By Dave Sholler
Sometimes you have to look deep into someone’s soul to understand the person they’ve become. While on the outside they may appear cocky, arrogant, and ungrateful, the truth is that they are normally concealing genuine humility and a burning desire to prove their humanity. Past the flashy jewelry, extravagant cars, and fur coats, Floyd Mayweather Jr. wants you to see beyond his rough outer shell. Even though he occasionally takes joy in being the villain, Pretty Boy Floyd yearns for the opportunity to show critics that he can play the role of good guy, too.
“Everybody's entitled to their own opinion and when it's all said and done, only God can judge you,” Mayweather said during his conference call last Thursday. “It's obvious that I must be a good person because, look at my hand I've been dealt over my whole career. So I know who I am as a person and I know how I treat people. It's just when it comes down to my job and my business I put my boxing and my business first and I dedicate myself to my craft.
“I'm already pre-judged before you even get a chance to know me because of the articles and the stories that are written about me from the past. But, I feel that everything is an obstacle. All I do is just keep fighting and no matter what anybody says, Floyd Mayweather's going to be him. He's going to continue to spend time with his kids and his family and love the people that love him.”
Even though he clings to his narcissistic persona by referring to himself in the third person, you get a hint that Mayweather believes he’s misunderstood. In fact, after watching the highly acclaimed 24/7 preview series on HBO, it is clear that there is much more to Mayweather than meets the eye. Underneath the expensive clothes and outside of the Rolls Royce Phantom lies a man who is a caring father and a loving son, not to mention a true warrior who has honed his skills by working harder than most. Still, just as he sidesteps opponents with his shoulder roll in the ring, Mayweather can only shrug off those that focus on his trash talk and abrasiveness.
“People, they're going to portray you how they want to portray you,” Mayweather said. “I like to talk trash in my job and it's like for you, for instance, you could be competing against other writers and you could be like ‘I'm the best writer and I write the fastest’ and day in and day out, if you prove you're the best writer, why not say it? I'm the best writer. They can't take this away from me.”
Touché Floyd. Heading in to Saturday’s super fight with Ricky Hatton, these are the types of statements that make all of Mayweather’s antics seem a bit justifiable. At the end of the day, can we fault Floyd for doing what a boxer is taught to do: sell himself? Can we defame a man who is simply pointing out that his hard work has paid off? Recognizing the marketing success of Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd has borrowed some of the Golden Boy’s tools and made sure that his face has been plastered everywhere so that consumers know he’s the best. Magazine covers? Check. Television shows? Check. Dance Competitions? Check.
With that, the outer coating that Floyd has masterminded has created a character that even the most casual boxing fan can identify. While he may be condemned for being self-centered and foolishly egocentric, you must realize that this is a part of “Money” Mayweather’s business module. Like his pal 50 Cent, Floyd believes that he’s created a bad boy image that somehow resonates with the impressionable consumer world. Similar to his affable running mate Curtis Jackson, Floyd comes off as coarse and sometimes offensive, but look at that million-dollar smile and GQ-worthy wardrobe. For how long can you ignore his greatness?
Business module aside, Mayweather would still like to bask in a few days of positive sunlight. Aside from being “Philthy Rich” and carrying wads of cash, Mayweather lets it be known that there’s more to him than money. Just as his offensive skills are underrated, so too are his acts of kindness.
“It's easy for them to always see me giving, but they never talk about Floyd Mayweather feeding a family for Christmas; Floyd Mayweather feeding families for Thanksgiving,” Mayweather said. “Floyd is always giving back.
“They always want to talk about what people want to talk about and then, as I always told you in the first 24/7, it's America. And America's built on controversy and money and it tells you ‘judge a person how they want to judge a person.’ Me, myself, I'm a good person. I've got a good heart and I'll give a person my light.”
Floyd Mayweather Jr. will give a person his light. If only they’ll use it to see deep into his soul.
Dave Sholler writes a weekly column for BoxingScene.com. He also serves as the Boxing/MMA analyst for ESPN Radio in Atlantic City. He can be reached at shollerholla4@hotmail.com
