Kelly Swanson
Thank you, everybody, for joining us today for Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s conference call. As probably most of you know, yesterday Floyd did his open media workout, and it was a grand success. The gym was packed. And I have to commend Floyd as he did every single interview that was asked of him and he has been doing that throughout the whole promotion. He now is making himself available for this conference call.
Photo by Gene Blevins/Hogan Photos
So we are going to get right to it and I’m going to go ahead and introduce Richard Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer, Golden Boy Promotions, to make the introductions. Richard.
Richard Schaefer
Thank you very much, Kelly. Terrific turnout yesterday and Kelly is absolutely right. Ten days to go for the big showdown between Floyd Mayweather/Miguel Cotto and “Canelo” Alvarez against Floyd Mayweather. Great response we’re getting and those of you who know me they know that I’m not a betting man, but I could tell you right now I would take any bet that this is going to be the single biggest pay-per-view event since De La Hoya/Mayweather. You will see this absolutely a huge, huge turnout; we see it at the gate, we see it on the closed circuit, we see it the sponsors, we see it with the pre-sales, at the movie theaters. It’s absolutely unbelievable.
And we’re now in the final stretch of this great promotion, and I just want to quickly point out and thank as well HBO and Time Warner; the kind of muscle and platforms they have put behind this fight is unprecedented. And I just want to point out, as a reminder, that Floyd Mayweather speaking out will be on CNN on Saturday, April the 28th, this coming Saturday, along with 24/7 episode three Saturday, April the 28th. It’s always a huge hit; the ratings are usually 35% higher when Floyd Mayweather is in a 24/7 than any other 24/7. A few days later, of course, on TNT for the first time, for the first time on TNT we will televise the 24/7 episodes each night following the NBA coverage on Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and Thursday night. So right after the basketball games on TNT the fight fans, sports fans, and the general public are going to be able to watch on TNT 24/7-never happened before.
And then there’s going to be the night of nights on May the 4th when, first of all, HBO will televise the weigh-in live and a stack of all episodes of 24/7, plus of course the final episode of 24/7. So I really, as I said before, I really want to thank Time Warner for putting all of their assets into play and clearly making this one of the biggest, if not the biggest, pay-per-view of all time.
I want to thank the man with whom it starts and ends, and that of course is Floyd Mayweather, for his continued trust in Golden Boy to help him … the fights and assist him in the promotions. And it is a pleasure and an honor for me now to introduce to you the CEO of Mayweather Promotion, Leonard Ellerbe.
Leonard Ellerbe
Thank you, Richard. You’ve touched on everything. This has been an unbelievable promotion thus far, all the assets are in place, and everyone is talking about this fight. I do think it is going to be Floyd’s biggest fight since the De La Hoya fight and the sky is the limit.
I would like to thank everyone for joining us on the call today, all the media members. Like I said, this has been an unbelievable promotion this far and it’s going to get even bigger. We’re ten days away, and we’re really, really excited.
The preparation that Floyd has had at the “doghouse,” as we like to call his gym here in Las Vegas has been unbelievable. This has been the best preparation that I’ve seen in the last 16 years. We brought in some very, very young talent that has really, really pushed Floyd to the max and that’s really what he needs to really put on a great performance come next Saturday night.
So without further ado, he don’t need no introduction, the best fighter in the planet.
Floyd Mayweather
Hey, how are you all doing? First off, I want to thank the media, all the different websites that have been supporting me for so many years; it has truly been a blessing. I appreciate the stories. I appreciate you guys covering all my fights. Richard Schaefer, you have done a hell of a job with Golden Boy Promotions, Kelly Swanson for so many years thanks for your help, Leonard Ellerbe, of course, I take my hat off to you. May 5th I’m going to dedicate this fight to Leonard’s mother who just passed away. So this fight is very, very important to me. So I want to thank everybody for this call and just thank you guys for supporting me for so many years.
Q
Hey, Floyd, considering all the things that have been going on with boxers and athletes and their careers how they’re derailed sometimes by personal problems, maybe pending legal things, most recently you think back to Tyson as he was a great champion and it sort of bumped him off the track. What’s going to make it different for you with what you have coming up after the fight? We know you got this big fight coming, but how are you going to be able to overcome that and maybe stay focused, and not only now but into the future?
F. Mayweather
Well you got certain obstacles that get in your way throughout your career, but you have to be a strong individual. If anyone has followed my career they know that there’s been a lot of obstacles and a lot of ups and down through my career. But day in and day out and in the square circle I went out there and always did my best. I always put my boxing first.
Q
My question for you is after you fought Shane in 2010 you were off for about a year and a half and when you came back against Victor you were very sharp. I wonder now that you’re taking a second fight in such quick time turnaround, especially the way that your career has gone, since 2007 where you’ve had some layoffs, you took a little vacation, you retired for a little while, you’re coming back now right back into camp, right back into a fight. I wonder are you noticing in the training that you’re that much sharper because it’s a quick turnaround and that you don’t have that kind of long layoff? We haven’t seen the skills or anything erode, but do you feel like you’re even better than what you’ve looked in recent fights because you’ve been able to go back-to-back in fairly short period of time?
