By Mark Vester

WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. has gone on the defensive. Several experts have claimed that Mayweather's $20 million dollar pay figure for a wrestling match with the seven-foot, 400-pound "Big Show", is a very inflated number. Most wrestling insiders say the real number is probably in the realm of $4-5 million dollars.
 
In a recent interview with The Sun, Mayweather stood his ground on the $20 million dollar figure, and says he's worth every penny. Mayweather is scheduled to make his wrestling debut on March 30 at the WWE's annual WrestleMania pay-per-view event.

“Why is it too much money for Vince McMahon to give me? This is a billion dollar industry, why is it too much to give me $20million? I deserve it! Who’s to say what’s too much? Ain’t nobody who can put a limit on what I should be getting," Mayweather said. “I’ve been filling arenas, putting asses in seats and breaking records. When you do things like that you deserve to eat from the top shelf."

If the number is true, and many claim it is not, the pay figure would be more money than what most of the big name wrestlers have earned in their entire career.

“Some get more than others and you should be appreciative of the spot that you are in,” Mayweather said. “When I arrived in the WWE I’m not sure the wrestlers liked me too much, because they thought I was trying to take over what they’ve been doing for years. But I'm just trying to entertain and help wrestling do numbers they've never done before. And once they got the chance to know me, they all liked me.”

"I am a true fan of wrestling and I have been for a very very long time. My favorites growing up were Hulk Hogan, Mr Wonderful Paul Orndoff, Jake The Snake Roberts, Junkyard Dog, Mr Perfect, Nikolai Volkoff, Iron Sheik, King Kong Bundy and the list goes on and on. To compete at WrestleMania will be amazing."

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