By Edward Chaykovsky
Leonard Ellerbe, adviser to Floyd Mayweather Jr., has issued a response to rapper 50 Cent, who recently took a few swings at Mayweather on the social networks. At one time they were close friends, but that relationship fell apart when 50 Cent started his own promotional company, TMT Promotions, which he believed Mayweather was going to be involved in.
Mayweather backed away from TMT and continued to work with his existing partners, Golden Boy Promotions and adviser Al Haymon.
50 Cent dropped the TMT banner and changed the name of the company to SMS Promotions. He also took his fighters, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Billy Dib and Andre Dirrell. The most revealing move was 50 Cent's newfound alliance with Mayweather's rivals, Manny Pacquiao and Top Rank.
"TMT is over. The money team is no longer a team. So it's SMS Promotions....that's it, that's all. I'm no longer a part or down with TMT Promotions. If anyone wants a Money Team jacket, I'm selling mine for a dollar. The nap back hat comes with it. That's a fair price. I moved the fighters to SMS Promotions cause the other half of 'the money team' didn't put up their money," 50 Cent wrote on his social network accounts.
Ellerbe, during an interview with Ben Thompson of fighthype.com, answered back.
"Let's be clear on this, Floyd Mayweather is The Money Team, and he's always been The Money Team. He's the beginning, the middle and the end of The Money Team. Floyd Mayweather has been getting money long before anybody ever came around him and he will continue to get money for the rest of his life because he is the best, not one of the best, but the best at what he does, and continues to be the best after a decade and a half. That's why he's the highest paid athlete in all of sports," Ellerbe said.
Ellerbe also took aim at 50 Cent's promotional moves. 50 made a deal with Top Rank for Yuriorkis Gamboa to fight Miguel Beltran Jr. on the Pacquiao-Marquez undercard on December 8, and he made a deal with Miguel Cotto Promotions for Billy Dib to defend his title against Jayson Velez on the Cotto-Trout undercard on December 15th. 50 Cent was financially instrumental in providing the necessary "seven figure" funds for Gamboa to buy out his promotional contract with Top Rank.
"In my opinion, I'm sure Top Rank is very, very happy and laughing their asses off to be doing business with SMG Promotions [referring to SMS Promotions]. They got paid a whole bunch of money to release the fighter [Gamboa], they get to keep the money, and still get to use the fighter. Way to go SMG. And Billy Dib is a world champion and a very nice guy, but I'm sure he didn't sign up with SMG to be the opponent for, no disrespect, an unrated prospect on somebody else's show. But we wish them nothing but the best in their new promotional venture," Ellerbe said.
