Floyd Mayweather, Andy Warhol, and what it means to be American in 2011

by Hans Olson

Floyd Mayweather Jr. may never fight again.

Maybe because of the legal issues…

Maybe for a lack of determination…

Maybe for the seemingly comfortable finances…

Then again, it just might be that he was destined to do only what he has done; in the sport of boxing and otherwise.

Quite possibly the best pound for pound fighter on the planet has come to define what being American in 2011 is. We are all TMZ. We are all reality television. We are all rich and poor, all strong and weak. We are all Ambien. We are the 24 hour news cycle. We are a fumbling mess of skillful brilliance packaged alongside syrupy energy drinks. We are all Top 40 listening, independently-minded, corporate-adhering, living, dancing, glorious successful failures. We are all high-shooting, amazingly desperate anomalies behind on bills and ahead on rumors. We are cell phone breaking, egomaniacal, social networking, 60-hour-a-week on the clock masterminds. In America, we have the most leverage even if on the lowest level. Our highest highs are our successes, only topped with our lowest lows in excesses. Floyd Mayweather has managed to keep us wanting whilst at the same time forcing us to push him away. We want our “Fame Monster,” but can’t bear to hear it one more time this year.

Floyd Mayweather strangely exemplifies all that we are, with a career that has been one unparalleled in boxing. We need to understand why. Well, really…we don’t. But we want to understand why.

Why do we care?

Why don’t we care?

I can’t help but think we need to impart wisdom from another unparalleled life…

How about Andy Warhol?

———————–

1. “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.”

Floyd makes money. Lots of it. He’s good at it. It’s why he is the most recognizable boxing name in America, even after having fought only a handful of times over the last few years. The business model may have not been strategic, but the results came nonetheless. Every pay-per-view he appears in will do over a million buys. Every endorsement he has will be rich with profit…every ridiculous publicity stunt will have interest attached to it. Financial interest even.

Let’s face it: Even outside the ring, Floyd is an artist.

2. “Don’t pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches.”
Whether they hate him or love him, pundits on both ends write about Floyd until their ink runs dry.

3. “The most exciting attractions are between two opposites that never meet.”

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao

If it happens, it will be the biggest fight since the first Ali/Frazier bout.

If it doesn’t happen, the “what if’s” will still be debated for decades.

Either way, it will always be an exciting attraction that will define both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather whether or not they actually fight each other.

4. “What’s great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. “

See: Every episode HBO’s 24/7 involving Mr. Mayweather Jr.

5. “When people are ready to, they change. They never do it before then, and sometimes they die before they get around to it. You can’t make them change if they don’t want to, just like when they do want to, you can’t stop them.”

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is who he is. Simple as that. Stop trying to make it any other way.

6. “I never fall apart, because I never fall together.”

Careful matchmaking? Safety first style? Non-taker of risks? However viewed, he is still viewed by lots and lots of people…and most of them hate him for it. He who doesn’t take chances usually doesn’t get rewarded by those non-risks. Somehow, someway, Floyd has. And you know what? Floyd still got in the ring with some damn good fighters along the way.

7. “I don’t know where the artificial stops and the real starts.”

Who is Floyd Mayweather Jr.? I mean, seriously.

8. “The mystery was gone but the amazement was just starting.”

2007? 1996? 2011? Where did it start, and where does it end?

9. “Some people spend their entire lives thinking about one particular famous person. They pick one person who’s famous, and they dwell on him or her. They devote almost their entire consciousness to thinking about this person they’ve never even met, or maybe met once. If you ask any famous person about the kind of mail they get, you’ll find that almost every one of them has at least one person who’s obsessed with them and writes constantly. It feels so strange to think that someone is spending their whole time thinking about you.”

Strangely disturbing, isn’t it folks?

Finally…

10. “It’s not what you are that counts; it’s what they think you are.”

