Love him or loathe him, there is no getting away from the fact that Floyd Mayweather Jr remains the biggest box office attraction in the sport of boxing. Figures released today reveal that his WBC welterweight title fight against ''Vicious'' Victor Ortiz generated some 1.25 million individual buys that equate to $78.5 million in pay-per-view revenue.

Mayweather has now appeared in the three biggest non heavyweight pay-per-view fights in boxing history; his 2007 bout with Oscar De La Hoya for the WBC super welterweight title remains the richest bout of all time, raking in just short of $137 million. Mayweather's one-sided points win over Shane Mosley last year is now the third most lucrative bout outside of the heavyweight division in boxing history, earning a shade over $78.3 million. 

"My motto is 'hard work and dedication' and I have shown this throughout my entire career, which has allowed me to go out and perform each time I step in the ring," said Mayweather. "I give the fans everything I have with the best competition and exciting fights.  I must be doing something right as they keep buying my fights and I appreciate their tremendous support.  It feels good to be able to generate such a great interest in the sport." 

Mayweather's box office appeal is a result of three key factors: his boxing legacy, his persona, and the increasing infrequency of his fights - which turns them into stand-alone events rather than just boxing matches. 

Mayweather is a five weight world champion, having won WBC titles at junior lightweight, lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight and super welterweight, and also an IBF welterweight title. He is undefeated in his 16 year career, compiling a record of 42 consecutive victories, 26 by KO.

His record reads like a veritable 'who's who' of boxing from the mid-90s to present day, and features many great fighters, some retired, some no longer with us, and some still active today. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that this is a man who beat the likes of  Angel Manfredy, Diego Corrales, José Luis Castillo (twice), Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley and many many more champions and contenders.

Ironically, Mayweather was a far more exciting fighter when he was competing as a junior lightweight. As he has climbed the weight classes, his style has become increasingly defensive and he has scored less and less knockouts. Even the most diehard Mayweather fan would be hard-pressed to claim that he is an exciting fighter to watch in the ring today.

As if to counteract the lack of thrills he provides inside the ring, Mayweather, rather like a WWE wrestler, has manufactured a bad-boy ''gangsta'' persona outside of the ring, hanging out with rapper 50 Cent, trash talking about his opponents as well as his critics, behaving crassly, even burning dollar bills in public.

Some say that this behavior, coupled with his recent series of brushes with the law, are evidence of an individual who is losing his mind and slowly but surely spiraling out of control.

Others take the view that the man is a marketing genius. He knows exactly what buttons to push to get the maximum returns possible from the paying public.

Whether it is the former, the latter or a little of both, the intense interest that surrounds Mayweather's life both inside and outside of the ring shows no sign of abating anytime soon, so one can expect a few more pay-per-view bonanzas, especially if and when he decides to fight his arch-rival - both in the ring and as a box office attraction - Manny Pacquiao.