Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s nickname may be “Money,” but he always tries to prove it true. The self-proclaimed “TBE” or “Th Best Ever” was spotted in South Africa recently, where he popped tags in the Gucci store, a lot of them. So much so that South African special forces needed to be on hand to escort Mayweather and his team out of the luxury goods facility at a mall in Sandton City, Johannesburg, for their safety.
How much “Money” did he spend? If Blowing Money Fast is a television show, Mayweather is the reality version. Floyd reportedly dropped $7 million in the store surrounded by his bodyguards and entourage while a crowd of onlookers reveled at the Mayweather spectacle.
Mayweather let it be known that he wants more people to have ownership in South Africa.
“I want to see more people in South Africa have ownership,” Mayweather said to a pool of reporters when he landed in the country. “I own my career, I own myself, I became my own boss and even in America, it’s about real estate. You guys have all the resources, you guys have all the land and we need to give a lot of that land back to the Africans and you guys need to own yourself.”
Charity “Money”
The boxer was in the country as part of his ‘Motherland Tour,’ which concluded on July 16. Mayweather began visiting African countries on July 13 and started with Zimbabwe, which borders South Africa. However, Mayweather did not just splurge on himself; he also donated funds while in South Africa.
The retired boxer hosted a banquet dinner to raise funds for South African youth through boxing with his Youth Empowerment Program on July 15 at the Sandton Convention Center.
“I am proud to honor and celebrate the South African Boxing legends that have paved the way for the youth and left an indelible mark in South Africa and abroad,” he said to media upon arriving at the banquet. “It has been a difficult period in which the industry had to deal with a crippling global pandemic, but we have come this far. It is through sports, particularly boxing, and music, that brings the nations together.”
The New Ali “Bomaye”
Per The Associated Press, Mayweather also held an event on a soccer field in Mabvuku, one of the oldest Black townships in Zimbabwe, to the chants of “Mayweather mbinga, mbinga,” which translates to ‘Mayweather, the rich guy.” Mayweather gave the crowd a dose of his workout flow, hitting a punching bag and performing other drills.
The scene was a new version of Muhammad Ali’s cult following in Zaire for the Rumble in the Jungle, replete with live music and exhibition bouts by local boxers.
“I’m back home!’ he screamed. ‘I’m back where I belong; I’m truly back home!” Mayweather reportedly said when he arrived and exited his private jet.
Mayweather has made numerous visits across the African continent and pledged his support to incubate an ecosystem for the sport. With other fighters like Francis Ngannou also making Africa a priority in talent development and more, Mayweather’s shopping blitz was an incredibly indulgent moment.
