"I think it certainly won't hurt anything at all. It's only three months, not three years. Floyd fights like once a year, so three months from the ring certainly won't have any affect on his skills. I think what will be intriguing is the spin in which the media puts on the entire situation itself. The Manny fight ain't worth talking about until the contracts are signed because this has been going on for two years now. It always seems to be a reason why the fight isn't happening, so at this point, there is no need to even waste press on it until it's official...I think it's a possibility that the May 5th fight will be postponed; according to Arum, it wasn't going to be Manny anyway, so it doesn't affect Manny's plans at all. According to Arum, Manny's eye wouldn't be healed in time to fight Floyd. I have no idea who Manny's next fight is, but I know he can't afford to have another bad showing or it may kill the fight with him and Floyd altogether," stated world-class trainer Jeff Mayweather, who shared his thoughts on the news of his nephew's sentencing and how it might affect a potential showdown with Manny Pacquiao, Celestino Caballero's upcoming title defense, and much more. Check it out!
SS: Hope you and the family had a great Christmas. What was it like spending the festive period in a whole new surrounding in Tokyo?
JM: Wow, Japan is a wonderful place. The people are so respectful to one another. It's amazing and it's very clean here. I have been doing some sightseeing and think one day I would like to return one day.
SS: As we know, you are in Tokyo preparing for Celestino Caballero's title fight with Satoshi Hasono. How are preparations going for that?
JM: Well, Celestino is ready for anything right now. He's very hungry and determined. He's going to be very difficult to be beat by anyone in the division when he's where he's at mentally and physically. Plus, fighting on foreign soil is nothing new to him. He's never won a Championship in Panama, so it's just another day at the office.
SS: What sort of style do you expect Hasono to bring, and how easy have you found it to adjust to the new training environment?
JM: I think Hosono only has one style, from what I've seen. He's juat a typical pressure fighter that comes straight ahead. Making adjustments to the training environment isn't a big deal, but the time difference here is brutal on me. Celestino is adjusting well, which is most important
SS: With Floyd being ordered to do three months in jail, obviously the majortiy of people are talking about the negative effect it could have. Do you feel that this could work in his favor and add to the intrigue and pay-per-view figures for a much talked about showdown with Manny Pacquaio?
JM: I think it certainly won't hurt anything at all. It's only three months, not three years. Floyd fights like once a year, so three months from the ring certainly won't have any affect on his skills. I think what will be intriguing is the spin in which the media puts on the entire situation itself. The Manny fight ain't worth talking about until the contracts are signed because this has been going on for two years now. It always seems to be a reason why the fight isn't happening, so at this point, there is no need to even waste press on it until it's official.
SS: With the May 5th date seemingly being put on the backburner for now, who do you feel would be Manny Pacquaio's next opponent?
JM: I think it's a possibility that the May 5th fight will be postponed; according to Arum, it wasn't going to be Manny anyway, so it doesn't affect Manny's plans at all. According to Arum, Manny's eye wouldn't be healed in time to fight Floyd. I have no idea who Manny's next fight is, but I know he can't afford to have another bad showing or it may kill the fight with him and Floyd altogether.
SS: I saw your interview in which you said Pacquaio could not afford another bad performance vs. Marquez. Do you feel this could open the door for more fighters in the selection process, or will it be used as an excuse for Top Rank Promotions and team Pacquaio to wrap him in cotton wool with a carefully matched opponent?
JM: I think the opponents that were lined up for him will make him look bad. Tim Bradley was on board; terrible fight for Manny. Bradley is a solid fighter, but brings nothing to the table in terms of pay-per-view. Marquez will always be a great fight, win, lose, or draw. Manny got lucky last time, solely for the fact that the potential fight with Floyd was kept alive. I said it would happen even before the fight took place, and it did, so Bob has to come up with a new game plan to recreate Manny as a beast once again.
SS: 2012 looks like a promising year for boxing with a lot of highly anticipated potential showdowns. Are there any fights in particular you are hoping to see throughout the weight classes with fighters like Broner, Cotto, Martinez, Chavez, Canelo and Ward blossoming in 2011?
JM: Yes, 2012 does look very promising and it's something that boxing needs badly; some new, young, fresh stars of the sport to move to the forefront of boxing because if Manny and Floyd both decided to retire from boxing, the sport would be hurting really bad, but these young starts are emerging at the right time.
SS: As in boxing, nobody can go on forever, and with Floyd and Manny being seen as the two biggest faces in boxing, who do you feel is most equipped and prepared to take over the mantel and match or surpass these guys for pay-per-view sales and career earnings when they retire?
JM: There are only a few guys that can step in to fill that void. The first guy I would say would be Brandon Rios. This guy is vunerable, but also sixty thrills a minute. Andre Ward certainly has star power; well-spoken, good looking guy, very humble, a Gold Medalist, but most important, he can fight and deliver when it counts. Broner is more show than substance at this point, but has a gimmick that opens the door for him as long as he keeps winning.
SS: It was recently announced that Floyd Mayweather Sr. will face Thomas Hearns in a charity event to raise money for the community, which will prove to be interesting viewing for a good cause, so hopefully everybody gets behind it. Is there anybody out there, both past or present, that you wish you had a chance to step in the ring with?
JM: I think it's great as long as it's done the right way. The safety of both men is the most important 'cause even more so than the charity, both men are very prideful, even at this age, so whomever is responsible for doing this event needs to safegaurd the fighters from themselves. I think it's a great cause. Fortunately I have been blessed to already have been in the ring with some of boxing best. I sparred with Pernell Whittaker and Julio Caeser Chavez Sr., so I already lived my dream when it comes to that.
SS: After the Caballero bout, what is the next business in hand for your fighters for the fans to take note of?
JM: Well, of course I'm hoping to leave with the title intact, and soon as I leave Japan, I have one of my young up-and-coming fighters, Chase "Checkmate" Corbin (6-0, 5 KOs), fighting in February. He has a bright future ahead of him. And of course I would like to invite anyone who takes time to read this to take a minute and drop by my site. It's fan friendly; stop by and check it out at www.proboxinginsider.com.