Potential Staff Shakeup Shows an End to Floyd Mayweather's Boxing Empire Is Near
Floyd Mayweather’s boxing empire appears to be crumbling around him. According to FightHype.com’s Ben Thompson, Mayweather is contemplating major changes to his team, something that might signal the beginning of the end of Mayweather’s long reign atop the sport:
"Once people start making power moves without communicating with me, then I think it's time for us to move our separate ways. I mean, I'm glad the fight is over with, but I think when May comes around and you guys see All Access in May, I'll have a totally new team and probably a totally new staff. We may make a lot of changes in my team, but Al Haymon ain't going nowhere.
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Mayweather detailed to Thompson several recent occurrences that got under his skin a bit. He said there were some corner disputes over who wrapped his hands on fight night as well as several logistical and contractual elements under the supervision of longtime advisor Leonard Ellerbe that didn’t go as Mayweather wished.
Perhaps the most startling admission was Mayweather saying he never signed off on defending his four alphabet titles in two different weight classes against Marcos Rene Maidana, despite it turning out to be one of the promotion’s major selling points:
"There's no way that I go beat these fighters for these titles and then without me saying anything, someone tells me I got four titles on the line at two different weight classes. When I beat that guy for just one belt, I had three belts and beat him for one belt, and the next fight, after he already loses to me, I come back and say, here, I'm gonna fight you for four belts in two different weight classes? Come on, man. It doesn't make any sense; I don't think so.
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Mayweather defended his Ring Magazine, WBC and WBA welterweight titles in the bout as well as the WBC junior middleweight title.
Despite reportedly raking in a minimum of $32 million on fight night, Mayweather has seen better days. The past few weeks have been particularly brutal for the world’s top pound-for-pound boxer.
First, Mayweather was whacked upside the head via social media by former-friend Curtis Jackson, also known as 50 Cent, for an alleged lack of reading skills.
Next, Mayweather’s violent streak against women was brought back into the forefront by a former fiance’s lawsuit filed against him in Los Angeles. The suit claimed egregious acts committed by Mayweather, including assault and battery of the plaintiff, Shantel Jackson.
Things didn’t get any better when Mayweather was interviewed during fight week by CNN’s Rachel Nichols. Perhaps used to being coddled by adorers in the boxing media, Mayweather didn’t quite know how to handle things when he suddenly found himself under Nichols’ microscope of hard-news scrutiny.
The interview went about as badly as it could go.
Moreover, according to TheSweetScience.com’s Michael Woods, Mayweather’s sullen appearance before and after his 12-round victory over Maidana was because of his tiff with longtime friend Ellerbe’s job performance.
Mayweather’s star power is dimming. Despite remaining undefeated over 47 professional fights and needing a forklift to carry all the cash he collects on fight night, Mayweather’s latest moments in boxing have been spent less like the captain of the ship and more like someone drowning in the water after being tossed overboard.
Heavyweight boxing writers, such as Thomas Hauser, have taken to raking Mayweather over the coals about his outside-the-ring character flaws. Even former business associates, such as HBO’s Jim Lampley, have tagged in to the fray. On the latest of edition of The Fight Game, Lampley went so far as to call for Mayweather’s hastened retirement for the betterment of the sport.
Mayweather’s stock is falling, and despite being lauded for the way he carefully built up his boxing empire, the cracks in the TMT foundation look difficult to repair.
A parting with Ellerbe would mark drastic change for Mayweather both personally and professionally, one that is sure to have dire consequences. Is there anyone else Mayweather can trust to oversee his personal affairs? Does Ellerbe know answers to questions Mayweather wouldn’t even know to ask?
Moreover, as Showtime executives begin to pour over the rolling in pay-per-view numbers this week, they have to be wondering if they’re getting their money’s worth with Mayweather. Was his massive, six-fight contract worth it if he spends most of it knocking off second-tier names like Maidana and Robert Guerrero?
Finally and perhaps most importantly, the 37-year-old Mayweather who defeated Maidana on Saturday night just didn’t appear the same fighter. For all the glitz and glamour of his boxing-enterprise ventures, Mayweather’s true power in the sport stems from him being its biggest superstar and the best boxer on the planet.
But Mayweather is no longer the same fighter. He looked stale at times versus Maidana when he should have been crisp. There was still a hefty measure of razzle-dazzle to his game, but he appeared decidedly less formidable than ever before.
If Mayweather’s game inside the ring continues to slide, don’t be surprised if it takes the rest of Mayweather’s interests down for the count with it. Mayweather’s empire hasn’t yet been knocked down to the canvas, but the referee is watching things closely and wondering if he might need to step in soon.
The end is near.
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