America Rewarded A Domestic Abuser This Weekend

Shantel Jackson, (right) ex-fiancee of boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., breaks down as she reads a statement with her attorney Gloria Allred looking on after announcing a lawsuit against the boxer (Getty Images)

Paul Reyes wonders why the media has largely ignored Floyd Mayweather’s abuse of women.

…there is a resounding silence on Mayweather’s documented history of domestic violence — no mention of any accountability or responsibility.

That Mayweather is a serial batterer of women cannot be disputed. According to the sports website Deadspin, Mayweather has had at least seven assaults against five women that resulted in arrest or citations in addition to other episodes in which the police were called but no charges filed.

Some examples: In 2001, he allegedly struck the mother of one of his children in the face with a car door and then punched her several times in the face. According to an account in the Las Vegas Review-Journal: “Mayweather was charged with two counts of domestic battery. He pleaded guilty in March 2002 to those counts and one count of misdemeanor battery in an unrelated case.

“Under the plea agreement with prosecutors, the boxer got a suspended six-month jail sentence, a $3,000 fine, 48 hours of community service and two days of house arrest.”

For attacking two women at a Las Vegas nightclub in 2003, he was found guilty on two counts of domestic battery and given a suspended six-month prison sentence for each as well as a $500 fine for each count, or community service. In 2010, he attacked the mother of three of his children at her home and punched her in the head. His oldest son called the police. He did a plea deal to domestic assault and pleaded no contest to harassment charges, serving two months of a 90-day sentence.

Questioned by CNN reporter Rachel Nichols last year about his abusive behavior, Mayweather showed little remorse. He noted that there were “no pictures … just hearsay and allegations.”

…

Such collective indifference by the public of Mayweather’s domestic abuse is curious considering other incidents involving football players. After video surfaced of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancée (now wife) in an Atlantic City, New Jersey, elevator, he was temporarily suspended by the NFL and later dropped by the Baltimore Ravens.

Adrian Peterson was likewise suspended by the Minnesota Vikings for harshly disciplining his son. These punishments occurred amid widespread outrage among fans and the public over what was deemed unacceptable behavior by athletes. Such outrage seems to be absent when it comes to Mayweather.

Mayweather’s history of abuse can be seen as even worse when we remember that he is a professional fighter. He makes millions throwing punches. He earns his living using his fists. The fact that he uses these same fists to beat women does not seem to matter to CBS (which owns Showtime), the MGM Grand, the Las Vegas gaming industry or the sponsors associated with Saturday’s fight. If any of them has made a public statement about his domestic abuse, I have not been able to find it anywhere online.

 

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