Floyd Mayweather Does Not Care If Fans Boycott Fight With Manny Pacquiao Over Violent Past
Floyd Mayweather is getting plenty of bad publicity in the buildup to his coming bout with Manny Pacquiao. This is largely due to his past domestic abuse issues. Many people are even going so far as boycotting the fight, in light of Mayweather’s unapologetic stance concerning his past violence towards women. However, as far as Mayweather is concerned, he doesn’t seem to care what people are saying.
With Mayweather’s attitude towards abusing women not seeming to change much, some are urging that fans use the money they would have spent buying a pay-per-view ticket and donating it to an appropriate charity, according to USA Today. With the cost of the fight running around the $100 mark, that money could really make a significant difference in some organizations, such as Woman Against Abuse and the House of Ruth.
Whether people boycott the fight or pay to watch, one thing is for certain: the fight, in many ways, is a battle between good versus evil. While Mayweather has been taking deserved heat, his opponent has been more humble. Pacquiao, during his final press interview, said: “I just want to be an example and an inspiration, every day.” This is in stark contrast to Mayweather’s money-loving image.
For Floyd Mayweather, money is the single biggest factor in this fight. Most boxing experts believe this bout should have taken place a good five years ago, when both fighters were younger and in their primes, but Mayweather would have only made around $50 million back then. Incredibly, the fight this Saturday night will bring Mayweather upwards of $180 million, the Daily Mail reports.
This large amount of money is made possible because of the cut Mayweather receives from each and every pay-per-view ticket, and even concession sales and other things related to the fight. An additional factor is the large amount of viewers that the fight is expected to draw, which might add up to the largest fight in the history of the sport.
All of these things come with the backdrop of Mayweather’s troubled past. The boxer has spent time in prison and paid numerous fines for abusing not one, but several different woman over the course of a number of years. In an editorial written by ESPN’s Keith Olbermann, the analyst said, “How do you knowingly contribute money to a person like this? I will not give Mayweather a dime. He should have been banned for life by his sport two, five, or 10 years ago.”
Only time will tell how many people will choose not to watch the largest fight in boxing history. Whatever ends up happening, Floyd Mayweather will meet Manny Pacquiao in the ring this coming Saturday evening and both boxers will leave richer men.
[Image via Stephen Dunn/Getty]