F. Mayweather
Absolutely. I think anybody that’s always out there displaying their craft or going out there putting on a show on a regular basis, just like a guy in a three-point shooting contest a guy that’s out there shooting every day and every night is going to be better than the guy that’s shooting we’ll say twice a week or three times a week. So, like I said before, I think I’m going to be a lot sharper come May 5th because I’m getting right back in there. Like I said before, I want to stay active and I want to constantly give the fans excitement.
And the main thing this fight is I have some real, real good work and I’m boxing a lot. I’m boxing a lot with some strong young guys, but I’m not really taking no punishment. I think a great thing about my career is that as far as me taking a long vacation helped as far as letting my body heal totally. So May 5th I think is a great thing. I think I’m going to be a lot sharper this fight than I was for the Ortíz fight.
Q
Is that a scary thing for Miguel Cotto if Floyd Mayweather can be even sharper than he’s been in recent fights because of the quick turnaround?
F. Mayweather
I think that’s a scary thing for any fighter, of course.
Q
You’re fighting Cotto, though, so for Cotto I mean specifically.
F. Mayweather
Yes. I’m saying but I would like to fight a lot more, but when it’s a fight of such high magnitude it takes four to six months for a pay-per-view fight. It takes a very, very long time to build a fight of this magnitude. So, like I said before, when I was young I was able to fight-that was just fighting on HBO-but now it’s pay-per-view this thing has to be done, of course, in a correct fashion, because this not just a sport, see this level it’s a business.
Q
And so it sounded like in your previous statement that you said you like to stay busy. Is your intention-I know you have the situation coming up June 1st-but your intention once that’s over with is still to fight again in 2012 or how are you going to-
F. Mayweather
Absolutely. Absolutely. I want to stay active, I want to fight again in 2012 before the year is up; I want to constantly go out there, like I said before, and test my skills and I want to continue to just push myself to the limit.
Q
Okay, and so even though you have the situation June 1st you think that while you’re away for whether–I don’t know if it’s a month, if it’s two months, or if it’s the full 87 days–that you’ll be able to come out and have the mentality to just restart life and go back to the gym and stay busy? How do you think about that at all?
F. Mayweather
Oh absolutely. My thing is I try to turn anything negative into something positive. That’s why when I go to the gym, when I see my family and I see my team and I see my fans come support me every day it’s a motivational builder for me. So even when I go away, the only thing I it can do is make me mentally strong and grow mentally strong as a person. So, like I said before, certain things you go through in life is an obstacle. It’s all part of life, you have good days, you have bad days. But the main thing is to grow mentally.
Q
You just talked about the fact that you say the things that you go through just make you stronger, and in light of some of the things that have happened recently in public you kind of have done the opposite, you’ve opened yourself up, did a live stream of your workout, you go on an interview with (Michael Eric) Dyson and he asked a lot of questions. What prompted you to make that decision to just open yourself up to let everybody see your workouts in full and what effect you think that has had?
F. Mayweather
I think it’s going to help with certain pay-per-view buys. It’s about having a sharp mind and having a strong business team around you. I think it’s a great thing, even with the Dyson interview I think it was marvelous, because the people had a chance to see how articulate I am and I’m not just a young flashy hothead man that’s making a lot of money. When it’s all said and done I’m making smart business decisions. I understand when I’m on 24/7 it’s about the viewers; it’s about “You Must Watch TV”. When I’m on TV I want to keep people glued to the television, because that’s what it’s about. So even people that aren’t boxing fans are going to say, “you know what, we got to tune in and watch this guy; he’s very, very interesting, he has a great story.” So I don’t mind telling my story to the world, and I think sitting down with Dyson was great.
And you have been interviewing me for years and you know me as a person and you know I don’t ever go out there on a limb and talk about how many things I have done for the people that’s less fortunate, those things me and my team have done, but that’s not important. I do it for myself. I do it because I feel it’s the right thing to give back to certain public schools, give back to children that’s less fortunate, Habitat for Humanity, Three Square Meals. It’s very, very important. But on 24/7 we don’t always talk about those things or on TV we don’t always talk about those things, because a lot of time the feedback we get is that that’s not entertaining, that’s boring. We want to see the Floyd Mayweather with the flashy money, we want to see Floyd Mayweather with the diamond necklace, we want to see Floyd Mayweather with the nice cars. And the respond we get from that it they love it, they love it, we get more viewers, but then on the flipside they say, “All the guy do is show off.” So it’s a catch 22, it’s like damn if I do, damn if I don’t.
Q
Floyd, when you watch your workout, if you’re your opponent, and you see clearly that you’re able to go several minutes on the mitt and yet you’re still talking and you’re not breathing hard, you’re really comfortable with your workout at the level you’re doing it. If you’re your opponent and you’re watching that what do you … you’re seeing somebody in that kind of shape at 35 years old?
