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In 2006, Floyd Mayweather Jr. hatched a plan that would forever change the landscape of boxing and transform him from an elite boxer nicknamed “Pretty Boy” with decent fanfare to the polarizing personality who has become the highest paid athlete in the world.

No longer would he be just Floyd Mayweather. He wouldn’t accept being recognized as one of the best boxers in the game. That was too simple and shortsighted.

He knew he had to be different. Keenly aware that he didn’t possess the knockout power to wow viewers, he had to do something else. He studied some of the greats like Tyson and Ali and realized it wasn’t just about their in-ring prowess. They had to have larger than life personalities that would reach beyond boxing fans.

For all of Mayweather’s hard work, he’s run afoul in his personal life and has damaged his image almost to the point of no return.

Mayweather understood that he had to take a bite out of the Ice Cube AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted playbook and become “The N*gga You Love To Hate.”

Nine years after cranking up the volume on his personality to a deafening degree, Mayweather is prepared to take on Manny Pacquiao in the biggest fight of this generation on May 2. Win or lose, the fighter known as “Money” will make north of $150 million against Pacquiao in 36 minutes. On the low end, he’ll be making $4 million a minute.

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Photo: Instagram

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