Floyd Mayweather already a winner in life

By Andrew Dunne

Imagine earning more than $120 million for less than an hour’s work. That is what boxer Floyd Mayweather will earn, if not more, when he fights fellow future hall-of-famer Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas on May 2.

From a money standpoint, it is the biggest fight of all time. Rumor has it those ringside tickets for the mega-fight could trade for more than $100,000. The astronomical prices can in part be explained by the fact that fans have waited five years for this fight.

And, while Mayweather, who is the world's highest-paid athlete, has become accustomed to earning huge sums, his upcoming paycheck is a far cry from the $26,000 he made in his first professional fight almost 20 years ago and from his meager beginnings in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

At one point, he lived with six others in a one-bedroom apartment that often had no lights, just candles, and regularly no heat or hot water.

Mayweather now has closets larger than some of his previous homes. The fruits he is reaping are the result of more than three decades of dedication. He began boxing when he was a toddler.

“He was training to be a fighter in the crib. No kidding. He was throwing jabs even then,” his father once recalled.

Similarly, his uncle Roger has said that when Mayweather was two or three years old, “his daddy used to bring him into the gym and hold him up to hit the speed bag." And, when Floyd was only as tall as a doorknob, his father said, "He would throw the hook as good as any pro."

Mayweather comes from a boxing family. His father, Floyd Mayweather Sr. boxed professionally, and two uncles are former champions. So, it is not surprising that Mayweather showed signs of great boxing talent as a child. However, as renowned author Stephen King once said: "Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work."

Mayweather’s talent is undeniable. But so is his work ethic. As a child, he "ate, drank and slept boxing. That's what his life was consumed by," his cousin Latisha has stated. While his peers played, Mayweather trained. He and his father "would go to the gym in the morning and stay until night ... He never got to play that much like the other kids," his grandmother Bernice has said.

At 38, Mayweather is still known for being unrelenting in his training. It is not uncommon for his sessions to last up to 12 hours. Even when not preparing for a fight, he never neglects his body or health.

This brings me to my next point and the purpose of this article. In recent interviews, Pacquiao, who hails from the Philippines, and his trainer Freddie Roach said that Floyd is "bad for boxing" and "a bad role model for kids."

I disagree. I will refute these claims one at a time. First, when Mayweather fights, millions of people watch and purchase pay-per-view. In fact, more people tune in to watch his fights than any other boxer in history. Hence the reason Mayweather is sometimes referred to as May-per-view.

Many people might watch his fights in the hopes that he will lose, but nonetheless they watch. In other words, Mayweather generates interest in boxing. Even people who have never followed boxing are suddenly discussing and debating the May 2 bout and boxing in general. How is that bad for the sport?

And second, rather than focus on Mayweather's reported wrongdoings or faults, let's give him his just due. As a child, he dreamed of being a champion boxer and dedicated his life to this endeavor, overcoming much adversity.

When he was a teenager, his mother had substance-abuse problems, his father was sentenced to more than five years’ jail for drug trafficking, and an aunt died of AIDS.

Mayweather epitomizes the notion that success is not determined by whether or not you face obstacles, but how you react to them. When did determination and perseverance become negative character traits? Furthermore, Mayweather has never drank alcohol and does not use or condone drugs of any kind. In fact, he is playing a major role in helping to eradicate drug use in boxing. In addition, not only does he regularly give charitable donations but in 2007 he established a foundation that aims to help struggling adults and adolescents. So, to label him a bad role model is unjust.

For those relatively unacquainted with Floyd Mayweather, he is undefeated in 47 professional fights. Due to catlike speed and supreme defensive skills, he has not even been knocked down in the ring.

Outside the ring, he is equally skilled, at least in business. Unlike many other boxers, he has his own promotions company, and has structured his business in such a way that allows him to profit off everything from ticket sales to pay-per-view buys and even hot dog and merchandise sold at venues.

Unfortunately, because of his lavish lifestyle and brash demeanor, Mayweather does not always receive the praise he deserves for his boxing ability and his business savvy. However, this is not atypical. We often fail to recognize or appreciate how significant people are until they retire or die. Asked about his legacy recently, Mayweather responded: "I think I'll truly be missed when I'm gone away from the sport."

I agree. He plans to fight only a few more times. His May 2 bout with Manny Pacquiao could indeed prove to be his final act. Enjoy him before the curtains go up. If you have never watched a boxing match, this one would be a good starting point.

I will end with a comment Mayweather made during a recent interview with American news anchor Katie Couric. Asked if he would still consider himself a winner if he lost his upcoming fight, Mayweather replied: "Me having my hand raised doesn't define me as a man. I'm a winner in life, not just because I was able to make hundreds of millions, but because whatever I got involved with I gave a hundred percent."

As an addendum: Who do I think will win? Mayweather. Pacquiao is an aggressive, offensive-minded boxer. However, his style often leaves him open for counterpunches, one of Mayweather's specialties. Many boxing pundits believe Pacquiao's southpaw stance will cause Mayweather problems.

I disagree. After the opening few rounds, I think Mayweather will beat Pacquiao pretty convincingly, just like he did with southpaws Zab Judah and Robert Guerrero. Mayweather has beaten eight southpaws throughout his professional career, four by knockout. Could Pacquiao be Mayweather's fifth southpaw to receive knockout treatment? Mayweather's punching power is, I believe, underrated. Granted, his knockout percentage is not fantastic, standing at 55 percent, but that is because of his defense-first, offense-second mentality. For this fight, though, there is added motivation to win emphatically. I would not be surprised if Mayweather knocks Pacquiao out in the late rounds. Tune in to find out.

The writer is an assistant professor at Chosun University in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province. He can be reached at a_dunne@ymail.com