————————–

I’ll be damned if the great Andy Warhol ever thought, or wasn’t thinking…possibly the greatest boxer of our time may be exemplified in words he voiced.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. may not be what you want him to be. Heck, he may not be what I want him to be. But he is, and he will continue to be, Floyd Mayweather Jr. He may not have Andy Warhol at his side defending him years from now…but it isn’t up to us to like him or hate him.

It’s up to us to see him, or not see him.

And in reality; in America at least…when we look in the mirror, we see Floyd Mayweather Jr. in ourselves.

And mirrors don’t lie.

141 Comments

  1. Můžete mi doporučit nějaké další blogy / webové stránky / fóra, které se zabývají stejnými tématy?

  2. fortsæt med at guide andre. Jeg var meget glad for at afdække dette websted. Jeg er nødt til at takke dig for din tid

  3. Fiquei muito feliz em descobrir este site. Preciso de agradecer pelo vosso tempo

  4. grupo do facebook? Há muitas pessoas que eu acho que iriam realmente

  5. O conteúdo existente nesta página é realmente notável para a experiência das pessoas,

  6. ) سأعيد زيارتها مرة أخرى لأنني قمت بوضع علامة كتاب عليها. المال والحرية هي أفضل طريقة للتغيير، أتمنى أن تكون غنيًا و

  7. Tak skal du have!|Olá, creio que este é um excelente blogue. Tropecei nele;

  8. Podem recomendar outros blogues/sites/fóruns que tratem dos mesmos temas?

  9. nenarazili jste někdy na problémy s plagorismem nebo porušováním autorských práv? Moje webové stránky mají spoustu unikátního obsahu, který jsem vytvořil.

  10. har også bogmærket dig for at se på nye ting på din blog Hej! Har du noget imod, hvis jeg deler din blog med min facebook

  11. vykřiknout a říct, že mě opravdu baví číst vaše příspěvky na blogu.

  12. Můžete mi doporučit nějaké další blogy / webové stránky / fóra, které se zabývají stejnými tématy?

  13. pokračovat v tom, abyste vedli ostatní.|Byl jsem velmi šťastný, že jsem objevil tuto webovou stránku. Musím vám poděkovat za váš čas

  14. |Hello to all, for the reason that I am actually keen of

  15. ) Jeg vil besøge igen, da jeg har bogmærket det. Penge og frihed er den bedste måde at ændre sig på, må du være rig og

  16. také jsem si vás poznamenal, abych se podíval na nové věci na vašem blogu.|Hej! Vadilo by vám, kdybych sdílel váš blog s mým facebookem.

  17. Tak skal du have!|Olá, creio que este é um excelente blogue. Tropecei nele;

  18. at web, except I know I am getting familiarity all the time by reading thes pleasant posts.|Fantastic post. I will also be handling some of these problems.|Hello, I think this is a great blog. I happened onto it;) I have bookmarked it and will check it out again. The best way to change is via wealth and independence. May you prosper and never stop mentoring others.|I was overjoyed to find this website. I must express my gratitude for your time because this was an amazing read! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and I’ve bookmarked your blog so I can check out fresh content in the future.|Hi there! If I shared your blog with my Facebook group, would that be okay? I believe there are a lot of people who would truly value your article.|منشور رائع. سأتعامل مع بعض هذه|

  19. ) سأعيد زيارتها مرة أخرى لأنني قمت بوضع علامة كتاب عليها. المال والحرية هي أفضل طريقة للتغيير، أتمنى أن تكون غنيًا و

  20. ) Znovu ho navštívím, protože jsem si ho poznamenal. Peníze a svoboda je nejlepší způsob, jak se změnit, ať jste bohatí a

  21. enten oprettet mig selv eller outsourcet, men det ser ud til

  22. Conhecem algum método para ajudar a evitar que o conteúdo seja roubado? Agradecia imenso.

  23. pokračovat v tom, abyste vedli ostatní.|Byl jsem velmi šťastný, že jsem objevil tuto webovou stránku. Musím vám poděkovat za váš čas

