While world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather, 38, prepares for his May 2 bout against Manny Pacquiao, women’s advocates believe his history of domestic violence is merely a footnote to the biggest fight in years.
Mayweather hit his then-girlfriend in front of two of their children in 2010, resulting in a 90-day prison sentence, just one incident in highlighting his turbulent relationships with women.
“Floyd Mayweather has a terrible history of domestic violence, the list goes on and on and on,” said USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, who often writes about women’s issues in sport.
“It’s amazing that few people know or seem to care about it.”
The National Football League has come under fire for its handling of domestic violence cases and has responded by strengthening its sanctions on offenders.
The National Basketball Association and National Hockey League are closely watching offenders in their ranks and cracking down. Yet boxing has not punished Mayweather, who stands to make up to $180 million (R2.1bn) on Saturday.
Former Olympic swimming champion Nancy Hogshead, who is the chief executive of Champion Women, an advocacy group for girls and women in sports, said Mayweather had been given “a pass” on his history of domestic violence.
She said boxing promoters looked the other way.
“I’m not surprised about their attitude. They won’t even try to make the sport safer, try to do what football is doing, trying to prevent brain damage from the repeated hits to the head.”
Over the past 10 years, Mayweather has been arrested or cited for assaulting five women.
AJ Maestes, president of the sports analytics firm Navigate Research, said promoters “are desperate to get their guy on stage”.
Mayweather says he is a target. “I’m black, rich and I’m outspoken. Those are three strikes.”
Reuters