"Never believe everything you hear in the media, especially with the situation that he has going on now. The media can always turn something around into what it's not. It's like when people always say there's two sides to one story. As of yet, Floyd hasn't gotten to tell his side of the story. Even though I'm a woman, I believe that the media and people in general will lean towards the woman's side of the story rather than the guy. I just want his fans to continue to support him. I just want them to know I get their positive feedback on my Twitter and to my email, and he does also and he appreciates all the positive love and energy that all of his fans have been sending him," stated Shantel Jackson, better known as Miss Jackson, fiance of undefeated pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather, who was generous enough to give us her first website interview. You don't want to miss what she had to say about her relationship with Floyd, their future plans and much more. Check it out!
BT: First and foremost, thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview. I wanted to start off by giving you a chance to introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
SJ: As a lot of people know, and for those who don't know, I go by Miss Jackson. I've been doing some modeling and acting since I was about 15 or 16. With the modeling, I've done some magazines and print work and with acting, I've also done a few TV commercials. But now I'm moving towards doing acting full-time and in the near future, I'd like to do TV sitcoms and major film work.
BT: Are you from Vegas originally?
SJ: Actually, I'm from Miami, Florida.
BT: When the boxing world first heard about you, it was almost like you just came out of nowhere. I think some people may have thought that Floyd was dating Chilli because of the TV show, but I don't even think anybody knew he was dating someone serious like that. From what I understand, you and Floyd have been together for quite some time. So give me the scoop. How did ya'll first meet? How did ya'll first get together?
SJ: Actually, me and Floyd met in Atlanta at the InterContinental Hotel in valet parking and we just exchanged numbers, stayed in touch and here we are today.
BT: So was it a "love at first sight" type of thing? Did you see him and say, "I gotta holla at this dude," or was it something that just kind of blossomed and developed?
SJ: Yeah, we just kind of kept in touch and it was something that blossomed over time.
BT: How long have the two of you been together now?
SJ: We've been together going on 5 years.
BT: Wow. That's definitely a long-term relationship (laughing). So you gotta take us back to the moment when Floyd popped the question. What was that like? I know Floyd is pretty creative when it comes to his ring entrances, but how creative is he when it comes to romance?
SJ: Yeah. To be honest with you, he didn't really "pop the question" so to speak. He just told me that he loves my honesty and the person he knows me to be, that I'm the only one for him and that we were going to get married. It was just plain and simple.
BT: So it was basically something that you kind of knew was coming. It wasn't like you were surprised or anything.
SJ: He felt like he didn't have to ask the traditional way. He just was like, "We gettin' married." Floyd doesn't trust people very easily. He trusts me and he just felt like I'm the one for him and I feel the same.
BT: Before I go on to anything else, I gotta clear something up. I know a lot of people are confused as to whether or not you and 50 Cent are actually related. Is there an actual blood relationship there or is it just more of a "Big Brother, Little Sister" type of thing?
SJ: Honestly, we're just all family.
BT: I gotcha. You know, the announcement about your engagement came at a time when Floyd was under a lot of scrutiny in the media. Was it difficult for you to be as happy knowing that the majority of the headlines in the media regarding Floyd were negative?
SJ: I just feel like everybody is entitled to their own opinion about Floyd, but I know the person that I fell in love with and he knows he is not what the media is trying to portray him to be. The media and no one else can take any happiness that I have away regarding anything that has to do with Floyd and I. They never try to separate the person in the ring or the person on TV from the person who gives back to the homeless and the person who does good for kids in school by buying them school supplies and shoes to put on their feet. It doesn't frustrate him and it doesn't frustrate me, but the media is going to make up whatever story they want to sell. Whatever they think is going to get people to pick up that article or get them more viewers, I believe that's what they want to write about. They don't want to write anything about the real person that Floyd is.
BT: A lot of people will say that Floyd brings the negativity upon himself. Is it difficult for you to know that, despite being as talented as he is, he's been forced to play the role of villain in order to get to where he is today?
SJ: Yeah, but at the end of the day, when Floyd fights, tickets need to be sold, so if the other guy isn't selling the fight, somebody has to and that person is always Floyd. Basically, that's what people want to see. If people don't like what they see, then they're not going to buy tickets. So somebody has to sell the fight and that person is Floyd. He's not averaging 1.5 million pay-per-view buys for nothing.
BT: That's true. Love him or hate him, they tune in and that's all that matters (laughing). So obviously you're a Floyd Mayweather fan, but are you a boxing fan as well? Do you watch boxing when other fights are on?
SJ: Honestly, I can't be anything but real because that's who I am, but before I met Floyd, I knew nothing really of boxing. Of course I do support his career. I really don't watch or follow other fighters. I really don't know anything about boxing but dealing with Floyd and watching him fight. If it's not dealing with Floyd, then honestly, I don't watch it.
