Back in the public eye, Floyd Mayweather Jr. trying to finally transcend sport of boxing

Floyd Mayweather Jr. moving back to mainstream

NEW YORK — Floyd Mayweather Jr. drops into a seat in an upscale restaurant in the heart of Times Square, the weariness of an overnight flight written across his face.

He’s been on the move since his comeback victory over Juan Manuel Marquez more than two weeks ago, a brutally efficient boxing display that generated a staggering 1 million pay-per-view buys. There’s been interviews, business deals, nonstop travel all over the country.

And things are only about to get more hectic.

Mayweather believes he’s finally becoming the transcendent star that Oscar De La Hoya was, and that he was on the brink of becoming before a sudden and ultimately short-lived retirement two years ago. Mayweather may have danced with the stars and wrestled with the “Big Show,” but he claims that was only a glimpse of what the future holds.

There’s a reality TV show in the works, and Mayweather talks about landing movie roles and guest spots on sitcoms. His boxing legacy has long been secured, but he is just beginning to move into an entirely new echelon of sports entertainment, the stratosphere first achieved by Michael Jordan and where LeBron James and Tiger Woods now reside.

“I wonder, 20 years from now, what are they going to say?” Mayweather said Tuesday, during a meandering conversation about his life and future. “What are my grandchildren going to say?”

It’s likely that they’ll first talk about what he did in the ring, because it’s impossible to discount. His megafights against De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton were among the most lucrative in the sport’s history, and his six titles in five weight classes have become one of the benchmarks of success in a profession in which victory is the only measure of greatness.

When the discussion drifts back toward James and Woods, Mayweather’s adviser and close friend, Leonard Ellerbe, points out that perhaps the unbeaten boxer is already their equal.

He’s spent about 30 minutes in the ring during each of his last three fights, Ellerbe reasons, and generated close to $300 million in total revenue. Break that down and he’s far more lucrative than either of those sports superstars on a per performance basis.

“Once you reach this level that Floyd’s at, he’s hands down the best,” Ellerbe said. “Can you just imagine if boxing was a mainstream sport, and we had the same opportunities that the NBA does, that the PGA Tour does?”

After all, the bulk of income for the top tier of athletes comes from endorsement deals, which aren’t as readily available to Mayweather and other fighters. As boxing has increasingly become a niche sport, the opportunity to pitch products has dwindled.

“When you look at Floyd, he can generate $30 million or $40 million or $50 million in one night,” Ellerbe said, “and that’s just plying his craft.”

Mayweather has never wanted to be only about boxing, though. It’s the reason he agreed to do “Dancing With the Stars,” why he’s been a repeated guest of World Wrestling Entertainment, and ultimately the reason he took an overnight flight to New York this week.

Mayweather plans to meet with a variety of people to discuss entertainment options and business ideas, although he’s just as evasive discussing details as he is standing in front of an opponent. Ellerbe tries to give some sense of how big Mayweather can become away from the sport, considering he only plans to fight once or twice a year, but is also short on details.

“It’s going to be huge,” Ellerbe said when asked about the reality show, which he claims is in the early production stages. Pressed further, Ellerbe said simply, “The concept is going to blow your mind, it’s going to blow your mind.”

Mayweather says he doesn’t know who he’ll fight next, hasn’t even thought about it. He’s not waiting around for the winner of Manny Pacquiao’s highly anticipated fight against Miguel Cotto next month, which most people consider the natural opponent, and he isn’t ready to jump into the ring with Shane Mosley, regardless of how often the welterweight champion calls him out.

He’ll be back in the ring sometime early next year, but for now, he has other business to handle — the business of being Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I sit back and think sometimes, God doesn’t want me to lose,” Mayweather said, referring to both boxing and life in general. “I believe that in my heart. Every morning I thank God for what I have, because God doesn’t make mistakes.”