, too. The undefeated former champion had not posted on his Instagram, either, over the past week. In addition, boxing agent Rick Glaser too, had claimed that according to his sources in Dubai, Mayweather was indeed being held captive in Dubai. And now, for the latest riff on the matter, UFC commentator Chael Sonnen thinks it all might be a big, albeit very strange, misunderstanding. Keep reading after Sonnen’s update for details on Mayweather’s NBA appearance!

After Gervonta Davis tweeted about Floyd Mayweathe’s situation last week, UFC legend Chael Sonnen jumped in the fray, offering his help in ‘rescuing’ Floyd Mayweather from captivity in Dubai. In fact, Sonnen confidently declared on his YouTube channel that “I looked into it again and again and it appears that Floyd is being held in Dubai.

Sonnen claimed that the current version of events about why he was held, which went as follows, made no sense: “Floyd held an event in Dubai, Floyd did not pay the athletes in Dubai. They do not take debt as a forgiving measure [in Dubai].” However, the former UFC title contender was not convinced by this story because “I don’t remember Floyd putting on a show over there, I don’t remember Floyd putting on an event.”

This brought Sonnen to what he felt actually happened. The UFC legend, in the video, theorized that Mayweather’s team, The Money Team, thinking the $18 million was not actually for an event, accidentally laundered it: “If Floyd did not do that I wouldn’t want him to be held, and if the number is $18 million that he was paid that was supposed to go this way but The Money Team converted that money, right. I mean money laundering is always been easiest to do through fighting.”

Sonnen is the first to make these claims, which are based upon certain assumptions that cannot be verified at the moment. However, one thing is clear: Mayweather is free now.

Mayweather was seen at a recent NBA game

Amid rumors of being held captive in Dubai, Floyd Mayweather made an appearance at the Clippers vs. Mavericks NBA playoff game on Wednesday. On his way to the basketball game, which has become a favorite of the boxing legend since he retired in 2017, ‘Money’ gave three homeless men $30,000, according to TMZ Sports, who interviewed one of the men on condition of anonymity.

While some are claiming that this confirms that the reports of Mayweather being held captive were false, that is not a foregone conclusion. Mayweather’s presence at the game only tells us that Mayweather is free to move around now. It does not speak to whether or not Mayweather was indeed being held against his will in Dubai over the past week.

And Chael Sonnen, bizarrely thinks that all of this may have been a misunderstanding that led to the undefeated boxer’s team accidentally laundering the money given to them to hold a boxing card.

Today, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez remains the most dominant boxer of his generation. When one seeks the name of the best fighter of this era, his name tops the list. However, he enjoys this pride despite the few losses he’s suffered on his record. Now, as he prepares for his next stint in the ring, he speaks vividly about the loss Floyd Mayweather gave him more than a decade ago.

In 2013, Floyd Mayweather at 36, decided to fight a young and rising 23-year-old, Canelo Alvarez. The match took place in Las Vegas. The fight gave Canelo not only his pro career’s first loss but also his most devastating to date. While he was majorly seen as an underdog for that matchup, a huge chunk of his fan base remained confident that he would dominate ‘Money’. However, on fight night, through a majority decision, he lost his WBC and Ring magazine super welterweight titles to Mayweather. Years later, when he’s way past that loss, career-wise, he reflects on what the matchup actually meant for him at the time.

Canelo’s fight against Mayweather was noteworthy. While he stood his ground persistently till the end, his punches couldn’t effectively find their mark on an elusive and experienced fighter like Floyd Mayweather who counter-punched his way to victory.

Alvarez jotted down a few points from that matchup as he spoke on a special series PBC is doing ahead of his Jaime Munguia clash. “When I fought Mayweather, he already had a lot of fights in that scenario. He had a lot of experience as well. I felt like I could beat him at that moment. I wasn’t ready for a fight of that magnitude and in that spotlight. I learned many things,” Canelo admitted.