F. Mayweather
I think I’m getting better with age, actually–I think I’m still sharp, I’m still hungry. But to answer that question as far as my opponent. I think if it was my opponent I think when he look at it if he’s on live stream he has to say, “I can’t watch this,” because I think it’s going to throw his focus off, because I know there’s no fighter in the history of the sport that’s dedicated like I’m dedicated. There’s no fighter that’s going to work as hard as Floyd Mayweather, because again I have the will to win. And like I said before, I think my opponent, once they show me on live stream, the opponent may let his trainer watch and the trainer don’t mind watching because the trainer don’t have to get inside that ring, but I think the fighter just think, “I’m not thinking about it, I’m not going to look at it, I’m not going to watch it; I’ll just wait until the fight get here and I’ll go out there and press.”
Q
Floyd, does this-Bernard Hopkins on his conference call he at one point said he implied that it gets old and he’s kind of tired of it, he’d rather just go through the-he kind of implied that.
F. Mayweather
He kind of implied what?
Q
That what he’s doing, getting on the conference calls and having to deal with us, gets kind of old. Does that ever old to you? Do you-
F. Mayweather
I think Bernard Hopkins I take my hat off to him, I think he’s a hell of a champion, but when we get to talking about record breaking numbers and different things on this level it’s totally different. But I think Bernard Hopkins is, of course, to be his age-not just to be his age-he has accomplished a lot in the sport, and I commend him for that. But I think with my career it’s totally different. Floyd Mayweather can go anywhere on this earth and do record breaking numbers. I think not just a good thing; it’s a great thing.
Q
Do you ever get tired of doing these interviews where you have to answer questions about what you said about Jeremy Lin or on the-
F. Mayweather
Yes, of course, but this is what I chose, this is what I chose to do. Media can make or break you and has wrote bad stories about me, the media has wrote great stories about me, but this is what I chose … and its my life and this comes with it. Sometimes you may be like, “Damn.” Even a fan, a fan may come to you and may want to take a picture, but that day you’re not feeling it, you’re not feeling right, something can be going not be right in your household, but sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t. You don’t. When I walk away from a fan sometimes that I don’t take a picture for or I don’t sign a autograph for it bothers me, because I’m like, “Damn, this is a fan that probably has boughten pay-per-view each time I went out and I couldn’t take a picture.”
But I can’t go out to a regular store like everyone else, but like I said before, this is what I chose so I mean something has to suffer, it’s certain sacrifices that has to be made, so I don’t mind doing it with the media. You guys have been great to me, so it’s okay to get on here to give you guys at least 45 minutes to an hour of my time.
Q
I know you haven’t met him yet and you haven’t fought him in the ring, but can you rank Miguel Cotto among your career opponents as far as talent and skills in the ring?
F. Mayweather
Well Miguel Cotto, of course, I could just say time Miguel Cotto went out there and gave it his all out there and performed well I think that’s not a good thing that’s a great thing and has won. I just got to go out there and perform to their best every night. So I think that I can’t really just put a certain number on Miguel Cotto, because at this particular time if I was rating certain fighters out of every guy that I fought I’m going to rate Emanuel Augustus first compared to all the guys that I’ve faced, and he didn’t have the best record in the sport of boxing, he has never won a world title, but he came to fight, and of course at that particular time I had took a long layoff. That was our longest layoff at that particular time, that’s when I was fighting I think at 130, 135. So he’s a guy right now I have to say Emanuel Augustus is number one, but I can’t say where I rate, can’t rate a guy until you get inside that ring with him to see where his fresh skills are.
Q
Going into a fight in a good state of mind is obviously important, and knowing what you face after the fight is over are you going into this fight in a good state of mind?
F. Mayweather
I’m always in not a good state of mind, a great state of mind before the fight, after the fight, and when the fight is happening. I’m blessed-I’m blessed to be able to put my family in a great position. Like I said before, I’m able to give my children the education that I didn’t have. I made certain sacrifices for my family so, like I said before, I don’t try to think about the negative thing when we in our gym. We always smiling, as you can see in training camp, we always having fun. I’m very, very outspoken, very animated, and that’s just my personality. You got different men that judge you and got different women that judge you, but I think that even with my date I think the judge I think she’s a great lady. At the time she thought that she’d done the right thing, so I don’t have anything negative to say about her. I wish her nothing but the best. Those things happen and you just live and you learn.
Q
You do seem to have fun when you’re preparing for a fight. Is that you, is that really you, or is that you being in front of the camera like you have-
F. Mayweather
Oh I think that there’s a little bit of both. I think before the cameras came around I was having fun and smiling on my job. Why not go to work and have fun, why not have fun on your job, and then once the world get a chance to come and see your life why not interact with them and give them “You Must Watch TV”.
Q
Leonard described you as not only one of the most talented but one of the most despised athletes in the world. Do you think that’s true, and if so why?
F. Mayweather
I think Leonard has to answer that question. Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. Leonard, you’re on, go ahead and speak up.
