If he isn't one hell of a salesman, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. did not become the highest paid American athlete in 2013. If not, the best in that regard, he could be one of.
Couple by investing in a brash, cocky persona with exceptional boxing skills and you has the greatest villain. He is the man fans would love to hate. Mayweather plays the "heel" role to perfection and therein lays the trick of his gain: Not because of his impregnable but otherwise not fan-friendly, defense-first style, but simply because they want to see him lose, the crowd patronizes him.
To Mayweather's credit, some of the best lower-weight fighters (Jose Luis Castillo, Diego Corrales, Zab Judah) inside the era have tried to put a stench on his record but to no avail. It's not even close to a secret towards the casual fan that to the better component of two decades, no person ever did, and maybe no person ever will.
An upswing of Manny Pacquiao within the mid-2000s became a beacon of expect Mayweather bashers.
There's this nice guy through the Philippines using a literal rags-to-riches-story, knocking people right and left on his way to being considered the most effective pound for pound fighter on the planet for over 300 weeks.
At last, there is now someone fans would view as a hero, the anti-Mayweather if you will.