Floyd Mayweather is one of the most hated and loved athletes of all time. Some attend his boxing matches because they want him to finally lose a match. Others attend his matches because they appreciate his skill set. Some folks could care less about Floyd, but, even these folks take notice when Floyd has a match.
During 2012, Floyd was the highest earning athlete in the world. He earned 85 million that year, and he only fought two times. He earned 40 million when he fought Victor Ortiz and 45 million when he fought Miguel Cotto. To provide some context for how much money he made that year when compared with his contemporaries, let's examine exhibit A, Lebron James. In 2012, Lebron, who is probably the most recognizable name in all of sports, only earned 53 million. Let's put that in perspective though. Lebron earned 13 million in salary/earnings from the Miami Heat. So what does that mean? Well, it means that he began training camp in October and played non-stop basketball until June. Floyd, on the other hand, trained a few months for each fight and earned at least 40 million per fight.
People are bothered by Mayweather's persona. However, we have to remember that he is an entertainer. That said, the "Money Team," and "Money Mayweather" monikers are likely just part of his act. How many of us know athletes or entertainers on a personal level? If I had a dollar for every time someone said "I like Kobe's game, but I do not like him as a person," I would be a wealthy man. So, let me get this straight, you actually know the guy and he personally did something to you, right? I will digress, but I hope this point has been well stated. I do not personally know Mayweather, nor do I care to meet him. However, I appreciate his prowess inside the ring and understand that he is an entertainer.
Mayweather did not attain a MBA from Wharton Business School. Despite a lack of formal marketing training, he has mastered the key concepts of marketing. He completely eliminated the middle man known as the promoter. He independently promotes his fights because he realizes that what a promoter could do for him (for a hefty fee), he can do for himself. He is always careful to give proper respect to his opponent after a fight. Last night, he thanked the fans from Mexico and all fans for buying his fight on pay per view. He is a marketing genius.
If you have ever watched the HBO series titled 24/7, you know how hard Floyd works at his craft. He has the same work ethic possessed by Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. He believes he is the best, and it is difficult to argue against his contention. After all, he has never lost a professional fight. He has entered the ring against professional fighters, in different weight classes, 45 times, and he has emerged 45 times with a victory. It may be too early to say that he is the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the history of the sport, but, if he fights a few more years, and remains undefeated, he would deserve to be in the conversation. Reasonable minds can differ, so I do not think he would ever be hailed as a consensus GOAT.
Whether you love Mayweather, or whether you hate him, I would be willing to bet a small sum of money that you will be watching his next fight. You care.
Peace
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