Mayweather and the WWE

Jerry Glick reporting: A boxing press conference can be an exciting, often raucous event to attend; but it has nothing on the WWE’s version of a press conference. Then add to the mix 400 plus New York wrestling fans jammed into The Hard Rock Café, a 450 pound, seven foot wrestler names Big Show, and the traveling circus known as Floyd “Money” Mayweather, and you have an explosive event.

Mayweather, of course, is a 147 pound boxer who has never gotten involved with anything like this. He got into a “fight” with The Big Show, whose name appears a little differently on his birth certificate, Paul Wight, and “punched” him on the nose causing blood to come out of it. That lead up to a match on the WWE’s signature event, Westlemania XXIV, scheduled to happen on Sunday, March 30th at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL.

When it was Mayweather’s time to come out on stage and step to the microphone and speak he, instead, walked from one side of the stage to the other and back again. He then reached into his bag and pulled out a huge stack of $100 dollar bills. He snatched off a fist full and threw it into the crowd on one side of the stage, and then he did the same on the other side. Needless to say, people dived and scrambled for the money injuring one young boy in the process.

According to Shane McMahon, the WWE’s top man Vince McMahon’s son and heir to the throne, it was not planned. Mayweather did that all on his own. Not a very good idea especially when this reporter didn’t get any.

“We didn’t know he was going to throw that out there,” said Shane.

The conference started out with a few of the more prominent members of the WWE addressing the crowd including Triple H (Vince McMahon’s son-in-law), Edge, and a couple of “ladies” referred to as Divas.

In wrestling the bad guy is referred to as the Heel. Big Show is a heel, but in this match, it is Mayweather who is has been bestowed with that designation by the wrestling fans who view the interloper as the enemy.

“In the promotion business,” said Shane, “it doesn’t matter; as long as they come.”

“If they boo Floyd that’s great, as long as they love to boo him,” added McMahon, “that’s great.”

Mayweather is very impressed with the wrestling business.

“It’s not a cut throat business,” said Mayweather. “It’s clean; this relationship is long term. Win, lose, or draw. I’m going to continue doing business with the WWE.”

Mayweather’s business manager, Leonard Ellerby, said that the WWE has put together a marketing machine that is very impressive.

It is clear that the WWE loves Mayweather and he loves them.

“Floyd’s a huge entertainer,” explained McMahon. “The charisma on this kid, you guys could see it, his entrances in boxing; he’s tailor made for our business.”

McMahon explained that bringing in outsiders such as Mayweather and others over the years has caused a certain resistance among the wrestlers.

“Number one you worry about Floyd’s safety,” McMahon pointed out. “I’ve been in the ring with Big Show and literally it’s like a jungle gym, you can climb all over him but when he grabs you it’s like grabbing a child; you throw your kid around. That’s what he can do.”

“As it relates to our guys,” said the very sharp minded next generation

McMahon to run the family business, “anytime an outside celebrity comes into our business,

there’s always a little resentment. This is our home, there’s always a little push back from the guys, but our guys are also smart enough to know that that’s bringing so many more eyeballs to them, and that is why it is tolerated.”

There is so much competition out there for the PPV dollar from the UFC that McMahon has looked at the issue of how it is affecting his business closely. He says that while he has a good relationship with the competition, they have not directly cut into the WWE’s share of the fan base, but he acknowledges that the more competitors there are, the more they are fighting for that PPV dollar to be spent on them rather than elsewhere.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA

”We talked a little bit about it; we thought we’d capitalize on Floyd and De La Hoya,” explained McMahon. “But Oscar’s had a couple of issues so I think he just wanted to stay out of the lime light for a while.”

DLH had endured some public wrath when photos surfaced of him in nylon panty hose.

Speaking of the Golden Boy, Mayweather had a few things to say about Oscar’s relationship with Ring Magazine.

“Golden Boy buys Ring Magazine, so who’s going to say something bad about Oscar De La Hoya?” asked Mayweather.

He said that he is on the cover because he sells, but that there is negativity inside about him. He claims that he does not read negative stories about himself.

He also claims that he calls the shots. That DLH is fighting on HBO next against Steve Forbes, but if Floyd was involved he would be on PPV, not “free” TV. He goes even further to say that Oscar is no more than a name at Golden Boy. That the real decision maker is Richard Schaefer.

LEONARD ELLERBY AND FLOYD:

Both Ellerby and Mayweather complained that he has gotten some bad press about his not wanting his uncle Roger training Forbes as he prepares to face DLH. It has been said, according to Mayweather and Ellerby, that Floyd waited for Forbes to train for a few weeks before Mayweather voiced his displeasure. Not true say the pair.

“There had been a lot of talk that Floyd waited three or four weeks before he expressed his displeasure with Roger training him,” said Ellerby.

“I’ve been out of the country a lot,” interrupted Mayweather. “But I been telling him from the beginning that he better not work with the kid.”

“From day one Floyd has expressed strong displeasure with his uncle training Steve Forbes,” added Ellerby.

PUNCHLINE

VINCE MCMAHON ENTERS THE MAT:

In recent years Vince McMahon went from promoter behind the scenes to announcer, to being involved in the story line as an announcer, to full blown participant.

“One day our announcer just up and said ‘okay, I’m out of here,’ or he was fired, I am not sure which one happened,” recalled McMahon, “but my dad goes up to my grandfather and says ‘Well pop, what are we going to do now? The guy just walked out of the door?’ My grandfather looked at him very proudly and handed my dad the mike and said, ‘Congratulations Vinnie, you’re our new announcer.’ ”

INTO FLOYD’S FUTURE

I asked Mayweather and Ellerby, about Floyd’s out of boxing experiences. First he danced with the stars, and now he’s wrestling with a giant; what’s next?

Mayweather’s very capable aide, Ellerby, said that it will be huge.

“I’m telling you right now we are working on some major, major things,” said Ellerby. He claims that he is talking not about millions, but billions of dollars involved in their next project that he refused to elaborate about.

That certainly sounds big; as big as The Big Show. Even bigger!