L. Ellerbe
No, no, no, whoever took that comment, and I didn’t use the word despised, I said that he’s an athlete who has a different type of fan base, I said that you have a lot of his fans who love him and a lot of his fans who don’t really care for the entertainment side, and that’s a true factor. I don’t know where you got the word despised from.
Q
Okay. That’s what it said, but in any case I just wondered if Floyd feels that way or do you feel like you get as much love as you do hate out there?
F. Mayweather
It’s all said and done, okay. When I go into an arena, right, if the fans are cheering that’s a great thing. Fans boo, they boo, that’s a great thing, because they’re letting me know that I’m relevant and they’re letting me know that they do know who I am, and if they didn’t make a noise then I would have a problem with that. But the great thing is that they boos, they cheer, they know who I am so I’m relevant. So at one particular time in their life they paid attention to me, so it’s a good thing.
Q
You covered our XXL cover with 50 Cent, of course, and we know he’s a great friend of yours and he’s been around for several of your fights. Does he have a role, as far as more than being your friend, a role with the camp?
F. Mayweather
Well 50 is getting involved with boxing far as getting involved with fighters, because he boxed at one particular time in South Side Jamaica Queens and I had a chance of actually going to his neighborhood and he was a rough, rough kid, tough. But we don’t just have a friendship, we have a tremendous bond, we have a tremendous bond. But to answer your question far as with boxing, I think he’s going to be involved on the promotion side, we may even put him there let him fight on pay-per-view one time. So we don’t really know what the future holds, but he is getting involved with boxing.
Q
On the promotion side is that something that you would kind of help guide 50 through and perhaps a joint venture with him in the promotion?
F. Mayweather
Always. We’re a team–he’s a part of Mayweather Promotions. Come May 5th he will be performing, he will walk me to the ring, he’s performing, and we believe in it’s enough to go around. He’s not just my friend, he’s not just my best friend, he’s also one of my business partners, and very, very, very smart, one of the smartest guys I know.
Q
What does a average money team celebration look and feel like, man, after a victory?
F. Mayweather
Well actually what we do after a victory is we go to my house and we sit down to eat a meal and just talk, we don’t even talk about the fight. We sit down to eat a meal and we just sit down and just talk about life. Now once that’s over with we leave it where it’s at, behind us, and we moving on to the next, what’s the next venture, what’s the next thing we can get involved with and take things to the next level, what’s the next concert that we can do, let’s talk about some real estate business, let’s talk about some visions and the movies that we can get involved with. So once the fight is over with I come talk to the media after the fight, and then I go home then it’s on to the next.
Q
50 is known as the ultimate hustler in hip-hop, and what would he bring to the boxing promotion game do you think in your opinion?
F. Mayweather
He’ll bring a lot as far as a new fan base. He brings a lot to the table. When I say the big five in the hip-hop game when I say the big five I mean MC Hammer, …, Icky, of course we got 50 Cent, and who else we got-we got one more I can’t think of it offhand. That’s crazy; normally I know the big five.
Q
The first question I want to ask you I read that you said when Tim Bradley took the fight against Manny Pacquiao you thought he made a bad decision in not having mandatory or random drug testing, and that’s become kind of a big story after the MMA fighter had his penalty reduced by the commission. I know you’re probably asked this a lot of times, can you talk about your thoughts about the drug testing and what would have to happen for boxing to have reform where it is mandatory to have random drug testing?
F. Mayweather
I think that Timothy Bradley, I had a chance to see him fight I think a couple times, probably no more than three times, and one particular fight I thought he lost, but Timothy Bradley is a good young boxer, his is a very, very good young boxer so I can’t take that away from him. I don’t think there’s going to be an easy task for Manny Pacquiao.
But I think since I’m the face of boxing, I have totally changed the sport of boxing, I’m the reason why they don’t talk about heavyweights anymore, I’m the one, like I said before, outside the box, I’m doing record breaking numbers. So since I’m the face of the sport I should be always, like I said, trying to change the sport and make the sport a lot better, and the best thing is to always put every man on an even playing field. So like I said before, everyone should be, like I said before, on an even playing field; that’s what I truly believe. I think that Manny Pacquiao had done a lot in the sport, but he should also be standing behind me and say, “We should clean up the sport because I’m a clean athlete.” So I’m letting the world know that Floyd Mayweather is a clean athlete, and if you’re the best step up and take the test.
Q
Um-hmm. But it seems like you’re the one voice who is really pushing for the random testing. Who else do you think needs to stand up or should stand up with you? Is it the promoters, is it the commissions, and I know you mentioned Manny, but who else should stand up and try to you think should help push this through?
F. Mayweather
Well I don’t know who else is going to stand up, but I’m going to stand up because I’m a fighter as well as a promoter, and we got the same vision, me and fighters have the same vision. I think a fighter health is more important than anything-health is more important than money. So I want any fighter or anybody that’s reading this article to stand behind me just so all fighters can go into a fight and feel comfortable knowing that he was fair and the opponent that he’s across the ring from is fair.
