Their next date will be, if my count is correct, their third or fourth.
But I don’t believe that Donald King of the Cleveland Kings has gotten to first base with a teaser named Floyd Mayweather Jr.
I don’t think FMJ has even given DK a peck on the lips.
Maybe they’ve gotten cheeky but nothing more intimate.
And that won’t change even if Mayweather pops up at ringside at the Pontiac Silverdome Saturday night for the heavily hyped HBO main event between Devon Akexander and Tim Bradley.
Let me tell you why.
While DK has been aggressive in courting Mayweather, L’il Floyd is surrounded at age 33 by the same people who have made up his Inner Circle for several years now and there is no indication, I mean zero signs that he will boot any of them in favor of the 79 year old, legendary promoter.
It doesn’t require the brain of the proverbial Everlast Einstein to see that the Man Behind The Curtain, adviser Al Haymon, remains in charge in the “Money” camp.
The day that Haymon will work harmoniously with King will never come.
Either Mayweather annoints King as his new leader or he sticks with Haymon. There’s no combo platter option.
The supporting cast also remains the same for Mayweather.
Leonard Ellerbe is still the main guy who goes to court with Mayweather on his domestic violence charges.
When Mayweather went to jail in Las Vegas, white-haired and genial Sam Watson has been there to meet and to greet him. I assume that Mayweather’s bail is always arranged and paid for by Brother Haymon and his acolytes.
The point is, I can’t see how King has cracked the lineup, even in the lower part of the batting order.
And, if you know one thing about King, about his wealth and ego and his advanced age, you know that he’s not going to link up with Mayweather unless he is the baller and shotcaller.
So save me all the hoaky claptrap about King and sometime enemy and Manny Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum singing in perfect harmony on other projects involving other fighters.
Mayweather has kept his mouth shut on King’s status and the reason is obvious.
He’s just been teasing DK the whole time on his trips to South Florida and to a King fight card in St. Louis.
He’s not ditching Uncle Al for Uncle Don.
If you want to believe otherwise, enjoy your fairy tale, sure.
If Mayweather-Pacquiao can or will be made, either this November or next year, it will be made with Arum and cagey stepson Todd duBoef mixing it up with Team Haymon.
King doesn’t play second fiddle, he doesn’t babysit, not at this point in his storied but controversial life.
Although Haymon disains the spotlight, he’s a rich cat also and unlikely to bat second behind King, either.
King believes in the credo former Yankees owner George M. Steinbrenner lived by, that if you’re not the lead dog, the view never changes.
The lead dog in the Mayweather camp was and remains Al Haymon.
Any other arrangement is merely wishful thinking.
