The usually talkative mouthpiece/advisor/friend of Floyd Mayweather – Leonard Ellerbe – has been uncharacteristically silent for the last three months. But BoxingInsider.com caught up with Ellerbe for lunch and slipped some truth serum into his soft drink. Ellerbe makes some startling revelations about Team Mayweather in this no holds barred Q&A….
BoxingInsider.com: Leonard, how are you, long time no speak?
Leonard Ellerbe: “Things are not good on Planet Mayweather. Floyd has been pushed into a corner and he doesn’t like it one bit. HBO, Golden Boy and the powers that be of boxing have exerted enormous pressure on Floyd to fight Pacquiao next. The money in that fight is astronomical. The money is bigger than any of us could have ever imagined. Floyd is such a huge brand name now that the powers that be that cash now. Floyd can’t get out of the fight this time. There is no where to run or hide, no Marquezes or Ricky Hattons to dredge up.
BoxingInsider.com: Obviously Floyd does not like his chances against the buzzsaw Pacquiao.
Leonard Ellerbe: “We didn’t want to risk fighting Cotto either. When we saw what Pacquiao did to Cotto, it totally killed any hint of confidence Floyd had left after seeing what Pacquiao did to Hatton and De la Hoya. Floyd is not only scared of losing his “0”, he’s afraid of getting beaten up, abused and knocked out worse than Roy Jones got from Glen Johnson. For real.”
BoxingInsider.com: So the whole steroid accusations against Pacquiao was a fraud to cover up Floyd’s fear of the fight, right?
Leonard Ellerbe: “100% right. Floyd and I both faked interest in the fight to the media, hoping Pacquiao wouldn’t accept the original rush-job March 13 (2009) deadline. When Pac agreed to that, Floyd was caught by surprised, and had to come up with a sensible way to duck the fight. Drug testing and needle injections the week of the fight were our only option. Floyd had to throw Pacquiao under the bus to save his own ass. Floyd never had any intention to clean up all sports. He hasn’t taken any action to clean up boxing or any sports. It was all just more fraud and deception from Floyd.”
BoxingInsider.com: Do you feel any shame for partaking in sleezeball tactics like that?
Leonard Ellerbe: “Boxing can be a dirty corrupt business. There are a lot of scumbags in the sport. I have to do what is best for Floyd Mayweather. I work for Floyd Mayweather Jr.”
BoxingInsider.com: Did you expect HBO to push hard for the Pacquiao fight after he beat Clottey and Floyd beat Marquez?
Leonard Ellerbe: “We really hoped elegant Al Haymon would be able to control HBO and get Floyd more easy fights with the likes of Matt Hatton and Nate Campbell. But elegant Al has lost his touch. Business hasn’t been so great for HBO this year and now HBO doesn’t want to wait anymore, they want to make Floyd fight Pacquiao now. HBO has now turned on elegant Al Haymon and has put the freeze on doing business with any of Al’s fighters – Arreola, Berto, Tarver and Williams. Al has to deliver Floyd now – to save his own ass.”
BoxingInsider.com: What was the true purpose of contacting Don King?
Leonard Ellerbe: “Since elegant Al Haymon is also pressuring Floyd to fight Pacquiao, Floyd has no where to run to or hide now. So he went to Florida to visit Don King to see if DK could get Floyd some more easy fights for at least $10,000,000 guaranteed. But DK couldn’t do it. So Floyd has no where to go now. He’s gotta fight Pacquiao next, he has no other options. We’re fu****.”
BoxingInsider.com: Why did Floyd make that nasty racist video rant against Pacquiao?
Leonard Ellerbe: “Because Floyd is furious and frustrated that his whole world has been turned upside down. The whole world knows the truth – that Floyd is scared shitless about boxing Pacquiao. ESPN even called Floyd a coward on national TV. Do you realize how humilating that is? Deep down, the sad reality is, in Floyd’s mind he knows he has no chance of surviving the fight, even if his mother, father and uncle were the judges. Floyd knows 99% of America dislikes his punk ass fake gangster act and loves Pacquiao like a hero. It’s a no-win situation. The whole world wants to see Floyd get knocked out. So Floyd had to blow off steam that has been penting up for nine months. Floyd is frustrated beyond belief and had to lash out at Pacquiao the only way he could – by talking shit about him. That’s the only thing Floyd has the guts to do to Pacquiao is talk shit about him behind his back. Lord knows the malice and viciousness Pacquiao would assault Floyd with if he ever gets him in the ring. Lord have Mercy.”
BoxingInsider.com: So true. Pacquiao liked and respected Cotto and Hatton and his hero Oscar – and he still beat the shit out of them. With Floyd, who has falsely accused him of using drugs and trash talked him and his country, Pacquiao might seriously brutalize Floyd in the ring, or severely, permanently damage him.
Leonard Ellerbe: “Yep, and Floyd knows it. He’s losing his mind now. He’s acting crazy, snooping on his ex-girlfriend, etc. All kinds of bizarre sh**. The whole house of cards is about to crash down. It’s going to be tragic. Floyd has to just take his beating like a man. We’ll throw in the towel as soon has he gets hurt, even if it’s the first round. Floyd has acted like an asshole for years, now it’s time to pay the piper. Karma is a bitch. Karma is gonna bite Floyd in the ass. Getting knocked out by Pacquiao is bad enough. Now Floyd might have to go to jail. I can’t bear to think what they’ll do to Floyd in there.”
BoxingInsider.com: Do you have any regret or apologies to Pacquiao and the Filippino people?
Leonard Ellerbe: “Yes I do. I love Manny Pacquiao and respect him more than any other boxer in the world today. He is an ultimate champion in every sense of the word, he is everything that is beautiful about boxing – humble, exciting, class act, honorable, fearless, soft-spoken. I would like to say to Manny and all Filippino people I am sorry for all the negative things I said about Manny and it was only in conjunction with selling the fight. It was business, it wasn’t personal, it was business. And I humbly hope Manny Pacquiao and the Filippino people will accept my humble apologies. I would kneel to Manny and apologize to him at his feet for what I have done. I think everyone from Team Mayweather should kneel and apologize to Manny – including elegant Al Haymon, Sam Watson, Richard Schaefer, Oscar De La Hoya, Jeff, Roger and Floyd Sr. We are all deeply ashamed of our actions. It’s a shame Floyd has lost his mind and become the monster tyrant he has become. He started off a good talented kid but when success and money came his way he became this psychopathic megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur. Boxing made Floyd what he is and it’s going to destroy him. That’s all I can say. Much love and respect to Manny Pacquiao. And please say prayers for Floyd.”
Note: This is a fictional, spoof intervierw which never actually took place. Repeat, this is a spoof, fake interview.
