Floyd Mayweather weighed in at 146 pounds for the WBC welterweight title fight against Robert Guerrero at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports) LAS VEGAS — Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one of the precious few marquee performers in history who has adamantly refused to allow boxing's byzantine system determine his fate. Quite the contrary: It is the undefeated welterweight champion who has turned the blood-stained business on its scandalous, barbaric head for his benefit, a rarity in the sordid sport. While utilizing perhaps not an entirely novel approach, Mayweather the mercenary has refined the concept of steely self-determination into its purest form of monetization and self-aggrandizement. Not too shabby for a high school dropout who was raised in a dysfunctional family. He deserves applause. The result is, after laboring 17 years in the brutal business, the welterweight pound-for-pound king remains a world champion, still generates incredible sums of revenue and, from all appearances, retains his noodles. He is his own best promoter, literally and figuratively. And, like so many promoters and fight managers, Mayweather has demonstrated that, he too, can be equally ruthless and remorseless in his professional and personal relationships. For that, he should be panned. Nonetheless, with the help of many others, "Money'' continues to cash in on the brand he has built — no mean achievement in a struggling sport where modern-day pugilists struggle to build recognition with the general public in a sport that forever seems to be decaying. By and large, and to the irritation of some, the 36-year-old fighter continues to call his own shots — deciding who he will align himself with from a business perspective, and who he will fight. At this juncture of his impressive career, it is quite obvious that Mayweather is trying to protect his unblemished record (43-0), legacy and health. It was almost laughable to hear Mayweather's stated reason for getting nailed so often by Miguel Cotto in his last fight in May of 2012 was that because he wanted to give the fans what they wanted — more action. Mayweather really had no choice. Mention a young, impressive and undefeated potential opponent on the lips of many fight fans and Mayweather strikes his best defensive pose during an exclusive interview this week with USA TODAY Sports at his Las Vegas mansion. "Will I ever fight Canelo Alvarez?'' Mayweather repeated. "I don't know. I really don't know. I can't say.'' He knows. But he won't say. Story Highlights
