Floyd Mayweather often boasts that he is a very intelligent boxer in and out of the ring. The former champion frequently calls attention to his his smart business decision making ability and gives credit to his advisory team which he calls “the best team in boxing.” So let’s examine what have been Floyd’s smartest business decisions which have prolonged his career and prevented brutal, bloody knockout losses from appearing on his resume:
5.) Ducking Vivian Harris in 2004 when Floyd was the WBA Junior Welterweight mandatory challenger. Floyd was smart enough to know the tall and powerful Harris possessed a stiff left jab, solid punching to the head and body and outstanding stamina. It would have been a risky fight to take on the 5-10 WBA champ, when safer handpicks such as Henry Bruseles were acceptable by HBO’s standards. Mayweather eventually challenged Arturo Gatti for the WBC title, won that fight impressively, opening the door for bigger fights at 147.
Vivian Harris on Floyd in 2004: “Floyd Mayweather is scared of me. He makes it seem like he’s not scared of me. He’s scared of me…I think that Floyd is not ready for me. I’ve been in more tougher fights than Floyd’s been in. Floyd just handpicks opponents. Vivian Harris is getting thrown to the dogs and I win all my fights. And I definitely think I’m ready for Floyd. He’s too small for me. And that’s why he don’t want to fight me.”
4.) Ducking Antonio Margarito. Every insider in boxing knew Margarito was a feared monster back in 2006 and no one understood it better than Floyd. Carlos Baldomir and Sycuan failed to take advantage of the leverage it had on Floyd who had few options to run to from Margarito. Baldomir lost a boring decision to Floyd and earned a reported $2 million to Floyd’s $8. Floyd kept his hopes alive for the big one vs. Oscar. But a price was paid by Floyd’s ducking Margarito as a many boxing fans began to realize his scheme of shamelessly avoiding all risky fights. Margarito coined Floyd with the nickname “Fraud Gayweather.”
3.) Dancing With The Stars. Floyd did a very good job on the hugely popular TV show, showing potential to become a cross-over attraction. However, his appearances subsequently did not translate into other cross-over opportunities such as those enjoyed by Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Mike Tyson, Marvin Hagler who never ducked or dodged risky fights in the prime of their careers.
2.) Ducking Miguel Cotto. This fight was prime time for 2008 but Floyd wanted nothing to do with a welterweight unification showdown with another popular unbeaten champion. HBO’s lack of initiative and total failure to take an active role into making this fight happen was both curious and mysterious. Floyd smartly realized Cotto was too rough and tough to mess with and eventually handpicked a high profile fight with the well-known but ineffective welterweight Ricky Hatton which he won by a memorable one-punch KO.
1.) Ducking Manny Pacquiao. Still trying to hustle mainstream media money and opportunities under the masquerade of proclaiming himself the best fighter of all time, Floyd could ill afford the inevitable tragic knockout loss to a humble and soft-spoken Asian man. His team never wanted the Pacquiao fight to begin with and despite massive public and media pressure eventually his team scrambled to concoct the random blood testing scheme to pull the plug on the biggest fight in boxing history. However problems arose when an annoyed HBO and Golden Boy refused to accept handpicked replacements such as Malignaggi, Campbell or Matt Hatton and forced Floyd – against his will – to fight a potentially dangerous Shane Mosley on May 1. But at least Floyd’s career is still alive as of right now – and Floyd was not left in a bloody battered abused and unconscious heap on March 13 by Manny Pacquiao. Do not completely rule out an “injury” by Mayweather before May 1.
Honorable Mention: Staging a faked retirement to avoid fighting the Cotto-Margarito winner…Lying to Margarito’s face by promising a future shot when it made better business sense and then later banning Margarito from attending one of his press conferences…Buying out Bob Arum of his promotional services months after professing his love for Arum and calling him the best promoter of all-time…Telling police he has no recollection of an Ocie Harris when surveillance video later reportedly showed Harris at Mayweather’s house on at least four occasions…Trying (but failing) to secure a rematch with Ricky Hatton via Al Haymon last January (as reported by Boxing News) to prevent Pacquiao from knocking him out more impressively than he was able.