aNewDomain — So you are a Floyd Mayweather, Jr. fan. You are impressed by his 48-0 record as a professional boxer. You appreciate his defensive — some say boring — style in the ring, an approach that often keeps opponents from laying a glove on him. You love the way he worships and constantly name-drops the almighty dollar. Just like Donald Trump.
You are part of “Money” Mayweather’s ever-shrinking fan base.
That says a lot about you. As a fan, you support the villain. You don’t follow the conventional crowd that would enjoy seeing your hero get a proper pounding. Maybe you even like Justin Bieber, a member of Mayweather’s entourage of rogues.
You have made a conscious choice, which is your right as an American. But let’s face it: If you support Floyd Mayweather, even through the act of paying an unconscionable $100 to watch one of his fights on TV, you are supporting a man who likes beating women.
Live with that next Mother’s Day.
If you have a wife, mother, sister, girlfriend or female friend who means anything to you, cheering for Mayweather is off the table. Imagine for a moment if someone tried to beat the hell out of a woman you love. Human nature doesn’t allow sane people to let things like that slide.
Mayweather’s rap sheet includes jail time in 2011. He served two months for a reduced domestic battery case stemming from an incident involving a former girlfriend. Mayweather pulled the woman’s hair and twisted her arm in front of two of the three children they had together.
The sentence, originally scheduled to last three months, could have been much worse. Mayweather agreed to a plea bargain to reduce felony charges that could have put him in prison for more than 30 years. The judge also allowed him to put off his jail time long enough to make a few million in a Cinco de Mayo fight against Henry Cotto.
When Mayweather left the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, he drove away in a Bentley sedan, a car that runs more than $200,000.
So much for newfound humility.
Over the past 13 years, Mayweather has been accused of violence against women seven times, according to an article in Business Insider. He pleaded guilty twice and was convicted a third time, only to see the charges later dismissed, according to the article.
Most of the time, Mayweather’s team found a way to get him off the hook, agreeing to community service or house arrest. Seems pretty lenient when the accusations consisted of punches, kicks and bruises.
Still, some people cheer for Money. Numerous athletes and celebrities posted their congratulations on Twitter after Mayweather’s win over Manny Pacquiao. Grab a clue, people.
But sometimes we can separate the celebrity from his or her actions, right? Actor Christian Bale screams like a petulant child at a member of the production crew during something incredibly important: the filming of a movie. No big deal. The schlub probably deserved it.
Bieber drives drunk, throws eggs at his neighbor’s house and starts fights … as long as his bodyguards are nearby to ensure that he doesn’t have to actually throw down. Who wants to square off with noted tough guy Orlando Bloom anyway? Perhaps the Biebs should be forgiven for his occasional transgressions. If you’re a teenage fangirl or boy, you aren’t expected to have much worldly perspective anyway.
Corporate America, never one to embrace boxers, actually creates distance from Mayweather. Few companies with any repute would consider signing Mayweather to a sponsorship deal. Call it the Lance Armstrong/Tiger Woods Effect to the extreme. And Tiger just cheat on, not beat on, his wife.
Three decided it was worth the possible backlash of associating with Mayweather during his recent yawnfest victory over Pacquiao. Burger King, Fan Duel and Swiss watchmaker Hublot put down a reported $1 million apiece in support of Money. Their goal was to get in front of the largest boxing Pay-Per-View event in history, a bout that registered a reported 3 million buys. Burger King was even allowed to have its mascot walk to the ring with Mayweather’s entourage in one of the more surreal moments in recent sports history.
Mayweather made more than $100 million for that bout. Nice work for an ex-con.
No shock that fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena showered boos on Mayweather after his most-recent bout. It’s hard to appreciate someone so unlikeable, even with an unbeaten record and unquestioned charisma.
But you disagree. You’re still a fan. You see him as the embodiment of the American Dream. You took to social media to let everyone know your fighter was the better man against Pacquiao.
Better man in the ring. Lesser person by any other standard.
For aNewDomain, I’m Rodney Campbell.
Floyd Mayweather photo: Mshake3 via Wikimedia Commons
Manny Pacquiao photo: inboundpass via Wikimedia Commons
