Sponsors beat rush to avoid Floyd

It appears Corporate America got wise to Floyd Mayweather Jr. long before the undefeated boxing star went on a hateful rant against pound-for-pound rival Manny Pacquiao last week.

Both AT&T and Reebok confirmed they no longer have business relationships with Mayweather, who rocked the boxing world with a 10-minute Internet video diatribe against Pacquiao in which he made racist and homophobic remarks.

Reebok spokesman Daniel Sarro said the contract between Mayweather and his company expired after his May 1 fight against Shane Mosley and was not renewed.

"Reebok does not currently have an endorsement contract with Floyd Mayweather Jr.," Sarro said. "We had a relationship with him in 2009 and earlier this year, which was centered around two specific fights."

AT&T spokesman Steve Schwadron said Mayweather's association with his company was limited to a 2009 television commercial.

"AT&T does not have a business relationship with Floyd Mayweather Jr.," Schwadron said. "AT&T does not sponsor Mr. Mayweather."

So how toxic is Mayweather when it comes to landing endorsements? And could his presence in a fight turn off prospective sponsors?

Richard Schaefer, chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions, which has worked with Mayweather on his last four fights, said he didn't think Mayweather would cause sponsors to back away.

"They have no direct relationship with Floyd," Schaefer said of sponsors who sign on for a particular fight. "I'm not too concerned."

■ WAL-MART SAYS NO -- Jeff Gordon has his share of haters, though he's not close to Mayweather's class when it comes to turning off potential sponsors. Still, the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet is struggling to line up sponsorship for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

Wal-Mart had been negotiating with Hendrick Motorsports to be Gordon's primary sponsor, but the retailer's interest in sponsoring a single car has waned.

Sports Business Daily reported that Wal-Mart is looking to spread the wealth among several drivers rather than going with just one and Gordon could still be part of that equation.

■ SALIDO SI; CHAPMAN NO -- WBA featherweight champ Yuriorkis Gamboa knows fellow Cuban Aroldis Chapman well. Well enough to know he wouldn't want to face the flame-throwing Cincinnati Reds rookie left-hander, whose fastball has been clocked at 105 mph.

Gamboa, who puts his title on the line Saturday against Orlando Salido at the Palms, was asked which he prefers: getting into the ring against Salido or getting into the batter's box to face the 6-foot-4-inch Chapman.

Gamboa pointed to the ring at the Top Rank Gym and said through an interpreter, "I would rather face any boxer than Chapman. I've followed him since he was a kid and he's very, very good. He's too fast for me (to hit)."

COMPILED BY STEVE CARP
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL