As a boxing scribe I am thankful for Floyd Mayweather. Despite a lack of formal education and his love and hate relationship with media, thirty four year old super star has never short changed us with material to write about.
?I am just happy because I am in the position to say what I want to say,? alleged Mayweather during his recent interview with Fight Hype:? I am only speaking on how I really feel.?
Mayweather who recently reclaimed number one pound for pound ranking on ESPN poll, has been able to use conventional media, such as TV, radio and print to his benefit.
?You guys made me relevant,? Floyd said earlier this year in Los Angeles addressing the media.
How does he do it? Earlier this month, he came out on television and made an announcement that he would be ready to fight on May 5th next year. What did this accomplish? This announcement created a public outcry for much anticipated showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. In fact it forced the hand of camp Pacquiao, especially promoter Bob Arum who called this nonsense, to get to work on the fight. Mayweather did the same thing earlier using the media to create enough noise to force Manny Pacquiao to take random drug test as a condition of their contest. In short Floyd Mayweather uses the media to create a public opinion. Think about it. When the issue with random drug testing originally came up, team Pacquiao basically said that Mayweather was nobody to make new rules and new demands. With time and media and fans involvement Pacquiao has agreed to Floyd?s demands. Recent reports by ESPN and ABC indicate that Pacquiao Mayweather mega fight is very close to being done, thanks to Floyd Mayweather using the media.