Q
And then earlier you talked about Bradley, you said you saw three fights and you said there was one fight you thought he lost. Which fight was that that you thought he lost?
F. Mayweather
I think he lost to Kendall Holt. Like I said before, that’s in the past. I still think the guy is a good boxer. If you have a chance to win it, absolutely, and so anything can happen in the sport of boxing. And so, like I said before, the main thing is about a even playing field and these fighters treated fair.
Q
I hope you don’t mind me asking you this, but as far as the Bradley/Pacquiao fight do you have an interest in it? I know financially there would be an interest in having Pacquaio win for making a fight with you.
F. Mayweather
We just spoke on the same situation–if you’re the best take your test, simple as that. Money is not more important than my health.
Q
So my question is on 24/7 you mentioned that it’s not just game plans, it’s about God given talent, but every fighter that you face has talked about coming in with a game plan to beat Floyd Mayweather. Do you find it funny when everybody keeps saying that they have this game plan to beat you? Does one even exist?
F. Mayweather
Well 42 times they game plan hasn’t worked. May 5th we’ll have to see if it work for the 43rd time. Why don’t a fighter just say I’m going to go out there and win, I’m going to fight hard, and the game plan is to go in there and just do me?
Q
Now in your interview with Dyson you mentioned the retirement age being 37, you’re not looking to fight past 38. Why did you come to that conclusion of 37, why’d you pick that age?
F. Mayweather
It’s just the number that I chose. I’m really not sure, could be earlier, could be later, but that’s just a reasonable number that I chose.
Q
If you were to go that far it’s almost like you’re running out of opponents at this point but you’re still the main attraction no matter who you fight … people will watch. How much do you want to fight for the next couple of years? I know you say you want to stay active, but realistically is it possible for you to fight more than twice a year?
F. Mayweather
I don’t think so, me just being honest, like I said before, it takes six months to build a pay-per-view fight, so like I said before, that’s probably only two fights a year if that. Probably a little less than six months to build a fight, but two fights a year sounds about right.
Q
Does that mean given that you said 37 is possibly the age we may only get to see you for maybe three more times before you call it quits?
F. Mayweather
Of course I want to give you guys more than just a few more fights. I want to, this fight plus five more if I can.
Q
Miguel Cotto has a great fan base around the world, but especially this Cotto fight will be the biggest fight for any Puerto Rican fans since Tito Trinidad that beat De La Hoya. All boasting fans in the island believe that if Miguel wins, a lot of people think he will, he will become a bigger legend than Tito. Tell me what you think of that, and finally what you think of Tito Trinidad’s place in boxing history and how do you compare him to Miguel Cotto?
F. Mayweather
I think Tito Trinidad is one hell of a fighter. I think he was a hell of puncher, a hell of a boxer, and I think he’s one of the guys that kept Puerto Rico on the map at one particular time. He’s the one that kept boxing alive in Puerto Rico, Tito Trinidad, and I think then he eventually handed the torch to Miguel Cotto. And when Tito Trinidad fought Oscar De La Hoya I did bet on Trinidad. I’m glad I won money, but I honestly don’t think he won the fight.
I think, of course, the fans in Puerto Rico you can’t, you know me I’m a betting man and I don’t bet with my heart, you can’t bet with your heart. Of course I have a huge fan base in Puerto Rico myself, and that showed by the first press conference; I think it was 10,000 people in the arena and probably 5,000 was rooting for me. So I love my Puerto Rican fan base, I want to commend and thank them for supporting me for so many years, and the best man will win May 5th.
Q
Your last fight you had a great victory over Victor Ortíz, a young talented boxes that maybe made some mistakes. Miguel Cotto is a ring veteran that will not fall for any kind of a mind tricks in boxing. Are you prepared to give the performance of your lifetime, and what makes you think you have a great advantage over a heavy puncher like Miguel? Because you must know your strong skill, what is Floyd advantage?
F. Mayweather
Well I just say like this, it was one mind trick when Bob Arum made him fight Pacquiao at a catchweight. He fell for that didn’t he? Another mind trick is when his corner man didn’t thoroughly check out the hand refs of Antonio Margarito. He fell for that didn’t he? So if a guy fall for certain tricks he’ll fall for it again.
Q
Is there a rematch clause in the contract if the results deserve it between you and Cotto?
F. Mayweather
I’m really not thinking about a rematch clause right now. My main focus is just going out there and performing May 5th and becoming victorious May 5th and giving the fans excitement. That’s what it’s about.
Q
And finally, Floyd, we have seen you very relaxed in this fight promotion and in an extreme concentration, maybe a little different from the Floyd we all like. Do you see it that way, and if you do why is it, is it respect for Cotto or maybe a new Mayweather is born?
