Sometimes in the sport of boxing a fighter needs to be perceived a certain way to maximize exposure and marketability for all parties involved. The media, the networks, the promoters and even the fans will only pay attention to certain facts based on how a fighter is sold to them and a lot of things get lost between the cracks and skeletons are shoved into a closet to hopefully never see the light of day again.
Fortunately for all of you, I have plenty of spare time on my hands and more than happy to share my findings. As always, have a tissue box and a spare change of shorts if you?re the sensitive type.
This week, we take a look at a man who won?t let the spotlight go even though everybody wishes he does, Floyd ?Money? Mayweather.
5. That Sparring Session With Paul Spadafora.
Floyd Mayweather stands at 49-0, but that?s not to say that that he?s had his share of close calls during his 20 year run. You could make the argument that he lost his first fights against Jose Luis Castillo and Marcos Maidana respectively, or if you watched his fight with Manny Pacquiao blindfolded you could make the argument that he lost that fight, too. Alas, the biggest beating Mayweather ever received came in an impromptu sparring match against former Lightweight champion Paul Spadafora.
As the story goes, Mayweather and uncle Roger stopped by Spadafora?s camp to challenge him to a sparring match. Back in 199, Spadafora was only weeks away from defending his Lightweight title and Mayweather had not been in the gym for some time and it showed as Spadafora pummeled and outhustled Mayweather for the duration of their six round session. The video has made its rounds on the internet and yes, sparring matches mean nothing, but Mayweather getting beaten in such a manner has been swept by the wayside.
4. He Doesn?t Have a Great Eye for Talent
With how he carries himself inside the ring, Mayweather seems to lack the same level of ring generalship on the business side of things as he?s frequently chosen the wrong prot?g?s time and time again. Outside of Badou Jack Edwards, Mayweather hasn?t exactly discovered lost treasure on the promotional side of things, but plenty of fool?s gold has received the Mayweather stamp of approval.
J?Leon Love, Mickey Bey and Ashley Theophane are among fighters who Mayweather has mentored and guided to middling success at best, so he signed them. He also bestowed the same praise to the likes of Adrien Broner, Devon Alexander and Chad Dawson at one time or another…and that didn?t pan out too well for them.
3. That Time He Fell Behind On His Taxes
You would figure that somebody with as much cash laying around as Mayweather does wouldn?t have any problems paying his bills. Mayweather could probably make a suit of solid gold and pay for it in full before he realized how absolutely stupid he would look; he?d be the last person one would beg for money problems considering how much he?s made in recent years. However, there was a time where Mayweather wasn?t exactly in the money and had a bout with the IRS.
Right before his 2009 clash with Juan Manuel Marquez, it was widely reported across media outlets that the brash Mayweather had several liens on his properties by the IRS that hovered near $6 million. At the time, Mayweather also showed less financial restraint than he does now and frequently threw money away, prompting many to believe his initial retirement after Ricky Hatton would have been short lived due to financial reasons. Nowadays, $6 million is a drop in the bucket for boxing?s money man but this remains a chapter better left forgotten.
2. He Paid For Joe Frazier?s and Genaro Hernandez?s Funerals
There really is no defending Mayweather, he?s an arrogant braggart who rubs a lot of people the wrong way and while most of the time it is by design, it?s also just the kind of person he is. While Mayweather may be such a person, he isn?t without class. For example, back in 2011 the late Joe Frazier passed away and Mayweather covered the funeral costs for a man that gave so much to the sport even long after his career had ended.
It doesn?t end there as Mayweather once again paid his respects to a fallen legend and former foe Genaro Hernandez. Mayweather was always grateful that Hernandez gave him the shot at what was the first of five title wins and because Hernandez was financially struggling when he ultimately passed away from cancer in 2011, Mayweather stepped up and paid the funeral costs to his former opponent. It was an out of character moment from Mayweather, but one that showed a softer side that seldom gets brought up by anybody in the business.
1. He Bought Out His Contract With Bob Arum
Back in 2006, Mayweather was still under contract with Top Rank and masterclass hustler Bob Arum and just came off of a successful pay-per-view debut demolishing Arturo Gatti when the conversation of Mayweather?s future came up. Mayweather wanted to build on his success and wanted Arum to make a fight with Oscar De La Hoya, but Arum turned down the fight for the fact that he didn?t believe a fight with De La Hoya would do business and Arum didn?t want to risk Mayweather taking a loss in a co-promotion.
Arum countered Mayweather with a chance for a career-high payday against a nobody called Antonio Margarito with an extension packed in for making the fight that would have happened in late 2006. Mayweather agreed on the condition that Arum would make fights with Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton, and that?s when they both hit a brick wall. Mayweather and Arum could not come to an agreement and a determined Mayweather took matters into his own hands and bout out his contract from Top Rank to purse the fight with De La Hoya in 2007.
We all know the story from here, but it never would have happened if Mayweather didn?t take a stand against Arum and took matters into his own hands. The biggest win of Mayweather?s career in retrospect may in fact be the one he claimed on ?ol Bob Arum.
