EGOMANIA & Mayweather: Perceptions Of a Prize Fighter

Many boxing pundits would argue that it is an impossible task to further inflate the ego of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. At the dismay of many “Pretty Boy Haters” I would like to give it a try. The most powerful META TAG for boxing in the internet world is—you guessed it—MAYWEATHER. Did I succeed? In the words of Kanye West, another egomaniacal genius, “I got a big ego, hahaha, I’m such a big ego, hahaha, I got a big, hahaha, ego, she love my big, hahaha, ego…” Yes, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has a big ego. Colossal!

Boxing fans, in many ways, are similar to NASCAR fans—true fanatics who support their favorites. The difference is that we admit we watch boxing to see another man lying peacefully on the canvas, while many NASCAR fans will not admit they watch auto racing for the crashes. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has “crashed” himself into the cast as the principal antagonist, in the “theatre” of Modern Prize Fighting.

Networks, Promoters, Media, Advertisers, Governing Bodies, Attorneys, and last but not least Fighters, are cast in this production we call boxing. We can berate him for not being the “throwback” we would like him to be, by not fighting every single fighter in his division, or we can celebrate what our grandchildren will not see live-- Mayweather “The Antagonist”. A post Y2K bad boy, who has all but mastered every skill set in boxing minus an above average knockout percentage (62.5%).

In an attempt to be objective, I separate my media-influenced perception of the man from what he accomplishes in that 20 x 20 arena. In my opinion, antagonists are necessary to the success of any "story", and those perceived malevolent components "fuel the fire." Cowboys have Indians, David has Goliath, and Reagan had the War on Drugs!

One of the latest sizzling episodes of “egomania” came by way of what may stand to be a timeless interview of “Money May” by R.A. The Rugged Man. Mr. Rugged successfully aggravated the Pound-for-Pound Champion, by needling all of the right “hot buttons”, and goading Mayweather to shift into egomania-mode. Larry Merchant and Brian Kenny provided the blueprint. The interview, while genius and entertaining, was not shocking if you understand the psycho-sociological make up of many prizefighters.

Pugilists make their living through the effective use of aggression, whereby aggression is not only acceptable, it’s the rule. Most boxers are socialized in neighborhoods where diplomacy is viewed as “weak”, whereas force is the most powerful tool utilized to gain a “rep”. We see this socio-behavioral pattern manifest itself physically in the ring, and often times verbally in press conferences, interviews, etc. Ironically, these same outbursts that we criticize as fans provide entertaining build up that eventually translates into millions in PPV dollars.

Mr. Rugged’s interview may serve as a unique catalyst to increase the desire for Mayweather to fight “all-comers”. I too would love to see a “Sugar Ray Robinson-esque” Floyd Mayweather, if only for my own selfish reasons-- Blood. But boxing has changed, and the onus of our bereavement does not fall onto one fighter alone-- even if his name is Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Fighters emphasize who they are and what they do by donning themselves with nicknames like “The Brown Bomber”, “The Rock from Brockton”, “Marvelous”, “Sugar”, “Manos de Piedra”, and yes “Money May”. Boxing is the business that Floyd Jr. knows best, as the seeds of success were planted, figuratively and literally, by Mayweather, Sr. It seems as though genetics and skills have meshed harmoniously, while the perceived discord with so many boxing fans, is in the personality of the fighter.

So what is “The Antagonist” missing to solidify his place amongst the greats of pugilism? It’s simple, a protagonist. Marquez, while arguably still in the top 5 Pound-for-pound, proved to be no more than a “tune-up” bout for the unbelievably gifted fighter from the “D”. Oscar DeLahoya was formerly cast in that role, but the aging Golden Boy could not deliver physically, what the marketing campaigns and PPV buys did financially. Perhaps on November 14th a "qualified" protagonist will emerge for Team Mayweather. A humble and soft spoken, politically correct champion, in his prime—the anti-ego. Or not.