Boxing’s pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather has been an easy target for criticism during his Hall of Fame career, and much of it has been deserved. He has not always been the most upstanding citizen and role model.
But the 37-year-old Mayweather, who survived a very difficult childhood in Grand Rapids, Mich., to become the world’s highest-paid athlete, probably doesn’t get enough credit for his philanthropy and soft spot for people in need. Much of it is done anonymously.
On Wednesday, during the final press conference for his welterweight title fight against Marcos Maidana at the MGM Grand, it was announced that Mayweather (45-0, 29 KOs) had invited 46 women with breast cancer to the fight.”This is my 46th fight, so I decided to bring 46 women with breast cancer to my fight and buy them all new wigs,” Mayweather said. “So many females in my family had breast cancer. My aunt was the first person in my family to die of breast cancer.”
Mayweather also donated $15,000 to the Susan G. Komen For the Cure foundation.
“Giving back to the breast cancer survivors is a great feeling,” he told several of the cancer survivors who came to accept the check. “It’s a great feeling when you’re in a position to give back. I’ll give anything back to our women. Our women are our queens so we have to respect our women. I want to commend you ladies and tell you that you’re beautiful.”
