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FLOYD MAYWEATHER: "MAY 4TH...WHOEVER IT IS, IT'S GOING TO BE AN EXCITING SHOW"

By Ben Thompson | December 12, 2012
FLOYD MAYWEATHER:

"I mean, I can't wait. As of right now, I know May 4th is a date, and in September there's a date. That's what the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, Leonard Ellerbe, said. At this particular time, everything is still up in the air. If those are my dates, I'm looking to go out there and perform on those days and look well for my fans...I don't know who my team has scouted as far as looking to do combat with. I don't know, but whoever it is, it's going to be an exciting show," stated undefeated pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather, who shared his thoughts about a number of subject, including his return to the ring, the recent performances of Miguel Cotto, Austin Trout, Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez, and much more. Check it out!

BT: What's good, Champ?

FM: Ben, the main thing is that I'm happy that I served my time and my children are doing well in school. You know, I'm going through a lot right now because my mother just had surgery, so that's kind of a lot of stress on me.

BT: Sorry to hear that, man. Is everything okay?

FM: Yeah, you know, it kind of stressed me out. Of course, nobody is promised to see tomorrow. You know, I only want the best for my mother, and I'm happy that my father is healthy enough to still go out there and train fighters and be at his best. My uncle Jeff is doing an amazing job with fighters and my uncle Roger is battling with sugar diabetes at this particular time, so he's not 100% like he was before, and a lot of the things that you hear are not true. From what I heard, my uncle Roger said that we had met with Bob Arum. That's not true at all. My uncle Roger, people take advantage of him because he's not 100%. He's not eating well; he's not healthy. I want him to get healthy and eat better so he can have a sharp mind, because his mind is not as sharp as it once was. At this particular time, I'm thinking about working back with my father.

BT: Really?

FM: Yes, because Roger, you know, he's very, very sick at this particular time, so I'm thinking about working back with my father. We really don't know what the future holds for Floyd Mayweather as far as who's gonna be the trainer, but I'm leaning towards my father at this particular time.

BT: Wow. That would be pretty big news. You don't think there would be any problems...

FM: (Cutting in) I just want my dad just to...my dad has to realize I'm an adult, you know. I just want my dad to accept and respect me as an adult. I think my dad, the thing is, he still looks at me as his 10-year-old son. I'm a lot closer to 40 than I am to 21, but I have a lot left in the tank and I want to go out there and give the fans nothing but excitement. That's the only thing I want to do; go out there and give excitement and give the fans what they want to see. Of course blood, sweat, and tears.

BT: Speaking of going out there and giving the fans what they want to see, I hear you plan on fighting twice next year. Is that the plan? May 4th, and then possibly September 14th?

FM: I mean, I can't wait. As of right now, I know May 4th is a date, and in September there's a date. That's what the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, Leonard Ellerbe, said. At this particular time, everything is still up in the air. If those are my dates, I'm looking to go out there and perform on those days and look well for my fans.

BT: So right now, no real details have been put together yet as far as the opponent or the events?

FM: I don't know who my team has scouted as far as looking to do combat with. I don't know, but whoever it is, it's going to be an exciting show.

BT: The last time you laced up, you moved up to 154 to face Cotto...

FM: (Cutting in) Me and Miguel Cotto put on a hell of a show. The last time out I seen Miguel Cotto, congratulations to the kid Trout, but that wasn't the same Miguel Cotto. Not taking anything away from Trout, you know. I don't even know him. If I'm the WBA champion, how is Trout the WBA champion? Things like that, I just don't understand. But you know, I thought the fight was a lot closer than it was. I think that we should get some new up-and-coming judges. I don't know which referee said it, but "I'm firm, but I'm fair." We need to get more people that's going to be fair. Even though that wasn't the same Miguel Cotto that I faced, I think the fight was a lot closer than what they had it.

BT: Do you think it was a different Miguel Cotto because he was coming right off of the fight with you?

FM: I think a lot of times, when fighters face me, it's hard to bounce back right afterwards. Every fighter that I've faced in the past, they're not the same. When you give the sport your life and you dedicate yourself to get to the pinnacle, and the pinnacle is having a mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather, to beat Floyd Mayweather, and get a huge payday, everybody got different goals, so it's hard to be in a brutal, crucial fight and just hop right back in there and train and dedicate yourself. I think he needed a longer vacation. I honestly think he did, and gave it some thought and probably had more of a tune-up. I don't think he was 100% for the fight, becuase with the fight with me, he wasn't fatigued. He got fatigued in that fight; very fatigued. But I can't take nothing away from the young kid Austin Trout. He went out there and he done what he had to do. But as far as the scorecards, they was ridiculous. I mean, if they could've called it a draw, or if it would've went Trout's way by a point or two, Cotto's way by a point or two, I mean, you couldn't argue because the fight was that close I thought. But I don't think he was fighting the best Miguel Cotto.

