Floyd Mayweather's business acumen is one of the most underrated aspects of his boxing career. He doesn't put himself in a position to look bad, which is why his May 4 bout with Robert Guerrero is perfect for the controversial superstar.
The fact that Guerrero was officially announced in a press release, courtesy of BoxingScene.com, as Mayweather's next opponent isn't a surprise. This fight has been rumored for months, with few other names ever seriously entering the discussion.
But when you dig deeper into the work that Mayweather and his camp did to set this fight up, it is remarkable that they aren't working on Wall Street. This will be the first of a potential 30-month, six-fight deal he signed with Showtime and CBS Sports.
The release states that not only will Showtime pay-per-view promote Mayweather's upcoming fight with Guerrero, but it will "collaborate with CBS Corporation to comprehensively promote Mayweather's events on the CBS Television Network and via the corporation's expansive media platforms."
So not only does Mayweather have the luxury of a huge new contract with Showtime, but he is guaranteed airtime with the CBS family, which will only help increase his exposure and make this a bigger fight in the process.
For a long time fans felt like the only thing that mattered in boxing was Mayweather fighting Manny Pacquiao. However, given the latter's recent struggles in the ring, the bloom appears to be off that rose a little bit.
By getting Guerrero, an excellent fighter in his own right and more than deserving of the spotlight following his destruction of Andre Berto last November, to be part of this event, Mayweather is doing the sport of boxing a huge service.
We all talk about how the big draws are no longer around. Mayweather and Pacquiao are the only fighters who draw significant mainstream interest. So it is on those fighters to make sure they are taking care of the sport, as well as themselves.
Mayweather has more than enough money, and will make far more money than he knows what to do with from this fight. But Guerrero is the kind of fighter who can challenge him in ways that no one has been able to do before.
That kind of intrigue, not to mention the subsequent promotion and pre-fight hype shows that will follow, are going to make this one of Mayweather's biggest fights to date. And he is doing all of this without giving Pacquiao a second thought.
Just further proof that Mayweather is the best businessman and promoter in all of sports.
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