The best thing about controversial figures that constantly do obnoxiously controversial things is that they give us something to talk about. Miley Cyrus may “twerk” her career down the toilet, but until that day she will be the headline of every celebrity gossip site, E! Network and any magazine with an audience under the drinking age.
Pop stars and musicians must find ways to generally keep themselves relevant because they know there is always someone new coming to take their place in the spotlight. In the world of music, TV and film there will always be a new star pulling new stunts, which gives people something to talk about until the story is old news. Then the next star will something crazy.
The cycle in Hollywood just continues because that is the way it is constructed. The realm of sports, though, allows about two to three people per generation to just become ridiculously rich no matter what inane or insane action they engage in. One of those chosen few for this generation is Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The wide world of sports lives by different standards. Different sports must count on the popularity of individual stars to generate popularity. NBA executives were not originally to fond of the way Lebron James decided to make his “decision,” but I’m sure they loved the reaction from fans because he generates nothing but revenue and ratings for the league.
In the NFL, Brett Farve starred on the Sunday’s Broadway stage that is also known as the NFL because he was a star on the field and created incredible drama in between seasons. Imagine the main cast of “Friends” toward the last few seasons looking for raises but rolled into one athlete.
Golf needs Tiger Woods to win because without him, anyone could tell people his or her grandfather is a pro golfer and they would probably be believed. Boxing survives in a world that has quickly embraced the violently graceful sport of MMA because of one Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In case you were living under a rock on an uncharted island last Saturday, Floyd Mayweather fought Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. It was hyped as the fight of the year, the fight of the decade, heck, the fight of the new millennium. No offense to the young 23-year-old from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, but this fight did not generate $150 million of revenue because of Canelo Alvarez; it happened because of Floyd “Money” Mayweather.
The man that managed to alienate a whole race and culture of people in one fight, the man who has never lost a professional boxing match and the man with enough money to buy small cities or big cities alike.
People that don’t follow boxing closely don’t know how many titles Mayweather owns or who he even beat to attain those belts. There are people that do not even know why he is good. They just know when they watch him, they expect to get a show and that is what boxing is banking on.
He puts on a show with his mouth and hands because he can, and he knows boxing desperately needs him to. When boxing was in competition with baseball and soccer during the 1960s and ‘70s for the most popular sport in the world, it was Muhammad Ali that led the way because he was the ultimate showman who kept people entertained with his confident predictions and charismatic proclamations. Mike Tyson said things that had his opponents trembling in the corner before the bell was even rung. These men put on shows before they got in the ring, just like Mayweather.
The fact that Mayweather came to the ring flanked by Justin Bieber and Lil’ Wayne shows off why we all either hate or love the guy. He brings relevance to the sport that used to have no trouble being relevant.
We should not bow down to Floyd, but instead just respect and appreciate carrying a sport to relevancy. Boxing is still very relevant, and that is because of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Damone Griffin
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