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By Jake Donovan - The May 5 collision between 154 lb. titlist Miguel Cotto and unbeaten pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather. Jr. has been aptly titled “Ring Kings.” Playing to the show’s theme, the press tour has featured the royal welcome for both combatants, as each man their place on a king’s throne on stage during the tour’s press conference.
Such accommodations are hardly unique for Mayweather Jr., who has for years served as among boxing’s royalty.
It was his superstar status that allowed for the fight to happen in the first place. Faced with the dilemma of serving a 90-day sentence at the start of the year, the seven-time titlist in five separate weight classes) managed to get a Clark County judge to delay the sentence in order to honor a previous agreement with the MGM Grand to fight on May 5.
The ruling in what was supposed to serve as sentencing day in early January was reminiscent of a passage from old school rapper Kool G. Rap’s “Road To The Riches” hip hop anthem:
Some young male put in jail
His lawyer’s so good, his bail was on sale
Everything about the verdict was unprecedented, but no doubt largely due to the status held by Mayweather Jr. as a huge money maker for the economically devastated Las Vegas region. The fighter himself was playing a game of Russian Roulette, as he was still in the process of securing an opponent for a boxing weekend that he has shared in past years with pound-for-pound rival Manny Pacquiao.
The speculation was that this time around would finally mark as good news for one and all, that both fighters would put their egos in check and - after more than two years of exhausting nearly every possible storyline - find a way to make the most lucrative fight in boxing history.
When that didn’t happen, Mayweather Jr. found a way to keep momentum in his favor. At a February 1 hearing in Las Vegas, the unbeaten star was forced to explain to a Nevada State Athletic Commission panel why he was deserving of his boxing license being renewed. His past – in particular, his out-of-ring actions – was called into question but his responses were taken into consideration. [Click Here To Read More]
Such accommodations are hardly unique for Mayweather Jr., who has for years served as among boxing’s royalty.
It was his superstar status that allowed for the fight to happen in the first place. Faced with the dilemma of serving a 90-day sentence at the start of the year, the seven-time titlist in five separate weight classes) managed to get a Clark County judge to delay the sentence in order to honor a previous agreement with the MGM Grand to fight on May 5.
The ruling in what was supposed to serve as sentencing day in early January was reminiscent of a passage from old school rapper Kool G. Rap’s “Road To The Riches” hip hop anthem:
Some young male put in jail
His lawyer’s so good, his bail was on sale
Everything about the verdict was unprecedented, but no doubt largely due to the status held by Mayweather Jr. as a huge money maker for the economically devastated Las Vegas region. The fighter himself was playing a game of Russian Roulette, as he was still in the process of securing an opponent for a boxing weekend that he has shared in past years with pound-for-pound rival Manny Pacquiao.
The speculation was that this time around would finally mark as good news for one and all, that both fighters would put their egos in check and - after more than two years of exhausting nearly every possible storyline - find a way to make the most lucrative fight in boxing history.
When that didn’t happen, Mayweather Jr. found a way to keep momentum in his favor. At a February 1 hearing in Las Vegas, the unbeaten star was forced to explain to a Nevada State Athletic Commission panel why he was deserving of his boxing license being renewed. His past – in particular, his out-of-ring actions – was called into question but his responses were taken into consideration. [Click Here To Read More]
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