Will Mayweather KO WWE?

Mayweather vs. Big Show
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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I'm going to admit I know very little about the world of professional boxing.  Sure I know the names of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and Mike Tyson.  But until 2008, I'd never heard the name Floyd "Money" Mayweather.  The only reason I'd heard of him then was because of his involvement in a wrestling angle prior to WWE's spectacle Wrestlemania 24.

Knockout punch with some brass knuckles
Photo courtesy: WWE

Mayweather, who is 5'8'' and weighs 158 pounds was paired against The Big Show.  As his name implies, he's big.  Big Show stands 7'0'' tall and weighs in the neighborhood of 425 pounds.  The match was booked very well and with some dirty, underhanded antics by the boxer and his team, he got the knockout victory.  When you understand that WWE is more about the entertainment and less about the sport, it's easier to accept these types of outcomes.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

Fast forward to 2015 and Mayweather is booked in a huge fight against Manny Pacquiao.  I'd heard his name before, but for the most part I am unfamiliar with his record in the ring.  I couldn't name one other opponent he's faced.  But the hype surrounding this fight was more than I'd ever seen before.

Mayweather in 2012
Photo courtesy: Getty

Many on social media have been bringing up Mayweather's criminal past.  I decided to do some research and was pretty surprised by what I'd found.  Mayweather has a long history of domestic battery and battery charges.  He's served time in jail for the crimes too.  The biggest shock was some of these convictions were BEFORE his match against The Big Show.  Prior to the fight with Pacquiao, Mayweather banned a couple of female reporters from covering the contest.  That actually lead ESPN reporter and long time WWE supporter Michelle Beadle to send out this tweet.

I understand Beadle's concerns and wonder if Triple H's support of Mayweather will end up costing WWE relationships with others in the mainstream and sponsors.  I think if Mayweather was a WWE Superstar, he would have been future endeavored a long time ago.  But maybe I'm missing the real point here, Mayweather's nickname "Money".  Controversy creates cash, right?  Mayweather has served SOME time for his crimes.  Does that mean he's changed?  But looking at his rap sheet, there's been a repeated pattern of abuse.  

Mike Tyson WWE Hall of Fame
Photo courtesy: WWE

Mike Tyson, who is in the WWE Hall of Fame, is a convicted rapist.  He served three years in prison of his crime and seemingly has turned his life around.  He was given a second chance, which is what the prison system is set up to do.  However, I think it's still too early to use the "forgive and forget" approach with Mayweather.  I know no one from WWE is reading this, but I don't think the COO publicly supporting a man who has abused women is exactly best for business.  

Then there's the whole debate over the reasoning for Chyna not being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.  But that's an argument for another day.