  24. ) سأعيد زيارتها مرة أخرى لأنني قمت بوضع علامة كتاب عليها. المال والحرية هي أفضل طريقة للتغيير، أتمنى أن تكون غنيًا و

  25. for the reason that here every material is quality based

  26. Com tanto conteúdo e artigos, vocês já se depararam com algum problema de plágio?

  27. |Hello to all, for the reason that I am actually keen of

  28. fortsæt det gode arbejde stipendiater. Med at have så meget indhold og artikler gør du det

  29. Esta página tem definitivamente toda a informação que eu queria sobre este assunto e não sabia a quem perguntar. Este é o meu primeiro comentário aqui, então eu só queria dar um rápido

  30. pokračovat v tom, abyste vedli ostatní.|Byl jsem velmi šťastný, že jsem objevil tuto webovou stránku. Musím vám poděkovat za váš čas

  31. ) Jeg vil besøge igen, da jeg har bogmærket det. Penge og frihed er den bedste måde at ændre sig på, må du være rig og

  32. ) سأعيد زيارتها مرة أخرى لأنني قمت بوضع علامة كتاب عليها. المال والحرية هي أفضل طريقة للتغيير، أتمنى أن تكون غنيًا و

  33. Tak skal du have!|Olá, creio que este é um excelente blogue. Tropecei nele;

  34. Tak skal du have!|Olá, creio que este é um excelente blogue. Tropecei nele;

  35. ) Jeg vil besøge igen, da jeg har bogmærket det. Penge og frihed er den bedste måde at ændre sig på, må du være rig og

  36. مرحبًا، أعتقد أن هذه مدونة ممتازة. لقد عثرت عليها بالصدفة ;

  37. Tak skal du have!|Olá, creio que este é um excelente blogue. Tropecei nele;

  38. ) Vou voltar a visitá-lo uma vez que o marquei no livro. O dinheiro e a liberdade são a melhor forma de mudar, que sejas rico e continues a orientar os outros.

  39. nenarazili jste někdy na problémy s plagorismem nebo porušováním autorských práv? Moje webové stránky mají spoustu unikátního obsahu, který jsem vytvořil.

  40. Hello! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!

  41. på grund af denne vidunderlige læsning !!! Jeg kunne bestemt virkelig godt lide hver eneste lille smule af det, og jeg

  42. Does your website have a contact page? I’m having problems locating it but, I’d like to send you an email. I’ve got some recommendations for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great site and I look forward to seeing it improve over time.

  43. grupo do facebook? Há muitas pessoas que eu acho que iriam realmente

  44. Thanks, I’ve recently been seeking for details about this subject matter for ages and yours is the best I’ve found so far.

  45. také jsem si vás poznamenal, abych se podíval na nové věci na vašem blogu.|Hej! Vadilo by vám, kdybych sdílel váš blog s mým facebookem.

  46. This page definitely has all of the information I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.

  47. ) Znovu ho navštívím, protože jsem si ho poznamenal. Peníze a svoboda je nejlepší způsob, jak se změnit, ať jste bohatí a

  48. DouglaseVamy

    I’ve started using CBD gummies like https://www.cornbreadhemp.com/products/full-spectrum-cbd-gummies , and they’ve made a important disagreement in my routine. They’re easygoing to use, taste monstrous, and accommodate a simple modus operandi to incorporate CBD into my day. I’ve found they lift me relax and improve my drop after a crave hour, which has been a stupendous benefit. The agreeing CBD dosage in each gummy is a noteworthy gain for the sake of managing intake. If you’re all in all CBD, gummies are an select opportunity to start with—proper draw up trusty you determine a faithful discredit payment the best results!

  49. Howdy! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came to give it a look. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Terrific blog and great style and design.

  50. råb ud og sig, at jeg virkelig nyder at læse gennem dine blogindlæg.

