If Manny Pacquiao is the man of the people, then Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the man of the celebrity. Ok, Manny has some high profile admirers himself, but ‘Money’ has built an empire off his flamboyant behaviour.
The “Fight of the Century” told us a lot about both men. Floyd purposely locked his gym doors surrounded by his entourage, only to take time out to do some press and plug his personal brand. You can come and see Mayweather strut his stuff, but be prepared to bring along your own paparazzi.
Floyd attracts the red carpet VIP entertainment elite because they live in that bubble with him. While he burns away more money than most people will earn in a lifetime, Mayweather is the embodiment of a culture driven by image. The only thing Floyd loves more than Floyd, is high profile celebrities loving Floyd. So long as he remains rich and undefeated he could care less about people hating him for being a domestic violence abuser and a hoarder of wealth.
Every now and again a celebrity fan will fall by the wayside as two egos crash and collide. Curtis Stone, aka 50 Cent, drew the ire of the fighter when he challenged Mayweather to read a page of Harry Potter for charity. The innocuous throw down grew when it was rumored that Floyd is actually illiterate, something 50 was clearly aware of. The pair might have buried the hatchet, but be careful not to get on the wrong side of this boxer.
Let’s take a look at the 15 celebrities who still have a subscription to the Money fan club.
15 15. Jamie Foxx
Stop laughing Jake Gyllenhaal, we’re serious. The actor who was panned for his rendition of the national anthem prior to the Pacquiao fight is a massive fan of Money. When he was asked by ESPN in the lead up who will come out victorious he replied, “Oh that’s easy, it’s Floyd Mayweather. I’ve been a Floyd fan for 15 years.” It would be difficult to fact check such a remark and tell whether or not Foxx got on the bandwagon, but he did make an astute boxing observation. He backed his man for the fight because Manny chose to encounter Marquez across 4 brutal fights which would tell in the later stages, a prediction that looks very accurate in the wake of the fight.
14 14. Waka Flocka Flame
Poor old Waka Flocka Flame. If Donald Trump’s presidential campaign hasn’t taken the wind out of his sails, Kanye West’s 2016 announcement comfortably usurped his own White House ambitions. The good news though is that friend and fan Floyd Mayweather will vote for him. The tattoo-heavy blinged up artist Tweeted his support for Floyd in a manner the fighter would absolutely love, “I still got 20K on money Mayweather.” You can debate Waka’s lifestyle habits all you like, but that proved to be a wise investment.
13 13. David Hasselhoff
Best known for belting out the tune “Freedom” when the Berlin Wall was taken down in 1989, the Hoff got on the "Money" train, reminding people that he’s still kicking. USA Today convinced the former Baywatch star to interview the fighter, accompanied by a flock of television cameras and photo-happy journalists cramming into the gym. The two attention-seeking extroverts looked jovial enough if the pictures are any judge. Nobody has seen the Hoff since, so if a rematch is on the cards then we’ll know if the aging celebrity is still with us!
12 12. Ruby Rose
To a US audience Ruby Rose is a new edition to the popular Netflix series "Orange Is The New Black", but to Australians she is a model, DJ, and television presenter who left Australia to make it in the big time. Rose was universally slammed back in Australia for taking a happy selfie with the domestic violence abuser, given her reputation as a role model for social liberals being one of the most famous lesbian identities in the media. A lifetime of work campaigning for animal welfare groups and bringing attention to charity seemed to blow up in smoke with one picture, quite the storm in a teacup!
11 11. Lil Wayne
Whatever your opinion of Lil Wayne is, you have to concede that he is a gifted opportunist. The rapper put on his own shows in Las Vegas before and after the May 2 mega fight showdown, putting tickets on sale for as much as $14,000 according to some reports. To make sure he was making most of the moment, he joined Justin Bieber to rap his way inside the ring with the Mayweather entourage, riding the bandwagon as far as it would take him. It was a bizarre entrance to say the least, especially in the wake of a build up that felt like a lifetime.
10 10. Torii Hunter
The 40-year-old MLB and Minnesota Twins hitter Torii Hunter gave the boxer all his support on the night that would define his career. With a fist bump emoji to boot, @torrihunter48 said, “I got Money Mayweather tonight!” Playing at the elite level in his profession would give the two men common ground to relate on, especially given his age. At one point or another Hunter would have heard the same thing, been written off as “past it,” but for people like Floyd and Torii Hunter, that only fuels the fire more.
