By James Slater: It’s all over the boxing web sites right now that rap megastar 50-Cent is poised to become the promoter of not only his best friend and “brother” Floyd Mayweather Junior, but also of the red-hot duo that is Yuriorkis Gamboa and Andre Dirrell. According to Dan Rafael’s article on ESPN.com, Mayweather, who will be released from jail a week tomorrow (Aug. 3rd) will likely part ways with Golden Boy and sign with 50-Cent’s TMT Promotions – not only that, but Gamboa and Dirrell are also “on the verge of signing with TMT Promotions.”
If this is true, the rapper who was born Curtis Jackson could become one of the most powerful people in the sport of boxing. Mayweather is a big as it gets, and his right hand man Leonard Ellerbe has gone on record in an interview with Boxing News as saying “Money” will be bigger than ever after he’s released from prison. 50-Cent has the contacts, he has his promoter’s licence and he has the attention of Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya.
The two became embroiled in a brief war of words on Twitter, during which 50 Cent said: “I don’t gamble, Floyd do, but I bet you you won’t be promoting Floyd Mayweather no more. TMT PROMOTIONS.”
To which Oscar replied: “Everyone wanting to be a boxing promoter? Good look. Easier said than done.”
De La Hoya is certainly correct when he states that becoming a good, long-lasting boxing promoter is easier said than done. Just this week, long-time, old-school U.K promoter Frank Maloney was making that argument, insisting that new faces who are trying to take over need to learn their trade and build themselves up first. But will 50-Cent have to do this?
With Mayweather, along with Gamboa and Dirrell doing business with him (and perhaps more big names set to follow the trio), 50-Cent will be very busy promoting some of the biggest fights in all of boxing. And to a guy who came from the streets but has street savvy, as well as a top education, Jackson will no doubt be thinking, ‘how hard can it be.’ Bullets couldn’t stop this man, literally, so how will rich guys in silk suits take him down?
And, as we all know, be we fans of him or people who love to hate him, nobody is ever going to take down Mayweather; not in the ring anyway. And whoever has the sport’s biggest star control’s the sport; so the saying goes anyway.
50-Cent: the new Don King?!