He further added in Spanish (translated by the channel itself), “He’s a very intelligent fighter. The way he handled himself in the ring. How he did things. Calm. Relaxed. I think I learned a lot from the experience. Obviously, it hurt my pride a lot because I wanted to beat the best.” After that fateful night, Canelo was never the same again. He was pretty much unstoppable until a few years ago.

In 2022, against Dmitry Bivol, Canelo’s worst fears came true again. The technical prowess of his Russian opponent fazed Canelo, who lost a second time, though still on points. However, these few losses could not stop him from joining the elite class. In fact, Floyd Mayweather too thinks that the fighter is cut out to join him in the elite club of boxing greats.

Mayweather believes Canelo Alvarez is a Hall of Famer

When the Munguia fight was announced, Canelo received flak for ducking David Benavidez, who is his mandatory challenger for the WBC belt. Justifying his decision to move over Benavidez, Mayweather, in an interview noted, “A lot of time fighters got to do what’s best for them…You have to live with the decisions that you make. I was in that same situation.”

“He didn’t beat the champions by struggling. He clearly dominated a lot of those guys. He tested his skills. Light heavyweight, he won a title. Then he fought another guy at light heavyweight and came up short,” he explained.

“But, he’s a Future Hall of Fame, a hell of a fighter. Everybody wants their business different, I wish him nothing but the best,” he remarked.

Can even the bitterest rivalries forge respect? When Canelo Alvarez faced Floyd Mayweather in 2013, sparks flew. The clash wasn’t just a bout; it was a clash of eras. Mayweather emerged victorious, handing Canelo his first professional loss. Fast forward, and the tables have turned.

In a revealing interview with PPV.COM, Canelo crafts his ideal fighter, and guess who has the highest ring IQ? Mayweather. Despite their storied past, Alvarez’s nod to Mayweather’s tactical genius is unexpected. Does this gesture hint at a newfound respect? Or is it an acknowledgment of undeniable skill?

As Cinco de Mayo weekend approaches, the buzz in the boxing world is palpable, and all eyes are on The Undisputed champion. Set to face Jaime Munguia in Las Vegas, this bout is a showcase of mastery and legacy. But before stepping into the ring, Canelo sat down with PPV.COM to discuss the makeup of his “perfect fighter.”

“If you could build the perfect fighter, let’s start with some of the assets. Who has the best right hand you’ve ever seen?” the interviewer asked. Without hesitation, Canelo responded, “Tommy Hearns, I think, is one of the best right hands I ever see.”

“Left hand?” probed the interviewer next. “Left hand. Julio Cesar Chavez?” Canelo answered. As the conversation deepened, the topic of sheer power came up. “Duran or Foreman?” Canelo pondered. “And footwork?” the interviewer continued. “Footwork, I think, Whitaker?” Canelo suggested, tipping his hat to Pernell Whitaker’s legendary defensive maneuvers.

“Chin?” came the next query. “Chin? I think me,” Canelo said with a chuckle, confident in his own resilience. Finally, the topic of ring intelligence was broached—a quality often overlooked but crucial. “And IQ, who’s the smartest guy in the ring?” “I think Mayweather. Very, very good IQ,” Canelo conceded, giving a nod to his one-time adversary, Floyd Mayweather.

The Mayweather and Canelo fanbase have been in a tussle since the 2013 bout. Often blaming Floyd for choosing the bantamweight for their fight. Floyd not so long ago talked about this and made it clear that it was Canelo who chose the weight.

In the ring, every pound counts, and recently Floyd Mayweather cleared the air about a crucial detail from his historic fight with Canelo Alvarez. During a revealing chat with Fight Hype, Mayweather shared that the agreed-upon weight of 152 pounds for their bout wasn’t his idea. “Let’s be clear that I didn’t choose the agreed weight, it was Canelo who asked for it,” Mayweather stated.

