The thing about Mayweather is that he will take the route that will lead to the most money. Bar none. They say for this Wrestlemania, he will make around $20 million. A rematch with De La Hoya will be around $20 million. For him to even consider fighting Hatton, the money had to be right. He won't fight Cotto because he can't get at least $10 million out of it. Hell, at the press conference, Floyd was making it rain throwing around $4,000 in the air and people were diving all over the place. I think Floyd cares about being a good fighter. He just cares about the money over the risk more and feeding his ego.
http://www.mlive.com/mayweather/index.ssf/2008/02/mayweather _scheduled_for_20_mi.html
Mayweather's WrestleMania payday: $20 million to face Big Show
by David Mayo | The Grand Rapids Press
Tuesday February 26, 2008, 4:41 PM
AP Photo
Floyd Mayweather, left, has 20 million reasons to step into the wrestling ring with Paul "Big Show" Wight at WrestleMania XXIV on March 30 in Orlando, Fla.Floyd Mayweather's adviser said the boxer's $20 million gross for a WrestleMania XXIV appearance next month is a negotiating achievement that stunned everyone involved.
Mayweather could earn more for his match against Paul "Big Show" Wight, March 30 in Orlando, Fla., than for all but one or two of his 39 professional boxing matches.
"For WWE to cough up that kind of money for this one-time event, with no commitment beyond March 30, is amazing," said Leonard Ellerbe, who worked for months negotiating the appearance with World Wrestling Entertainment. "It tells you all you need to know about the financial power of the WWE, that they could afford to pay Floyd Mayweather $20 million."
Ellerbe and WWE executive Shane McMahon disclosed the record wrestling purse at a Monday press conference in Los Angeles, and neither has incentive to inflate the figure: World Wrestling Entertainment is a publicly traded company, and Mayweather has to pay the taxes.
"It's a great achievement for us, but it's just indicative of where Floyd is as an entertainer," Ellerbe said. "Ric Flair ran up to Floyd, wanted to take a picture with Floyd, said he and his wife were Floyd's best fans. All these wrestlers wanted pictures with Floyd, Lindsey Lohan wanted a picture. All the celebrities that have been calling me since this was announced, Eddie Murphy, you name it, you wouldn't believe it.
"It just tells you where he's come in the entertainment world, after all these years grinding to get there, even though he's still the same kid from Grand Rapids, Michigan, you know what I mean?"
Ellerbe said Mayweather would begin learning techniques from professional wrestlers within the next week, and practice until the event.
Nevertheless, it isn't exactly a grueling eight-week training camp, and the payoff is exorbitant.
Mayweather, a pro boxer since 1996, earned almost $25 million against Oscar De La Hoya, and could exceed his WrestleMania payday after all pay-per-view proceeds from his December win over Ricky Hatton are accounted, a process which requires several months. Mayweather's base purses for both of those 2007 bouts was $10 million, before television percentages.
Meantime, the pay-per-view intrigue for Mayweather-De La Hoya II, in September, gets a significant cross-marketing boost. WWE's three weekly televised cable shows, RAW, ECW and SmackDown, attract an average of about 3 percent of all domestic televisions in use.
"They have the largest viewing audience in cable, really," Ellerbe said. "Floyd is the best fighter in the world, and he's still going to be the best fighter in the world when WrestleMania is over, but this is big. The global exposure Floyd will receive from working with WWE will be phenomenal."
