30 little-known facts about Floyd Mayweather Jr.

2. Mayweather’s fame and earning power skyrocketed after splitting with Top Rank

In 2015, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole wrote a fascinating piece entitled, “Floyd Mayweather vs. Bob Arum: not your normal rivalry.” What immediately stands out when reading the story is how Mayweather’s relatively small gamble on himself — buying out the remaining $750,000 on his Top Rank deal — has enabled him to become the most financially successful fighter ever in terms of in-ring and pay-per-view earnings.

Iole provides ample context that illustrates how Mayweather’s career with Top Rank, despite his undeniable success as a world champion, was largely defined by “Money” playing second fiddle to other fighters, an inconceivable reality given his current status in boxing. First, coming out of the 1996 Olympic Games, Top Rank had their eye on Fernando Vargas, who they felt had even greater star potential given that he’s hispanic and fought at a heavier weight. And then there was Oscar De La Hoya, boxing’s cash cow who Mayweather chased for years.

After Mayweather secured his promotional freedom, he was able to land the De La Hoya fight, which Iole notes he had been clamoring for as early as 1999. In 2007, Mayweather would earn $25 million for besting De La Hoya, and he’s been operating at an elite pay-per-view level ever since. An acrimonious promotion leading up to the De La Hoya fight established Mayweather as boxing’s most prominent “heel,” which has done wonders for his bank account as fans consistently buy his fights hoping to see him knocked out and his ego shattered.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one of the rare pugilists who successfully rebelled against boxing’s traditional power structures, which tend to exploit those who actually do the fighting. While Mayweather acknowledges Top Rank ‘s positive influence in developing him into a professional world champion, he must also be given individual credit for recognizing a rare opportunity — a crossroads where boxing desperately needed a new bankable commodity — and shrewdly taking advantage of it.