F. Mayweather
No, Mayweather was born 1977. The fighter you’re talking about that’s reborn is Cotto; he’s the guy that they said that was reborn in the last Antonio Margarito fight. I’m always the same; I’m very, very outspoken, sometimes, like I said, since I’m outspoken they just say it’s overconfidence; I’m very animated, so they just say that it’s cocky, but that’s life. When it’s all said and done only God can judge me, so while I’m here and I’m in this sport I’m going to continue to entertain and give the fans what they want to see.
Q
Let me ask finally, and this is my last question, an answer like the Floyd Mayweather we all like in boxing, what’s your prediction for this fight, it’s going to be a knockout, it’s going to be a decision?
F. Mayweather
I just want the fans to tune in May 5th. I can’t really say how this fight is going to play out. I always like a difficult and a tough test, and it’s like a tough math problem; if I sit back for a while I could eventually solve the problem with ease.
Q
My first question, how much respect do you feel for Miguel Cotto as a boxer and as a person as well?
F. Mayweather
I respect Miguel Cotto as a man always. I think he has a beautiful family. I don’t really know him, but he seems like a cool guy. But yes, I respect him as a man, what else can I say. Come May 5th he’s going to have to make me respect his boxing skills. Every fighter you have to earn that; that’s nothing you can’t just get from me. Marquez he earned my respect, he made me earn his respect, a couple other guys made me earn their respect, Shane Mosley made me respect his power. But when it’s all said and done I’m pretty sure they respect in my fighting skills also.
Q
Where do you see in five years from now?
F. Mayweather
I really can’t say. Hopefully my children has graduated from high school, that’s very, very important; my mother I want her to still be happy and want to be able to go over my mother house every Sunday, like I do; and I want Mayweather Promotions to be a very, very huge company, which I truly believe will happen. There’s so many different things that I want, but everything takes time. I believe in just taking one day at a time and eventually my goals will get accomplished.
Q
What you want to be your legacy? You have talk you want to clean up the boxing, that’s very good.
F. Mayweather
I mean that’s going to be a part of history anyway, I think, in the sport of boxing. Eventually random blood and urine test it will be in the sport of boxing, I truly, truly believe it, and everyone’s going to be saying Mayweather was the first one–he was the first one. It’s not a good thing, I think it’s a great thing that I’ll be a part of history and I was a part of cleaning up a sport that’s been around for ages.
Q
Can you give me one pro and one con in regards of stepping up in the weight to 154 pounds?
F. Mayweather
I think with me it really don’t play a major factor, but with some fighters it do play a major fighter, because some guys can push certain guys around. But you know me; I think my skills are on a different level from any other fighter, so when it’s all said and done skills pays the bills. You got certain guys that it all depends on what style of boxing, what style of fighting a guy is doing when you move up to a different weight class. I’m a guy that doesn’t believe in really taking any punishment-I believe in dishing it out. I’m very, very offensive minded, I’m an offensive minded fighter, of course, because that’s what the pay-per-view fans want, but I have been a defensive fighter, because if I wasn’t a defensive fighter I wouldn’t have lasted this long in the sport of boxing. And I don’t really weight is going to really play a major key. I think it’s going to come down to the skills.
Q
You always seem very confident and very grateful and you just make things look so easy, but like what does it take for something to actually challenge you?
F. Mayweather
I really don’t know. I really just don’t know. I think that I don’t believe in people praising me. I don’t want to be praised for being in a war. I want to be able to say that I put in the hard work, before I got to that ring I put in the hard work in training, I was mentally ready, I was physically ready, and I worked my ass off before I got to that ring and if you work hard before you get there the job would be that much easier. So that’s what I want to be remembered for, this guy worked hard and when he got to the ring he made it look so easy …
Q
Tell me the last time something actually did challenge you.
F. Mayweather
I’m challenged every day as far as when I go into that gym, as far as trying to out work the young guys in the gym, and I’m out working them every day. It’s a good thing. The young guys are pushing, every day the young guys push me and push me. I see a young guy doing something in the gym he’s probably doing one of the exercises that he seen me do on TV or that he came to the boxing gym and watched me do. If I see him do a certain number I got to out do him if I want to stay on top.
Q
I’m one of the guys I’m fortunately old enough to remember that, I was at that Emanuel Augustus fight, and my recollection that day was that the first half of that fight was a difficult, probably some of the most difficult rounds I’ve seen you involved in.
F. Mayweather
Not really difficult. You need to realize I was the guy that was fighting every two to three months, and then I took almost a year off and I fought a guy that fought normally at 135, 140, and I moved up from 130. So that’s what I think that was probably a little difficult, but not really, because like I said before, I could solve any problem so I think that was the problem. It really wasn’t difficult. When you got a guy like that, like I said before, he came in without a game plan–his game plan was just going in and give it his best.
Q
Yes, it seemed to me that night, though, that’s what was interesting to me about that fight, because it appeared that about halfway through the fight you figured out what it was, but there was a point there where you had to bite down and fight, and I always sort of felt that anybody who thought you weren’t capable of doing that didn’t see that fight, because you really did have to at one point just bite down and say, “Okay I’m going to fight.”