  51. DouglaseVamy

    I’ve started using CBD gummies like [url=https://www.cornbreadhemp.com/collections/full-spectrum-cbd-oil ]cbd oil full spectrum[/url], and they’ve made a perceptible difference in my routine. They’re easy to use, style monstrous, and yield a simple character to unite CBD into my day. I’ve found they support me decrease and improve my drop after a crave period, which has been a colossal benefit. The in keeping CBD dosage in each gummy is a big gain in return managing intake. If you’re account CBD, gummies are an select choice to start with—just pocket trusty you choose a trustworthy brand in regard to the most artistically results!

  52. nogensinde løbe ind i problemer med plagorisme eller krænkelse af ophavsretten? Mit websted har en masse unikt indhold, jeg har

  53. fortsæt det gode arbejde stipendiater. Med at have så meget indhold og artikler gør du det

  54. pokračovat v tom, abyste vedli ostatní.|Byl jsem velmi šťastný, že jsem objevil tuto webovou stránku. Musím vám poděkovat za váš čas

  55. Podem recomendar outros blogues/sites/fóruns que tratem dos mesmos temas?

  56. Greetings! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a collection of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us useful information to work on. You have done a wonderful job!

  57. på grund af denne vidunderlige læsning !!! Jeg kunne bestemt virkelig godt lide hver eneste lille smule af det, og jeg

  58. Tak skal du have!|Olá, creio que este é um excelente blogue. Tropecei nele;

  59. O conteúdo existente nesta página é realmente notável para a experiência das pessoas,

  60. Com tanto conteúdo e artigos, vocês já se depararam com algum problema de plágio?

  61. pokračovat v tom, abyste vedli ostatní.|Byl jsem velmi šťastný, že jsem objevil tuto webovou stránku. Musím vám poděkovat za váš čas

  62. Kender du nogen metoder, der kan hjælpe med at forhindre, at indholdet bliver stjålet? Det ville jeg sætte stor pris på.

  63. I really like what you guys are usually up too. This kind of clever work and coverage! Keep up the amazing works guys I’ve you guys to my personal blogroll.

  64. Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! However, how could we communicate?

  65. Hey there, You’ve done an incredible job. I will certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I am sure they’ll be benefited from this site.

  66. Throughout the awesome pattern of things you actually secure an A just for effort and hard work. Exactly where you misplaced me personally ended up being on your particulars. You know, as the maxim goes, the devil is in the details… And it couldn’t be much more true here. Having said that, allow me tell you just what did do the job. Your authoring is actually pretty persuasive and this is possibly why I am taking the effort to comment. I do not make it a regular habit of doing that. 2nd, whilst I can notice a leaps in reasoning you make, I am not confident of exactly how you appear to connect your ideas that make the conclusion. For now I shall subscribe to your position but hope in the foreseeable future you actually link the dots better.

  67. Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog shine. Please let me know where you got your theme. Kudos

  68. |Tato stránka má rozhodně všechny informace, které jsem o tomto tématu chtěl a nevěděl jsem, koho se zeptat.|Dobrý den! Tohle je můj 1. komentář tady, takže jsem chtěl jen dát rychlý

  69. … [Trackback]

    […] Info on that Topic: boxinginsider.com/columns/floyd-mayweather-andy-warhol-and-what-it-means-to-be-american-in-2011/ […]

  70. Spot on with this write-up, I actually believe this web site needs a great deal more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read more, thanks for the information!

  71. I haven?¦t checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are good quality so I guess I will add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂

  72. Aw, this was a really good post. Taking the time and actual effort to produce a top notch article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and don’t manage to get nearly anything done.

  73. I think this is among the most significant information for me. And i am glad reading your article. But want to remark on few general things, The web site style is perfect, the articles is really excellent : D. Good job, cheers

  74. He was employed at Corson Packaging in Middletown for more than 30 years and was a member of the Moose Lodge in Middletown.

  75. I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back in the future. All the best

  76. Hi there I am so thrilled I found your website, I really found you by mistake, while I was looking on Digg for something else, Anyways I am here now and would just like to say kudos for a remarkable post and a all round entertaining blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read through it all at the minute but I have book-marked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the awesome work.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *