Amid claims from rivals that he’s in financial trouble, Floyd Mayweather will take part in his second exhibition fight this year, against MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura in Japan that will reportedly see the newly inducted Hall-of-Famer net an incredible eight figures.
And if that wasn’t enough – the 50-0 fighting legend revealed how much he was paid to get out of bed to attend the Las Vegas press conference for the fight.
Speaking to EsNews, the multiple world title winner wasn’t shy in letting everybody know what it took to get him there, and who trumped up the cash to make it happen.
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“You want to know how much I got paid to be here? Do you want to know how much? – One point five (million $USD),” Mayweather said after leaving the press conference flanked by the organisers of the fight.
He added: “You know who wired me the money? – Him!” pointing to one of the men he was walking alongside him.
The exact date and rules of the bout scheduled for September 2022 are expected to be announced later this month.
The fight legend also received $1 million for attending a press conference to announce his fight with Don Moore earlier this year.
The state of Mayweather’s finances has been a topic of debate pretty much his entire career, increasingly in recent times, with social media performer turned fighter Jake Paul claiming he’s “broke”, and had not stumped up the money owed to his brother for their exhibition bout in 2021.
Logan Paul went public in his spat with Mayweather, declaring the Michigan native still owed him almost $5 million from their fight and that he would take legal action.
During the media gathering for his September exhibition, Mayweather addressed the accusations put forward by Paul, and rubbished suggestions he didn’t pay the bill.
“Logan Paul is the same guy that said that he didn’t get paid, but someone from his team, the guy who actually put the exhibition on, that I was working with, reached out to us and said that Logan Paul wanted to do another exhibition,” Mayweather said.
“This is the same guy that said he didn’t get paid, so you guys have got to start watching these certain individuals clout chasing. You see these guys constantly bringing up Floyd Mayweather’s name on the internet just trying to get clout.
“The same guy that said he didn’t get paid, which we know that is truly false, so that’s why I don’t even entertain the bullshit. We know he got paid. If he didn’t get paid he wouldn’t be trying to get another payday.”
Mayweather has boasted about his investments following his professional career, dipping his toe into everything from strip clubs, to promoting fighters and musical events, film, TV shows. He also claims to own nine skyscrapers and recently stated he’s “working behind the scenes” on trying to acquire an NBA team.
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During the pandemic the fighter reportedly spent $1 million on luxury cars in one day. It’s understood Mayweather walked into a dealership in Las Vegas in 2021 and placed an order for nine cars.
He treated himself to a white Rolls-Royce Ghost, and then bought cars for his family and friends, including a Mercedes S560, a Maybach sedan, one Dodge Journey, two Dodge Chargers, and three Dodge Challengers.
Whether you believe the stories about his financial issues or not, and question why he keeps coming back, Mayweather’s decision to continue fighting might just come down to making easy money.
While stepping into the ring is a risk itself, for someone like Mayweather, who has never tasted defeat as a professional, it’s like taking candy from a baby.
“I don’t have to watch tape on my opponents, he needs to watch me,” he said of his next rival Asakura.
“I’m the one to watch. Everybody I face is just an opponent. It’s no different from facing Manny Pacquiao or Canelo Alvarez.
“I know that he believes in his skill, but no fighter that he’s ever been in the ring with is Floyd Mayweather.
“These other guys are just fighters, but I’m Floyd Mayweather. I’m on a different level. I’m special. Not just special, very special.”
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