Skip to content
Advertisement

Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather has achieved pop status

Advertisement
 (136876)

This Saturday night at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, a boxing match will be at the center of attention, but that is not what high rollers are paying up to $100,000 for ringside seats to see; or the more wealthy folks who are paying $4,600 for seats in the nose bleed section, or what the everyday people are paying $90 to watch on television.

When the undefeated Floyd Mayweather finally steps in the ring against Manny Pacquiao, the one man that the public has been clamoring for him to fight for a good five years now, this will be more than a fight. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime event (well, until the rematch). While Pacquiao is a big name in boxing, Mayweather has crossed over into pop culture stardom. Whether people like it or not, and a lot of people do not because of his checkered past, Mayweather has reached the type of fame that the Kardashians have. Or Lindsey Lohan. Or Justin Bieber. Or Amber Rose. People who are famous and are considered ‘must watch’ regardless of whether the general public really knows much about their careers.

Mayweather is a slightly different case from those other celebrities, in that he is regarded as the best at his profession. Lohan was once known as a talented movie star before her ratchet behavior sidetracked her career. Bieber is wildly popular among a certain segment of the population. But he is known more for his childish antics and annoying behavior that constantly catches the attention of TMZ than he is for any of his songs.

And what exactly are Kim Kardashian or Amber Rose’s talents? It appears that they are simply famous for being attractive in the eyes of many while taking off their clothes. Add in some ratchet behavior of their own, and the public cannot get enough of them. The Kardashians have parlayed that into hundreds of millions of dollars.

While Mayweather clearly has a skill, and is known as the best at his craft, that is really not his major selling point. That has not made him an A-list celebrity. In this TMZ-Twitter-Facebook-and social-media culture, his big-money lifestyle has endeared him to the public. Just like a Hip Hop star, he throws cash, literally, all over the place. He flaunts his massive wealth, shows off his reported $15 million car collection, and he rolls around with extremely attractive women.

Mayweather dropped his ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd nickname in favor of the ’Money’ Mayweather character. That lifestyle helps sell his fights more than what he actually does in the ring.

Whether people like this type of behavior or not, the public is fascinated by it. Many people love it, so they will watch his every move. Many people hate it, which leads them to watch him even closer. It is sort of like the scene from the Howard Stern movie “Private Parts,” which was about the famed radio personality’s career. It was said that people who liked Stern tuned in to his radio show for an average of one hour and twenty minutes a day. The people who hated him tuned in for an average of two and a half hours a day. In both cases, the people who liked him and hated him said that they tuned in so long because they wanted to hear what he would say next.

That is pretty much what Mayweather is. Love him or hate him, people have to watch him. If a person loves him, they will tune in to watch their favorite boxer fight. If they hate him, they cannot miss a chance to see him finally lose. If something spectacular happens, everybody will be talking about it. So, people have to see it first hand or they will be left out of one of the biggest stories in the nation.

Even with Mayweather’s baggage, the guy is ‘box office,’ and at this point, he is bigger than the sport of boxing. He is the highest paid athlete in the United States and his financial impact is massive. In Las Vegas, according to a Los Angeles Times report, the average price increase for a two-star hotel room the weekend of the fight is $250. The increase for a four-star hotel is $750. A room at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on a typical weekend is $270 a night. This weekend the price has gone up to $1,600.

Reports say that there has never been a price serge like this in the history of Las Vegas.

And the money is not only flying around Sin City. The casinos in the Los Angeles area and Inland Empire are charging up to $90 for their fight-viewing parties.

The Cork, with locations on Adams and La Tijera, has a $35 door charge. The L.A. Alpha Fraternity House, Kappa Kastle, and various other organization club houses around the city will be accepting donations to view the fight. And do not forget about the vendors, who will be standing on street corners around the city selling t-shirts for the fight.

There will be some people who will take a stance and boycott the fight because of Mayweather’s history of violence toward women. In 2002, he was convicted of two counts of domestic violence and one count of misdemeanor battery. He did not serve any jail time for that.

In 2004, he was given a one-year suspended jail sentence after being convicted of two counts of misdemeanor battery against two women. In 2011, he pled guilty to misdemeanor battery in exchange for prosecutors dropping felony battery charges after an altercation with his then-girlfriend. He served 90 days in jail for that crime.

Two of those altercations where Mayweather was abusive toward women were with the mothers of his children.

Even though many people are disgusted by Mayweahter’s past of violence towards women, it will not stop the boxer from taking 60 percent of a potential $300 million purse. The other 40 percent will go to Pacquiao, who is regarded as the ‘good guy’ in this bout. Even with the history of violence, the African American community overwhelmingly appears to be rooting Mayweather on.

While this mega event has cultural significance, a boxing match will take place. There is a strong argument for both fighters to win. Mayweather is a defensive wizard who has been nearly impossible to hit, while Pacquiao throws power punches in bunches, and he has a motor that does not stop. If Mayweather fights his typical fight, he will spend 12 rounds dodging punches, while landing enough counter punches to win rounds in what could end up a boring fight.

If Pacquiao’s speed and power can get to Mayweather, we will see a battle that the undefeated fighter has never had.

Advertisement

Latest