BT: You've taken plenty of time off in between fights. Do you think that's something Miguel Cotto, or any other fighter that's been fighting for a long time, should do more of?

FM: I believe in taking time off and letting my body rejuvenate. You know, letting my wounds heal, and then when it's time to step to the plate, I step to the plate and I'm a homerun hitter.

BT: I know you're in Miami right now, so I don't know if you've heard yet, but Manny Pacquiao just had his 4th fight with Juan Manuel Marquez and got knocked out cold in the 6th round. When you hear that news, are you surprised that Marquez was able to do that to Pacquiao?

FM: Things happen in the sport of boxing, you know. My thing is to focus on Floyd. I don't wish nothing bad on nobody. I don't wish no harm to nobody, but that's a part of the sport. It comes with the sport. I guess in some fighters' eyes, 99% of the fighters, I'm the only 1%, but 99% believe you win some, you lose some. I only believe in winning, you know. But things happen. You live and you learn. The only thing he can do is rejuvenate himself and bounce back like a true champion. I wish Pacquiao nothing but the best. I wish that he can bounce back and he can recoup from this. In the sport of boxing, you have to really dedicate yourself to your craft. You have to really, really dedicate yourself to your craft. I think he's got so many different things on the outside that he worries about, you know. But it was a good thing that he was able to come into the sport, you know, piggyback off my name, and get a bunch of endorsement deals and make a good living. That's a great thing.

BT: No doubt. The shot that knocked him out was a short, counter right hand. Do you think that fact says something about what may or may not have happened if he actually stepped into the ring with you?

FM: Um, you know, styles make fights. You know, me, myself, I'm well rounded, can counter punch, can fight on the inside, can fight on the outside, can do a little bit of it all. I can brawl; I can do it all. That's why I've been at the top for 17 years now. It's not a good thing, it's a great thing. But Marquez is a true champion, Manny Pacquiao is a true champion, both of them went out there and put on a good performance, and that's a good thing for the sport of boxing.

BT: At the post-fight press conference, Marquez was asked about a potential rematch with you. Is that something that you would even entertain after already pitching a shutout against him?

FM: The thing is this, Marquez and Pacquiao fought 4 times because the fans never really knew who won the fight. Sometimes they say Pacquiao won the fight, the next time they say Marquez won the fight, the next time they say Pacquiao, so it's going back and forth. Myself, I took over two years off and came back and beat Marquez. But like I said before, for Marquez to be 40 years old and to still be fighting and dedicating himself to the sport says a lot about him. The thing is this, I'm not here to talk bad about Manny Pacquiao or badmouth Marquez. That's not professional at all. A lot of times, when I see certain things, I just state facts and people think that I'm being harsh or being negative. I'm just stating facts. Hopefully he's okay. My prayers go out to the Pacquiao family. I know he loves the sport of boxing, so hopefully, he can bonce bak.

BT: Manny's been in a lot of fights. Like you were saying about Cotto, do you think it might be wise for him to take a step back from boxing just to take break.

FM: Um, that's really not my say.

BT: With Pacquiao losing by knockout, in your eyes, does that now totally kill the idea of a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao mega-fight?

FM: The thing is this, right now, Pacquiao's focus should be trying to take a vacation, get his mind right, and get a few tune-up fights so he can bounce back. Like I guess they say, men lie, women lie, numbers don't lie. They were talking about a certain amount of money that I offered him. It's crazy that in 2 fights, I'm only talking about what the Nevada commission shows, but in 2 fights, his total added up to something like $14 million. When I offered Manny Pacquiao $40 million, I had told him I would give him $20 million within like 4 days. I told him I would wire him $20 million up front, just agree to the guaranteed $40 million. Then I told him that we could talk about money on the back end, but just agree to the guaranteed $40 million that I'm going to give you. He told me 50/50, and then he hopped off the phone and put me on the phone with Michael Koncz. But the thing is this, I'm not here to talk bad about Pacquiao. I feel bad for him, honestly. I really feel bad for him. There's a difference in the ways you can get knocked out. See, when a guy gets knocked out and he can get up, they sit him on his stool, they rub his back, he go home and ice himself, you know, he go to the hospital and get checked out and he's okay, that's one thing. But when you gotta wake a guy up with smelling salt and he got a concussion and he gotta go to the hospital over night, that's crucial. I mean, that's close to the death.

BT: Well Champ, as always, I appreciate the exclusive. Is there anything else you want to put out there before I let you go?

FM: The thing that I love is this: Mayweather Promotions, we been up and running for 5 years strong. I just look forward to J'Leon Love going out there and performaing good, Ishe Smith going out there and performing good, and all my little young fighters that's up-and-coming, the only thing I want to do is show them the right way. The only thing I want from them is just to make good money  and be successful.



[ Follow Ben Thompson on Twitter @fighthype ]

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