9 9. Mariah Carey
Mariah is no bandwagon fan. She was there to support Money during his win over Shane Mosley in 2010 and the pop star was given special VIP treatment when she dropped into Mayweather’s gym prior to the Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas. The pair shared an up-close-and-personal selfie on Floyd’s cell phone, although Carey is hard to identify with her hair and dark glasses hiding her appearance. The 45-year-old entertainer is currently rumored to be dating Australian media mogul James Packer.
8 8. Terrance Williams
Winning is everything for Terrance Williams, which might go a long way to explaining his love for Floyd Mayweather. The Cowboys wide receiver knew that supporting Money would get him some backlash, tweeting, “It’s only right to get @shots for #MoneyMayweather #TMT hate me or love me he’s the Best records don’t lie! #47-0.” It’s the old “look at the scoreboard” trick from Williams, living by the creed that haters are going to hate. He had every right to back his man, moving from 47-0 prior to Pacquiao to 49-0 with a win over Andre Berto to end a glittering fighting career.
7 7. Alfonzo Dennard
Free agents in the NFL still find the time to watch the “Fight of the Century,” even if they have to contemplate a life after football. The former New England Patriots cornerback couldn’t make the 53-man squad roster for the Arizona Cardinals this season, but he gave his services to the undefeated champion. On the big night he tweeted three simple things, “#TMT #teammayweather 1000.” With only a dozen retweets it wasn’t the best response he’s ever had, but it’s still better than the one he got from Arizona this year.
6 6. LeGarrette Blount
The massive Patriots running back loves his Twitter, amassing 115,000 followers in the process. His cheeky sense of humor usually comes packed with emoji's and GIFs, but on the night of the fight LeGarrette got straight down to business. @LG_Blount tweeted, “It’s getting closer and closer to that time!! The home @FloydMayweather about to continue the undefeated streak!! 48-0 after tonight!! #TMT.” The Super Bowl champion won’t get any prizes for being Nostradamus for this prediction.
5 5. Beyoncé
Behind closed doors we don’t really know what megastar Beyoncé really thinks of Mayweather. We do know that she accompanies her hubby, Jay Z, to fights and NBA games where Money is present. The pair have been pictured together sitting just 2 seats apart courtside and the pop sensation sported a stunning red dress for the Las Vegas showdown in May. There is nothing to make us think Beyoncé will ever be seen in Floyd’s company again, but like any celebrities they made the most of their fame when it suited their interests.
4 4. Jay Z
If you believe 50 Cent then Jay Z hates Floyd’s guts, but that was over a year ago and since then the 45-year-old rapper threw a massive party to celebrate his win over Pacquiao in Vegas. The VIP guest list was awash with super stars, including Nicki Minaj, Bradley Cooper, Drew Barrymore, Calvin Harris, Paris Hilton, Aaron Paul, Christian Bale and Tom Brady. Even though he had 99 problems (but the Nets ain't one), Jay Z loves his sports and loves a winner. Fair to say Floyd fits the bill on both fronts.
3 3. Rihanna
Rihanna made waves when she stuck duct tape on Floyd’s mouth during the BET Awards this year. We don’t know if this means she is a secret Manny Pacquiao fan or just tired of hearing the fighter talking about himself. The amount of times the pair have been snapped together courtside at the NBA would make us think it is a case of the latter. Each of their entourage’s have overlapped from time to time, so watch this space or TMZ to see if they come together once again.
2 2. Donald Trump
We’re not bitter people here at The Sportster, but isn’t it great to see Donald come second in something for a change? For better or worse the two men have a lot in common. They love material possessions, they believe they are without doubt “the best,” and define themselves by their associations with rich celebrities. If Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t swoop in to take over hosting Celebrity Apprentice while Trump seizes Washington, "Money" Mayweather might have been an interesting choice. Donald is rarely a man of few words, but Tweeted, “Good luck tonight Floyd” on the day. He’s yet to announce a VP candidate to run on the ticket if he gets the Republican nomination, and Floyd has an open schedule these days, so look out!
1 1. Justin Bieber
There isn’t anything left for Justin Bieber to do to prove he is without doubt the number one ticket holder for the Mayweather fan club. The two are inseparable, making entrance after entrance for his last few fights and doubling up on promotions and media events whenever the opportunity presents itself. The pair share a common bond, trying to combat a host of haters while relentlessly pursuing their careers. When it is all said and done, they will also have to share in the knowledge that these people will never change their minds on them. Floyd is very fortunate his talent has got him through a lot of fights, because many in the business couldn’t enter a ring with Justin Bieber by their side and get away with it!