FLOYD’S $20-MILLION BIRTHDAY CONTRACT & JAMIE FOXX TO PLAY MIKE TYSON:
Our hometown hero, undefeated welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather, who celebrated his 31st birthday last night at Jet nightclub here, will pick up a $20-million paycheck for his first professional wrestling match on March 30 against Paul “Big Show” Wight as the main attraction of WWE’s WrestleMania XXIV at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
Rumors circulated that Dallas Mavericks tycoon Mark Cuban was trying to lure Floyd to his Mixed Martial Arts tournament league but I reported the champion would flat-our reject the overtures. However, I never guessed that he’d wind up in the wrestling ring instead of the Octagon steel cage—and it has all now been officially confirmed by the WWE. Two weeks ago Floyd was a guest at the Wrestlemania event here in Vegas and was insulted by “Big Show” Wight. Floyd jumped in the ring to trash-talk back at him but somehow wound up accidentally breaking the seven-foot, 400-pound giant’s nose! So now—a “rematch” to see if fists can be faster than groping arms and brute strength!
Here’s the official WWE confirmation: “The showdown between WBC Welterweight Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV is more than a clash of titans. It’s more than your classic “David vs. Goliath” battle. It’s a showdown between the greatest fighter in the world and one of the largest athletes on Earth. It’s a high-stakes battle for pride that neither man can afford to lose—and that only the grandest stage of them all could contain. The seeds of the Mayweather-Show rivalry were planted at No Way Out, when the seven-foot, 400-pound Superstar taunted the six-time boxing champion, and was left bloodied with a broken nose. Mayweather, a longtime WWE fan and friend of wrestler Rey Mysterio, was in attendance trying to enjoy the show, but couldn’t stand by and watch Big Show bully Mysterio and try to “punk him out” with a challenge. Big Show, who was returning to WWE after a 14-month absence, was attempting to make a statement, but in the end, he may have gotten more than he bargained for. His melee with Mayweather may have sparked headlines around the world, but it also left him embarrassed. That’s why Show laid down the gauntlet. And Mayweather, who admits he “loves publicity,” couldn’t help but emphatically accept—as a fighter, a showman and a man. Yet could Mayweather regret embracing the Big Show’s big challenge? Some of his managers are very concerned about this match up. Show outweighs him by approximately 250 pounds and has more than a foot height advantage. The former WWE and ECW Champion argues that “Money” was only able to bloody him because he gave him a “free shot.” However, at WrestleMania, there will be no more free shots. Big Show has been seething since Mayweather broke his nose. He is meaner and nastier than ever. He demolished Rey Mysterio on ‘Smackdown’ just to prove a point. Now he wants to prove an emphatic point on The Grandest Stage of Them All—and that worries some of “Money’s” confidantes. They are concerned that Mayweather is risking his career and millions in potential future earnings by taking on a very angry, motivated giant in front of thousands upon thousands in Orlando’s Citrus Bowl. Mayweather’s skeptics should remember that he can never be underestimated. He loves the bright lights and worldwide publicity that only WrestleMania can bring. “Money” is money in the ring. He is 39-0 and has battled—and defeated—the best in the world.
“This used to be Big Show’s house, but this is my house now,” Mayweather said yesterday. “This used to be WWE. But now I’m going to turn this upside down and make this ‘Money Mayweather Entertainment.’” As shown at No Way Out, his fists can do major damage, even to a monolith like Big Show. And Mayweather has tons of heart and pride—he won’t allow Show to embarrass him in the ring. Still, Big Show, while he is a veteran of several WrestleManias, wants to have a special “WrestleMania Moment”—and Mayweather could give it to him.
“The only way you could hurt me was when I was on my knees,” Big Show told Mayweather at the press conference. “At WrestleMania, I’m gong to show you that wrestling can hurt. Look at the size of my fist. It’s the size of your head. Once you get a load of this, it’s ‘BOOM!’ You’re out.”
What will happen when the greatest fighter in the world battles the biggest Show in WWE at the world’s greatest extravaganza? Will Floyd Mayweather bust up Big Show, or will Show cash in at “Money’s” expense? The answers come when Mayweather battles Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV, live on pay-per-view from Orlando, Florida on March 30.
In other boxing news this morning, former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who is now living back in Vegas again, has confirmed that he’s been in talks with movie superstar Jamie Foxx for the actor to play him in his life story. Tyson says current negotiations should lead to the movie being on screens in two years.
