The life and times of Floyd Mayweather have been well documented throughout the years. Talented and full of bravado, Mayweather has always found a way to remain relevant, whether he is scathed or praised. Throughout Floyd’s well publicized ride there haven’t been too many individuals who have gotten to know him from the inside out like his respected uncle Jeff.
A former fighter in his own right and an excellent trainer who helped guide Sultan Ibragimov to the WBO Heavyweight Championship in June of 2007, Jeff Mayweather is cut from a different clothe than the other Mayweathers. While uncle Roger, Floyd Sr. and lil’ Floyd have always been quick to preach about their skills and talents as human beings, Jeff prefers to take a much more subdued approach and his humble nature has always been like a breath of fresh air.
As Floyd’s career began to blossom in the early years, Jeff was there for every step of the way and served the role of a mentor, manager, and more importantly a friend throughout everything. While their may have been some sour times down the road, Jeff still keeps and open mind and an unbiased view when assessing his nephew’s place in the sport of boxing. It is that exact mindset that has also allowed Jeff to give a personal take on the upcoming September 19th Mayweather clash again Juan Manuel Marquez without any hesitation whatsoever.
“Marquez no chance,” Mayweather says bluntly. “He’s an outstanding fighter but he’s just in over his head in this contest. People are wrong when they assume that Floyd has lost a step and that he is going to be rusty. He’s ready for this fight.”
As Mayweather trains diligently for this contest in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jeff has had time to swing by Floyd’s personal gym to check him out. In seeing his nephew get down to work Jeff is reminded of the fighter Floyd still is and the desire he still has to be a force in the boxing world.
“It’s like he never left,” Jeff says of Floyd’s nearly two year absence from the sport. “In a way I think he needed this time off. I’ve seen him in the gym and he isn’t rusty. He looks as strong as I’ve ever seen him and I can tell he’s hungry again.”
While Mayweather has been away from the sport his mantel of the world’s best fighter has been replaced by Filipino sensation Manny Pacquiao. In Mayweather’s absence Pacquiao has gone 4-0, with stirring victories over Juan Manuel Marquez in their rematch, Oscar De La Hoya, and Ricky Hatton. Jeff believes that Pacquiao’s stellar run has given Floyd somewhat of a chip on his shoulder and that he is determined to reclaim his stake as the best in the business.
“Everybody is big on Pacquiao,” Mayweather claims. “Basically he is the man according to most and he definitely has done a lot for his career in the past few years. The thing about Floyd is that he has a huge ego and I know deep down that maybe it has gotten under his skin. If anything I know it has given him some motivation to remind people of the fighter he still is. Eventually I think they will meet in the ring and then the truth will come out.”
It has been heavily publicized that in camp with Floyd this time around is his father Floyd Sr. It’s no secret that the elder Mayweather was instrumental in his son’s career before being locked up for playing a part in a drug trafficking scandal in 1993. After serving five years behind bars, the elder Mayweather returned to be involved in his son’s life but their relationship has since been a rollercoaster ride, to say the least, with numerous fallouts and reconciliations having taken place.
Perhaps because of the rocky past that has existed in their relationship, both men are still attempting to pick up the pieces in several regards. Jeff notes that while Floyd is in camp, he isn’t the head trainer for his son and that he is instead there to mend a bond that has taken its share of bumps and bruises.
“It seems that the main reason Floyd Sr. is there is to rebuild a broken relationship,” Jeff opens up honestly. “He’s not serving as a head trainer. As a former fighter of course he is feeling that it’s beneficial to be there but lil’ Floyd is man enough to know how to get ready for a showdown like this. If anything I think they are still trying to get comfortable with one another.”
‘Money’ Mayweather has been no stranger to controversy in the past and in this camp again some possible distractions have rose to the surface. Just last month Uncle Roger was taken into custody by police because he reportedly choked a former fighter of his by the name of Melissa St. Vil. He is facing charges of felony coercion and battery strangulation.
Later in the month, on August 23rd, Mayweather’s name came up in relation to a shooing incident at the Crystal Palace Skating rink. Guns, ammunition, and even bullet proof vests were later seized from Mayweather’s home, but the Grand Rapids native not only denies his involvement in the incident, but also claims it won’t be a distraction come fight time. Uncle Jeff completely agrees
“I remember reading an article in the past where Oscar De La Hoya was talking about Floyd,” Jeff recalls. “Basically Oscar was trying to sell their fight by saying that Floyd had too many distractions around him to fully focus for a big fight. But the thing is that Floyd has always had distractions in his life, so why would it be different this time around? The thing about Floyd is that despite everything going on around him, he is always able to put everything together when he steps through those ropes. The ring is his sanctuary.”
Floyd’s performances in the past have reaffirmed this, as he has found a way to remain undefeated since starting his career in October of 1996. Inside the ring he has shown moments of brilliance but there is no denying that the controversy he has created coupled with his braggadocios demeanor have ultimately turned several people off. More and more Floyd has become accustomed to playing the role of the bad guy, and it’s a position that Jeff feels his is definitely comfortable with.
“Really, Floyd has always been the bad guy,” Jeff claims. “Nobody likes a guy who is flashy and constantly talks about it because it’s perceived as bragging, both to the common fan and everyday person. When people don’t have certain things and you just throw it in their face of course you are going to turn people against you. To Floyd it may just be him being confident but people take it as arrogance.”
Despite being public enemy number one in recent times, there is still no denying that Floyd brings something completely different to the sport of boxing. While his act may have gotten old with some people, he still has a legion of fans who love him for the fighter he is and the antics he is involved in.
“Floyd definitely still has his fans,” Jeff says with confidence. “It’s just that his fans seems to be a certain type of people these days. He seems to really attract the young, hip-hop crowd because they love someone like Floyd who is all about money and cars. True boxing fans might not care for that but just like rappers always attract a certain kind of attention, so too does Floyd.”
Love him or hate him, many would agree that it is a good thing Floyd is returning to the ring. His accomplishments and talents are without question and after his bout with Marquez he could be involved in some huge fights that could help to carry the sport of boxing for a good while. When closing out about his nephew, Jeff doesn’t see it as much as the start of something new, but more so a return to how things used to be.
“The thing about boxing these days is that the sport is still being carried by veteran fighters. Guys like Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are still the biggest names in the sport and without them there wouldn’t be nearly as much to talk about. They might try to hype up certain fighters like an Andre Berto, but while he’s a good fighter he isn’t ready to take that next step. I think it’s good that Floyd is coming back because whether people want to admit it or not he is going to help keep the sport going once he returns.”
Source: 8countnews.com
No comments:
Post a Comment