There is a reason it’s called “The Money Team.” Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. is currently the highest paid athlete in the world according to an ESPN list published in April of this year. His salary is listed at a cool $75 million a year, however, this excludes his pay-per-view deals which net him in the ballpark of $200 million per fight. After defeating Marcos Maidana by decision on May 5, 2014 his team strapped a brand new hat on his head reading TBE (The Best Ever.) That fight updated his official professional record to an astounding 46-0. The funny thing is that Mayweather was guaranteed $32 million just for stepping in the ring. Maidana could have knocked him out in the first round and Mayweather would still be the real winner.
Mayweather was born in Grand Rapids, Mich.on Feb. 24, 1977. Boxing played an important role in his early life, as both his uncles, Jeff and Roger Mayweather, were professional boxers. Floyd’s father, Floyd Mayweather, Sr. was also a former professional boxer, however, he sold drugs to earn a living during the time that his son was growing up. When the two of them did spend time together, that time was spent in the gym as Floyd, Jr. showed a great deal of talent for the sport even at a young age. The law eventually prevailed when Sr. was incarcerated for drug trafficking and as a result Jr. was sent to live with his grandmother. She, too, saw his potential and Floyd dropped out of school and made the decision to box to earn a living.
Since Mayweather turned professional he has remained undefeated while also winning 8 world titles in 5 different weight classes. He is touted for his exceptional speed, and ring presence. He is a reactive fighter and uses perfectly calculated combinations break down his opponents. Although he spent most of his last fight in the corner, he was still able to block and land more punches than his opponent, Marcos Maidana.
Floyd’s greatest skill, however, isn’t fighting. It’s promoting. He understands that in order to make money, he needs a fan base to support him. That’s exactly what he has. He succeeds at what he does and isn’t afraid to tell the whole world about it. Starting from nothing, Floyd now has everything. He tells his fans that hard work and dedication are what got him where he is today, and they eat it all up. He lives a lavish lifestyle filled with cars, girls, gambling and, most importantly, training. Floyd doesn’t forget to have cameras follow him every step of the way and show it to his fans on his all access videos.
“There’s millions and millions and millions of people that want to live just like me,” Floyd said during his most recent all access video.
Floyd also surrounds himself with celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross to further his connections with the entertainment industry. Fans also do his promoting job for him when they spend money on “The Money Team” apparel. CEO of Floyd promotions, Leonard Ellerbee, has views similar to Floyd and preaches to the fans that love and happiness don’t pay the bills.
“Over the years I’ve observed that a large portion of our society is lazy and expects things to be given to them as opposed to putting in the work,” Ellerbee said on a Q and A on the Mayweather Promotions official website.
Floyd’s fan base even stretches out to DHS. Senior Matthew Lee is a die-hard fan of Floyd and a proud wearer of “The Money Team” brand.
“He worked hard enough to be cocky,” Lee said. “He hasn’t lost yet so he has the right. He doesn’t hear criticism because he’s too busy thinking about which Bugatti or Lamborghini to buy next. People who hate him don’t have nearly the money that he does and he doesn’t care because he lives a luxurious lifestyle. I agree with him that love and happiness never paid for the house, cars, taxes and bills. He had a rough childhood and his grandmother and mother believed him and allowed him to focus on boxing. Now that he is 46-0 and the best boxer, he buys them whatever they want. He allows them to live carefree. He gives back to the people who believed in him in the beginning.”
Lee purchased Floyd’s last pay-per-view fight and enjoyed the win with the company of all his “bros”.
Floyd has not yet announced his next fight, although, many fans hope for a rematch with Maidana.