BT: Let me ask you this, fortunately, Floyd isn't a fighter who gets hit very often, but how concerned are you whenever he steps into the ring? Is it something where you're nervous or are you confident like, "My man's the shit! Ain't nothing gonna happen to him"?
SJ: You know, even though Floyd's the best when it comes to putting on the gloves and being in the ring, I'm always concerned because anything can happen. I'm always on the edge of my seat.
BT: I'm sure you were at the Shane Mosley fight. Take us through the moment when Shane Mosley landed that right hand that appeared to wobble Floyd momentarily. What were you thinking?
SJ: When Shane landed that shot, actually, my heart dropped. To be honest, my eyes started watering because I have never seen that happen before. It was actually like seeing something horrible for the first time.
BT: How long was it before you felt comfortable again? Was that something where you were concerned for the rest of the fight or was there a point where you said, "Oh, okay, my boo got it back. We good to go. He's got it under control"?
SJ: Even thought that happened, I was still on edge through the whole fight because any fight can go any way, you understand what I'm saying? Let's say not even the Shane Mosley fight; we can just say another fight, I'm still going to be on edge and I'm still going to be nervous. Even though he took control for the rest of the fight, I was still just nervous.
BT: Is that something that you can see yourself going through for another couple of years or would you rather see Floyd get out of boxing sooner rather than later?
SJ: Before I met Floyd, he was boxing and boxing is what he loves to do. I feel like I have no say in his career. Whatever makes him happy makes me happy and we're happy together.
BT: I wouldn't be doing my job and fans would crucify me if I didn't ask this question, so I'll just throw it out there. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. Do you think we'll ever see that fight? Are you going to have to get some work done on that tattoo in 2011?
SJ: (Laughing) Well, honestly, people would think I'm under Floyd, I'm right there every day with him, so I should know, but I feel like that's all he hears every day. Every day, people are talking to him about boxing this and boxing that. But I feel like when he's around me, I just want him to relax and not be able to hear about any boxing. So when the world knows, that's when I find out.
BT: I can understand that. I don't want to talk about making websites all the time, that's what I do for a living, so I don't blame him at all.
SJ: Yeah, so when he's around me, I just try to give him a totally different atmosphere.
BT: Let me ask you about the tattoo real quick. I've heard a couple of different descriptions and saw the picure you put up, but is that really supposed to represent all of Floyd's victories inside the ring?
SJ: It's actually boxing gloves put together shaped in a heart with little hearts around it to signify his victories in the ring.
BT: You got 41 of them on there? There's 41 hearts or is it just a sampling of his victories? (Laughing)
SJ: Yeah, it's 41.
BT: Wow. That's crazy. So in 2011, we can make it 42 (laughing)?
SJ: (Laughing) I don't know about that. You're not going to get me with that one.
BT: (Laughing) I hear ya. So real quick, favorite Mayweather performance inside the ring?
SJ: I would say, for me, it was the Shane Mosley fight because everyone would say, "Oh, Floyd's always on the defense and he never puts the pressure on the other opponent." I think in that fight, that's what he did. He was on with the defense and he put pressure on Shane. He showed that he can not only dish it out, but he can also take it.
BT: Favorite nickname, Pretty Boy or Money?
SJ: To me, both of those don't matter. They're both stage names. I just stick with Floyd.
BT: I think he should just combine them and go with Pretty Money. I like that one.
SJ: (Laughing) That's a good one.
BT: (Laughing) Yeah, well don't be trying to use that one without checking with me first. That's FightHype copyright material right there (laughing).
SJ: (Laughing) Okay.
BT: Well, I've taken enough of your time, but hopefully this will be the first of many more interviews to come. Is there anything you want to say to the fans in closing? Any dates I need to clear on my calendar? You know I'm expecting to be on that guest list for the wedding.
SJ: Yeah, hopefully. Actually, we have no set date yet. We're just taking things one at a time and rollin' with the punches as stuff comes along. What I want Floyd's fans to know is that never believe everything you hear in the media, especially with the situation that he has going on now. The media can always turn something around into what it's not. It's like when people always say there's two sides to one story. As of yet, Floyd hasn't gotten to tell his side of the story. Even though I'm a woman, I believe that the media and people in general will lean towards the woman's side of the story rather than the guy. I just want his fans to continue to support him. I just want them to know I get their positive feedback on my Twitter and to my email, and he does also and he appreciates all the positive love and energy that all of his fans have been sending him.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Stay up to date on all the latest with Miss Jackson by following her on Twitter, http://twitter.com/themsjackson]
[ Follow Ben Thompson on Twitter @fighthype ]