In 2006, ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd Mayweather was already making a name for himself in the sport of boxing, with the help of Top Rank founder and CEO Bob Arum, who famously promoted legends such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Manny Pacquiao. At that time, Mayweather was earning around $3 million per fight, thanks to his perfect 36-0 record and status as the IBF welterweight champion. Despite this success, he decided it was time for a change.
According to his long-time confidante, Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather viewed himself as a headliner capable of making more than $100 million in one night. “Floyd wanted to take his career in a new direction,” Ellerbe told Forbes in 2015. “Floyd walked into Top Rank’s office, handed them a cheque, and the rest is history.”
Mayweather had an unusual opt-out clause in his deal with Top Rank that allowed him to get out of the promotional contract by paying $750,000. While it may not seem like a lot now, back then it was a significant gamble and marked the beginning of a new phase in his career, which also came with a new nickname—‘Money’.
‘Money’ lived up to his moniker immediately. He sold 325,000 pay-per-views and banked a career-high $8 million payday for his fight with Carlos Baldomir in November 2006. The cash continued to flow for the rest of his career, and he made $25 million for his very next fight—a split decision win over Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007. Together, they achieved 2.48 million PPV buys and $137 million in PPV revenue.
Mayweather went on to beat 13 consecutive fighters who were reigning or former world champions, with many of them featuring on the Ring Magazine pound-for-pound list. Baldomir held the WBC welterweight title and De La Hoya owned the WBC light-middleweight belt before facing Mayweather.
Former WBA and IBF light-welterweight king Ricky Hatton became his next victim when he moved up in weight to challenge for Mayweather’s WBC welterweight title. Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley didn’t hold any belts when they fought Mayweather, but both had been world champions in multiple weight classes. Mayweather won back his WBC welterweight belt from Victor Ortiz before dethroning WBA light middleweight champion Miguel Cotto in his very next fight.