F. Mayweather
Well if anybody’s going to YouTube that fight you got to YouTube Floyd Mayweather and Emanuel Burton, because when I fought him he was Emanuel Burton. Now he’s Emanuel Augustus. So whosever on the line really don’t know the career Floyd Mayweather look him up. He’s a tough opponent. What else could I say?
Q
What do you say to people who ask that question-you talked a little bit about it earlier-that all the great fighters at some point in time, I mean from Titanic back, where … Leonard and Hearn’s or Hagler and Hearns, that type of a fight, you obviously haven’t been in those fights and wisely don’t want to be in those fights, but what do you sort of say to the people that say well until a guy’s in that you don’t really know everything about it.
F. Mayweather
Well a part of that comes with the territory, but obvious it hasn’t came my way yet, but I don’t think that being a rough and tough fight is cool. I think what’s cool about my career is that I work hard before I get there and I work on my skills day in and day out. And I really, really I studied the sport of boxing at a very, very young age and I mastered my craft, and so I’ve been in front of every style. So when I did get to a certain level I made it look so easy, because I paved the way early on.
Q
Do you think in some ways that works against you, by which I mean perhaps some people don’t recognize how skilled you are because either you’re physically superior or you’re technically superior to the point where people kind of shrug their shoulders and don’t quite get what’s involved?
F. Mayweather
Like I said before, I’ve never fought a guy at a catchweight. I don’t fight guys at catchweights. I don’t put plaster in my gloves. These are things I don’t do, because I’m not that type of guy. What I do do is I dedicate myself when it’s time to fight, and that’s what I can say I do do. To each his own.
As far as my career I think, like I said before, I think I will be really appreciated probably 15, 20 years from now I think I’ll really be appreciated. It’s crazy, it’s crazy every day I look at the sport and I’m very, very happy that I basically got my own style–in the sport of boxing I have my own style. When a fighter’s fighting they be like, “Oh that’s Mayweather style,” and I think that’s a great thing. You got southpaw, you got orthodox, and you also got Mayweather style. I think that’s a great thing. Canelo has done it, Cotto has done it, Gamboa has done it, Andre Dirrell has done it, Andre Ward has done it; a lot of fighters have done it, and I think it’s a great thing. And all those fighters are, like I said before, they’re champions.
Q
One last thing, for you personally, and you know as big as this fight’s going to be a multitude of people still want to see you and Pacquiao. Are you personally disappointed in the fact that that fight hasn’t happened?
F. Mayweather
No, I don’t worry about that, I don’t worry about that at all. If it really was all about Pacquiao, if it really was all about Pacquiao then I didn’t have to fight all 42 opponents; all I had to do was come to the sport of boxing and fight one guy then I would went down as the best, just one guy. So I guess the 42 guys that I’ve faced didn’t count. All I had to really do was come into the sport of boxing and train for just one fight, just train for one twelve-round fight, beat that guy, then I was going down in history as the best. Now all of a sudden a guy come from out of nowhere then they say, “Well, Floyd, you’re not the best because you haven’t beat this guy yet.” Like I said before, Floyd Mayweather has to live his live for Floyd Mayweather, and I’m happy, I can care less what Manny Pacquiao is doing. He’s with Bob Arum, and Bob Arum lives his life the way he lives his life and live my life the way I live my life.
F. Mayweather
Ben, you know this training camp been real, real difficult for me. I haven’t heard from you, I haven’t talk to you, but you best believe I’m going give you an exclusive interview, baby.
Q
Oh, brother, you already know I’m waiting to get out there. I’ll be out there in a couple days, my man.
F. Mayweather
Okay. I just been in a real, real grueling and tough training camp, and I really just been very, very focused, but I’m going to give you an exclusive when you come out here, because you have been writing positive stories about me from the beginning. You had a chance to come into my life and really get a chance to grow close to me, and I just really want to thank you and let you know that Floydmayweather.com, and FightHype is also my home, and you’re my dude.
Q
That’s what’s up my man, you know I appreciate that. Like I said, man, I can’t wait to get out there and I’m looking forward to it. I know you’re about to get out of here, man, I’m not going to take up too much of your time, but I did want to ask you real quick you’ve obviously had a lot of firsts in your career, whether that’s the first to do over two million pay-per-view buys, the first to do a 24/7, and now even recently the first to stream your workouts and your press conferences online. You’ve really embraced the social media and the different online outlets to promote not just yourself, but the sport of boxing as well. How important is that to you and how much time do you actually put into thinking outside the box to come up with just all these different ideas to do that?
F. Mayweather
I don’t want to sit on the phone and just say you know what, because the majority of them they’re my ideas, so basically what I do is I may say something, when people are around me I may say something, then they be like, “That’s a good idea,” and then they come and say, “Floyd, let’s do this,” but they just heard me say that a couple days before. So I think it’s a great thing.
