Twitter. Facebook. Ustream. The list of social media available to boxers and opportunities to grow their brands free of charge, without traditional marketing mechanisms, grows by the day.
Social media is incredibly in building a fan base and pushing out information, but at the same time, are a double edged sword. One slip of the mouth, or push of the button, and an athlete can cause severe damage to their image.
Floyd Mayweather Junior is feeling tremendous push-back after appearing on Ustream earlier this week and lambasting the best boxer in the world Manny Pacquoiao with what many fans considered a racist outburst.
If Mayweahter?s insistence that Pacquiao is a user of Performance Enhancing Drugs over the last year and his disinterest in fighting the Filipino was not enough to turn off fans, he might of finally alienated all but the most die hard of supporters.
During his video rant Mayweather called Pacquiao ?Poochiao,? a ?yellow chump,? and then stated, he would ?cook him up with some barbecued dog.?; a classless series of statements that are unacceptable even in the shady world of boxing promotions.
Mayweather may be one of the best boxers in the history of the sport, but his appearance on Ustream will stay in the minds and hearts of many fans.
Of course Mayweather has retracted his statements and made a public apology, but one has to wonder how sincere it might be?
This is not the first time in recent months a boxer finds himself in hot water after making questionable statements on the Internet.
Welterweight stand-out Andre Berto caught flack after making statements regarding the death of Edwin Valero and murder of his wife.
Prospect Omar Henry rubbed his promotion Top Rank the wrong way earlier this Summer after jokingly saying that he was bringing Mayweather?s business associate Leonard Ellerbe as an advisor. This comment was in the midst of the fall-out over Mayweather and Pacquiao?s stalled negotiations.
Fighters beware, with powerful social media tools comes the potential for disaster.