He elaborated, “I never asked Canelo for a bantamweight. Someone on Canelo’s team said they were up for it, so we just asked what weight they wanted.” This clarification from Mayweather adds a new layer to the narrative of their epic showdown.

How much of these admired qualities will we see on display? Will Canelo’s own combination of skill and smarts rise to the occasion?

Floyd Mayweather seems to be on his vengeance arc, as he ripped into Davin Haney’s game! Before the Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney fight, Devin’s father, Bill Haney, took numerous digs at the five-division champion for leaking sparring footage of Haney and Gervonta Davis. Not to mention, ‘The Dream’ expressed his disdain with the legendary boxer.

At the time, Mayweather hadn’t spoken much about his former pupil or the comments about him from Devin’s father. However, that seems to have changed in a big way! As Ryan Garcia shocked the world by defeating the former undisputed lightweight champion in one of the most brutal exchanges on Saturday, Floyd showed up in an interview with Fight Hype today to point out the kinks in Haney’s armor.

Speaking to the undefeated legend of boxing, Ben Thompson from Fight Hype asked whether Devin Haney can bounce back. So, Mayweather reflected on “The Dream” Haney’s moves in the ring, and he seemed less than impressed with Haney’s skills. Having dealt with numerous formidable foes, Mayweather said, “For starters, he gotta turn his shots to get the power.”

Besides claiming Haney’s punches lacked power, Mayweather had a lot to say about Devin’s jab. “You can’t be shooting your jabs like this. Amateurs do this. When you [are a] professional, we here, boom boom,” said Mayweather as he demonstrated the right way! To further prove his point, Mayweather highlighted his iconic fight against Arturo Gatti.

“Every time I did my s**t out there, I just like this because I know that the motherf**ker got a hook,” said Mayweather. He pointed out that most knockouts come from the hook because it comes out of nowhere, leaving the fighters wide open. According to ‘Money,’ that’s what happened to Devin during the fight. “In the eleventh round, when [Devin] got knocked down, he didn’t see the shot coming,” said Mayweather.

Considering all that, Mayweather realized, “So, it’s a lot of things that [have] to be taught to him.” Coming back to the original question, Mayweather said, “Can he bounce back? Anything can happen.” Meanwhile, Mayweather seems to have gotten into a heated back-and-forth with Bill Haney as well.

Devin Haney might have lost his fight, but Bill Haney isn’t backing down all the trash talk. In a recent pinch, the father and trainer was confronted by Floyd Mayweather himself on an Instagram live session. Floyd said, “If your son is undefeated in the gym, congratulations. Congratulations that you got an undefeated fighter in the gym.” 

He then added, “I’m an under the lights type fighter. Bill, let me ask you a question. What’s my record under the lights?” Hearing this, Bill said, “But listen, what’s your record in life?” Mayweather, of course, responded by claiming he was undefeated even in life, prompting a disrespectful answer from Bill. “Flexing that punk ass 50-0, I’m 50-0 on these streets. I got love in these streets. F**k your 50-0 with that boxing s**t, that s**t [doesn’t] mean nothing,” said Bill.

With Haney’s luck taking an unforeseen turn, Floyd Mayweather didn’t miss the opportunity to highlight the weaknesses in Devin’s game. However, it’s worth mentioning that Devin Haney defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko, who is one of the greats in lightweight. So, it could have been just a bad day for Haney. Nonetheless, what are your thoughts on Mayweather’s assessment?

In light of Ryan Garcia’s concerning behavior on the internet, the focus on the mental health of boxers has intensified. His now previous meltdowns on social media and concerns about alcoholism have led many to believe that it may be his tactic to promote the upcoming Devin Haney fight. However, a major chunk remains worried if the fighter needs mental health assistance. Does this suggest Ryan Garcia might not be in peak mental condition for his crucial fight against Devin Haney?

