Floyd Mayweather Jr. was spotted in public recently with Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas and offered his thoughts on what made a ‘superstar’ in boxing. Citing Garcia as one of his examples, Mayweather proceeded to explain the intricacies of a fighter being able to be regarded as a star without necessarily needing to conquer titles.
“There’s some heavy hitters in the game right now,” said Floyd Mayweather Jr. during an interview with InsideFighting.
“When I say heavy hitters, not many I should say, [but] right now there’s only three; Canelo [Alvarez], Ryan [Garcia] and Gervonta Davis.
“In today’s time, fighters think [that] if they got belts, and they made a few million dollars, that they’re a star.
“That don’t make you a star. Being well-rounded all around the board makes you a star. Knowing how to articulate, knowing when to speak and when not to speak… everything plays a major role into making you a household name.“
Mayweather’s assertion seems to be rooted in what a fighter generates through profit rather than merit, as fighting for titles prominently denotes that a fighter is competitive. This ideology has been exemplified by both Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis who have made no relevant progress at lightweight when they were both in the same division, yet seemed to generate more numbers and views than most other fighters in the sport.
Floyd Mayweather’s belief that Garcia and Davis are superstars blatantly overlooks the lack of competition they faced, until they fought each other in April of 2023. While Canelo Alvarez, as Mayweather mentioned, is also considered a superstar that can generate untold interest in his own fights, Alvarez’ career is defined by numerous title matches.
Anthony Joshua is another example of a boxer who has managed to generate a lot of profit due to his willingness to fight for titles and defend them, yet the true bottleneck of Mayweather’s argument is his very own career which has seen him become a multi-weight champion and unify titles numerous times.
Notably, Mayweather’s own career would likely not have bred the same level of success without the world titles he conquered and nearly all of his biggest fights―save his blockbuster fight with Conor McGregor―involved world titles.
Oscar De La Hoya, a former opponent of Mayweather, challenged his former rival’s belief during a recent interview he held with FightHype.
“I think when you take a look at fighters and their abilities to sell tickets, their abilities to be world champions, and really get the fans engaged, I think that matters the most,” De La Hoya said.
“But [who’s] the A-side, the B-side, who sold more pay-per-views, who didn’t―it’s always controversial, it’s always a debate.“
Though De La Hoya’s own idea of what constitutes as a boxing star does not necessarily differ from Mayweather’s, the Golden Boy founder did highlight the importance of one’s ability to be a world champion that helps create a boxing star; a point that Mayweather has refuted.
Essentially, a boxing superstar is defined by more than just their market value or their talent, and seems to be a combination of both that determines their pull. One notable factor that neither Mayweather or De La Hoya have mentioned revolves around the competition a fighter faces. As boxing is still a sport, competitiveness is driven by who a fighter faces, and merely capturing or defending a world title is not substantial if the opponent’s talent or accomplishments are inadequate.
The pound-for-pound rankings might be one method by which to determine who is a boxing star, as the rankings reflect who are the best fighters in the world based on their most recent accomplishments. Interestingly, Floyd Mayweather Jr. himself had reigned on top in the pound-for-pound rankings for a long time based on his own feats in the sport; most of which revolved around Mayweather competing in world title fights.
