Fake Mayweather Story Fools The Pros

Last week, when the story spread about Floyd Mayweather challenging 50 Cent to a $12 million, winner-take-all boxing match, it seemed like the perfect end to a week-long social media feud initiated by Mayweather’s rapping former BFF.

“Enough jokes @50Cent. ME and You. 12 Rounds. MGM Grand. Loser pays $12,000,000 CASH. Talk the talk, but walk the walk kiddo,” Mayweather allegedly wrote via Twitter, according to the website Huzlers.com.

After several embarrassing days where Mayweather’s literacy was called into question by 50 Cent’s $750,000 Instagram challenge to read a page from a Harry Potter book, this final shot would definitively close the book on this silly social media feud—if not for the fact that it was a completely fake story.

The story, which had intrepid reporters such as Radio Rahim rushing over to a 50 Cent personal appearance and begging his way for a comment, had no basis in truth and was intended as pure satire.

One look at the Huzlers’ main page should’ve been a dead giveaway that, maybe, this story wasn’t on the level. According to this site, the Bulls have cut Derrick Rose, some scientist in Israel has invented a time machine, and a 43-year-old Tupac Shakur is back after 18 years spent in hiding. The latest news, by the way, is that Mayweather has broken his hand and is announcing his retirement.

If verifying Huzlers’ legitimacy via home page content was too much to ask, the news-hungry reporter could’ve checked out the big disclaimer on each page that indicates this to be a satire site.

Of course, one could also have checked Mayweather’s verified Twitter account to verify the legitimacy of the challenge.

But why let all those pesky details get in the way of a good story, right?

Paul Magno

Paul Magno has over thirty-five years of experience in and around the sport of boxing and has had his hand in everything, from officiating to training. As a writer, his work has appeared in Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, Inside Fights, The Boxing Tribune, Fight Hype, Man Cave Magazine, Bleacher Report, and The Queensberry Rules.