While the sport demands a fighter to be in pristine headspace, the pressure on them to perform better, coupled with expectations of fans and media glare, could make it hard for them to cope. In such dire cases, how does one adapt? Leonard Ellerbe, a close confidant of Floyd Mayweather for years, has some poignant tips to give.

Fight Hub TV quizzed Mayweather Promotions’ CEO, Leonard Ellerbe, about the ongoing Ryan Garcia fiasco. For Ellerbe, The Californian fighter’s behavior was deeply concerning. He noted, “When you’re fighting at the highest level, you got to have a tremendous amount of focus.” The CEO remarked, “Oftentimes, you gotta visualize what you are going to do and you have to break an opponent down.”

The 58-year-old further explained using ‘Money’ as an example. He said, “It’s like, he [Floyd Mayweather] can focus where there’s chaos. What people perceive as chaos. But that’s Floyd Mayweather though.” He highlighted that Mayweather, in his career, could anticipate his opponent’s next moves, and respond effectively. Because of experience? No. Ellerbe said, “That’s a gift.”

However, in Garcia’s case, it’s a bit more strenuous. The CEO of Mayweather Promotions emphasized, “It’s always harder when you’re a younger fighter when you haven’t been in a lot of big-time fights to be able to and the focus part of it is oftentimes you have to just kind of, as my mom used to tell me, sit still. Sit still!”

For someone who’s studied Ryan Garcia very closely, Ellerbe is the best person to comment on how the fighter’s bout against ‘The Dream’ could work or not work for him. Here is what he had to say when asked to pick between KingRy and The Dream.

Keeping all the internet drama aside, when looking at the 25-year-old fighter, it seems like he’s never been more prepared to undertake a clash. His daily morning runs, to sweaty gym workouts. If one were to look at him without his social media antics, one would think that the fighter would give Haney a hard run for his money.

However, while keeping all of this in mind, Leonard Ellerbe refused to pick a side. Why? “Because I really haven’t thought about it. To look at each one of them style, you know? It’s a good fight. It’s a good fight,” he curtailed his thoughts without giving out a judgment. According to him, both the fighters come with their strengths into the ring, which makes the bout even more interesting.

Floyd Mayweather is expanding his gym business into the Middle East. The visuals from the newest ‘Mayweather Boxing + Fitness’ venue in Dubai have emerged, and as expected, the internet has a few things to say about it.

In late 2022, the boxing gym chain announced that it had signed agreements with two different master franchise firms in the UAE and Japan. The announcement came shortly after he registered his victory over Deji in Dubai that month. For UAE locations, the franchise was led by a popular equity fund with partners Boris Kisko and Patrik Mandzela. Kisko already owned and operated one of the Mayweather gyms in California. 2 years later, the first of these gyms is now open.

The sport’s insider, Boxing Kingdom, uploaded snippets of the Dubai location on their X feed. The gym is located in the Dubai Creek Harbour area, a prime spot, mostly known to be the residential hub of Dubai’s luxury-seeking population. As per its website, its annual membership is currently priced at AED 11,499 ($3,131). The video shows the gym decked in Mayweather Boxing and Fitness signature aesthetics and welcoming lights.

Founded in 2018 by ‘Money’ and his partners Burrel Wilks III and James Williams, Mayweather Boxing + Fitness had almost 65 locations when it announced the UAE expansion. Today, when it has successfully done that, its domestic base has also equally widened.

With multiple centers already established and running in the US, the brand is expanding its base abroad. The Dubai center is one among them. Apart from the UAE and Japan, Mayweather Gyms will reportedly also set up shops in Saudi Arabia, the UK, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan in the days to come.

The first Dubai center will perhaps become the blueprint for future international engagements for the brand. Do fans approve of the newest addition to Mayweather’s money-making arsenal?

Fans agree that it looks nice

Well, Boxing Kingdom called it, “Floyd Mayweather’s luxury VIP gym.” However, a fan was clearly unimpressed. They called the setup “basic.”