Everybody that’s on the phone right now, everybody that’s in the tech world, all the writers, man, I love you guys. But of course, Ben, you’re my guy, and you’ve been writing–I mean when everyone else was counting me out and constantly dogging Floyd Mayweather and writing negative stories–you constantly you wrote great stories about me, because you had a chance to come into my life, had a chance to get a chance to know me. Not, Ben, that I’m just picking you, because there’s a lot of guys out there that wrote great stories, and I’m very, very appreciative. But I just know you love the sport of boxing, this is what you eat, sleep, and drink. You may love boxing more than Roger Mayweather. But like I said before, all the Websites and boxing magazines and the different newspaper articles I’m just thankful for you guys, man, rather it was a good story or a bad story you guys kept me relevant for 16 years.
Q
Well I think that, whether people realize it now or whether they realize it after you’re done with the sport and whatnot, I think at the end of the day everyone will realize that we all appreciated you and we’re definitely going to miss you when you’re gone. One last question before you get out of here, and this is just a quick one, the last time you were at 154 you fought De La Hoya. I thought you won that fight hands down eight rounds to four or something like that, but one of the judges actually gave the fight to De La Hoya. Obviously there’s been a lot of controversial decisions lately going on with a lot of these judges. Is there any concern whatsoever going into this fight with the judges that might be assigned to the fight or that somebody might see something that they saw in the De La Hoya fight … give that fight to De La Hoya?
F. Mayweather
Before I touch on that question you just asked me I want to say one thing. When I faced De La Hoya I had on 10-ounce gloves; De La Hoya gave me heavyweight 10-ounce gloves, which was pillows. And then in the Ricky Hatton fight right after that I had on 10-ounce gloves, and you see how I displayed my skills and my punching power. I wanted to do the same in the De La Hoya fight, which I felt that I boxed De La Hoya, but I feel that if I would have chose my own gloves I think it would have been a lot more blood drawn, because that’s very, very important in a pay-per-view fight.
Q
Well basically I was just wondering if there was any concern, because obviously in that fight-
F. Mayweather
About the judges. Yes. De La Hoya know he didn’t win. Pacquiao know he didn’t win against Marquez the last time, he know he didn’t win. I didn’t get a chance to see the Brandon Rios fight, because I just didn’t get a chance to see it, but I heard that it was a bad decision. I don’t know. I’m just saying that I just need to start getting treated fair, I truly believe. But you got to realize what I always tell people this is also a business, this is also a business. If Pacquiao didn’t get his hand raised, if Pacquiao didn’t get his hand raised then Pacquiao facing Floyd Mayweather would be down the drain, cause the world billions of dollars, so economic wise they know what they’re doing. Even like with the Mayweather/De La Hoya fight we have to make it very, very interesting in saying it’s a split decision. A fighter know when he has got his ass kicked.
But while I’m on this call I really want to take my hat off to Richard Schaefer, because Richard Schaefer has done a hell of a job with Golden Boy Promotions. Richard Schaefer, you a great guy.
R. Schaefer
Thank you, Floyd.
F. Mayweather
So when we first got together and started doing business our relationship really wasn’t that good, because he really wasn’t seeing the same vision I was seeing, but once we had a chance to fly to London together and sit for hours and just talk. Richard, you a great guy, you have a beautiful family, a beautiful wife, beautiful children. Your son came up with a great name for this fight. Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions we’re going to continue to build each company and we’re going to be the future of boxing, we’re not going to be like Don King and Bob Emmett and have hatred towards one another. I think you done a great job with that company, and I must take my hat off to you and say you done a good job, Richard.
R. Schaefer
Thank you very much, Floyd. Thank you I appreciate that. And I’m really excited to keep on working with you, breaking records, and bringing new ideas and innovation to the sport of boxing. For too long King and Arum basically did what they did, but I think here we are reenergizing the sport. The fact is that ratings on all platforms, pay-per-view numbers, new sponsors coming to the table, movie theaters embracing Floyd Mayweather fights, and on and on and on, 24/7, and I could give many, many examples, they are all results of creative minds and talents working together and I really appreciate-
F. Mayweather
… to cut you off, Richard, but people don’t give you the credit that you deserve. I’m going to give you the credit that you deserve on the phone. Leonard, and you know, Leonard, I don’t have to tell the world what you have done. You have stood by me, you and Al has stood by me, and through good times and bad times, and we know together there’s no stopping us. But Richard, you working with Al Haymon and you working with Leonard Ellerbe you guys have done a remarkable job.
R. Schaefer
Thank you, Floyd.
L. Ellerbe
Thank you, Floyd.
F. Mayweather
I got to go to the boxing gym, ladies and gentlemen.
R. Schaefer
Okay. Thank you so much, Floyd, for your time, over an hour on the call here and answering all the questions. We all look forward seeing you next week to what is going to be another great, great event with Floyd Mayweather against Miguel Cotto.
Just a reminder, the media room is going to open on Tuesday at 12:00 with the fighters’ arrival scheduled at the MGM at 1:30. See you all there. Thank you so much.
