Show Me The “Money”
What does a defensive prizefighter whom has mastered his affairs inside and outside of the ring mean in terms of the boardroom? The C.E.O. of “any company USA” will tell you “it’s all about the bottom line.” Mayweather’s Bottom line is as such:
- 2014: Mayweather earned $105 million during the past 12 months for 72 minutes of work in the ring for fights against Canelo Alvarez and Marcos Maidana. The payday puts Mayweather atop Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest-paid athletes for the second time in three years.”
- 2013: Mayweather signed a 30 month 6 fight deal in upwards of $200 million with Showtime(CBS). Forbes labeled the deal as “The richest individual athlete deal in sports”. The Mayweather vs. Canelo fight dubbed “The One” (The highest grossing fight in boxing history) breaks the record earning $150 million with 2.2 million pay per view purchases (The previous record was held by Mayweather vs. De La Hoya). Mayweather was guaranteed 41.5 million for “The One”, with the possibility of earning an additional 40 to $60 million once all the pay per view tallies are done. “The One” also holds the all time record in boxing history by selling $20 million at the gate and selling out the MGM Grand Arena in 24 hours.
- 2012: For less than an hours worth of work for dispatching of Victor Ortiz in September 2011 and winning a unanimous decision in May 2012 against Miguel Cotto, Mayweather added another title to his mantle. Mayweather topped out the Forbes list as the highest paid athlete in sports, earning $85 million in salary without any additional income from an endorsement deal. No Nike, no Adidas, no Reebok, no endorsement deals whatsoever. Compare this to Tiger Woods who was ranked number 3 on the Forbes list earning a grand total $59.4 million in 2012. The bulk of Wood’s earnings came directly from his endorsements. Woods earned 4.4 million in salary and 55 million in various endorsement deals. If Woods had to rely on his Salary/winnings alone, he wouldn’t have even made the list of the top 200 highest paid athletes. The lack of an endorsement deal can translate to a lack of capital (although Mayweather doesn’t seem to be at a loss without one).However, without having a company/corporation to answer to, the lack of an endorsement deal can also lead to complete freedom and autonomy. Mayweather is not governed by a company’s ideology, nor does he need a company’s approval to make decisions. An athlete (who is usually a walking advertisement/billboard for one company or several, has to ride that fine line of performance and clean corporate image if they want to get paid (see Tiger Woods). Where would Michel Jordan or Nike be without each other? An athlete who could cut the strings of a corporate puppeteer and still be both relevant and profitable simply didn’t exist until now. Mayweather walks on the line that he draws for himself and that in it-self is priceless.
- 2007: Mayweather vs. De La Hoya was the biggest boxing pay per view event of all time earning $2.4 million pay per view purchases and raking in $137 million dollars in pay per view revenue. These are just a few snippets or highlights of how Mayweather’s drawing power and marketability translate into dollars and cents. Several articles can be written on how Mayweather’s economic footprint has impacted sports, television, or the state of Nevada (where he usually fights).
Photo Ervins Strauhmanis
Hunger of a Challenger, Heart of a Champion
Like a lot of athletes, Mayweather’s lives a lavish lifestyle within his means, which usually includes intense partying. What separates Mayweather from other athletes is the fact that he does not drink alcohol or nor does he do recreational drugs. Mayweather leads a clean lifestyle which is not easy to do when his vast amount of resources leave access to alcohol and drugs virtually unlimited. Mayweather walks around in fighting shape year round, which shows extreme dedication to his craft. Rarely if ever, do you see Mayweather tired or running out of gas in the ring, because of his extreme conditioning. Much criticism (whether it be self inflicted or not) is thrown at Mayweather because he makes it a point to constantly flaunt his wealth. It certainly rubs many people the wrong way. Perhaps Mayweather is following the business model of America, which is to globally flex its muscles and flaunt its wealth. Contrarily, more attention should be given to how Mayweather has transformed himself from boxing pawn to the orchestrator of the chess match without having to change or compromise his style of fighting. He has transformed himself from contender to champion and has stayed champion for 17 years. Mayweather has had his hand raised countless times in the ring and in the arena of business. He has climbed to the top of the Forbes list as the highest paid athlete in sports two times over, and has brokered the richest individual deal in sports without a high school education. Mayweather has become a self-made millionaire while practicing his credo “Hard work and dedication”. Having the discipline to become champion is one thing, but maintaining that discipline to remain champion for nearly two decades without compromise is surely another.
the introspective 