He beats everybody. He’s the most talked about. And he’s not called ‘Money’ for nothing. The personality and biography of boxing’s current biggest cash-cow is more interesting and more scintillating than any film ever made in Hollywood or North America about anyone in the sport of boxing, barring perhaps, Muhammad Ali’s When We Were Kings.
Since Saturday night, Mayweather’s legacy has even become more obvious – the momentum and enthusiasm has become inflated – and what I wonder is whether Hollywood would cash in. There’s money to be made. If The Fighter with a $25M budget can rake in more than $169M, I can’t imagine how successful a film on Mayweather could possibly be.
The jury is out there.
Currently, Mayweather is the WBC World Welterweight Champion. He was formerly rated as the number one pound-for-pound best boxer in the world by most sporting news and boxing websites, including The Ring, BoxRec, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, BBC Sports and Yahoo! Sports.
Perhaps, Saturday night’s fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Victor Ortiz, wasn’t suppose to end so abruptly. However, if there’s any blame at all, Ortiz must suffer the mark of it for thinking he could loose his guard in front of the veteran boxer in Mayweather.
What next for Mayweather?
I think my grandmother saw my potential first. When I was young, I told her, ‘I think I should get a job.’ She said, ‘No, just keep boxing.’
He’s probably gonna keep boxing! No buts aboat it.
But if he was hoping a win over Ortiz was going to end the incessant questions about a fight with Manny Pacquiao (as if that were possible), this bout did more to stoke that discussion even further. Hence, if his last bout did anything, it only cast a huge inviting shadow over Pacquiao and established a new order in Mayweather’s life and boxing in general.
Maybe one of these days Pacquiao may just submit to the drug test that has, in recent times, come to dominate discussions about controversies in the sports. And reasonably and decidedly so, as it has come to mar many boxers’ reputation in the sport.
But, if you wonna fight Mayweather, you gonna have to get the test. No two ways about it!
This is just simply how much Mayweather has come to dominate the sport of boxing. So much as to dictate the pace in the ring, authorize the papers you sign before you step into the ring, and how much you can possibly imagine taking out of the coffers of the pay-per-view vault. He dictates every step into and out of the ring for all his opponents!
Now, if that doesn’t deserve a Hollywood master film, then I wonder what should. Put simply, Mayweather’s reputation as the most controversial fighter, the most charismatic, the most outspoken, entertaining and certainly, although with some little debate, the most talented fighter right now, this minute, on this planet cannot be overemphasized.
If Hollywood were serious, and if Floyd Mayweather would let them, the cash-cow of boxing is legend enough to dictate the pace at the box office too!
So, would he get his due? Or take the opportunity?
Whether or not he does, for me, boxing, as far as Mayweather’s life is concerned, is beginning to become a backdrop in this man’s life. His art in the sport of boxing, more than anything else, has come to play a stage on which the dynamics of early 21st century American race relations are explored on a day-to-day, fight-to-fight basis.
That’s why I would see a movie about this guy. That’s why I will pay to see a film on Mayweather. He has pushed through many bigoted barriers and flaunted social conventions of the day, rebelled not as a civil rights activist, but as a man who simply wants to live exactly how he pleases. He is a complicated guy, a man of both talent and bravado who could be proud to be a black boxer for eternity.
For those who still claim that they are not in awe of this guy, can at least attest to how much he has contributed to the sport of boxing, and will continue to contribute to it. At least these doubters can agree that Mayweather has brought an intricate and masterful style to boxing and made it such a legitimate sport and not some back alley spectacle.
Mayweather has introduced a more scientific style to boxing that emphasizes finesse over the brawling approach of earlier fisticuffers and some present day pugilists – not to mention Pacquiao .
Mayweather deserves to be taken seriously. Seriously enough to make an epic about him.
Mayweather deserves an epic film. Who else commands any sport like he does. People may not like him because he brags like an ignorant brat, but dude, when was that anybody’s problem?