May Day: Saturday, May 4th, MGM Grand - Las Vegas.
Floyd Mayweather and his May 4th opponent, Robert Guerrero took questions from the media via teleconference to promote their upcoming May 4th match at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Here's an excerpt of that exchange.
Floyd Mayweather
q On who would be his trainer.
I know your camp-you talked about when you announced the fight that your father was going to be training you again for this fight, that Roger would be there also. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about how it came to be that your dad is back with you-I'm sure everybody's happy to hear that-and talk about what roles each of them will have working together with in preparation for your fight with Robert.
Mayweather
Well, my dad, of course-he's a boxing wizard and Roger's a boxing wizard, so you can't go wrong with either guy. My dad is the main trainer and of course, like I said before, it's not like I fired anyone. It's just that my dad's a little sick, but he's a lot healthier than Roger is.
Roger's very, very-his health is not at its best right now and my main focus is I want a guy that's in my corner that's sharp and healthy. But he still works day in and day out with me every day as far as and keeping me sharp. But my dad is the main trainer and Roger still works me day in and day out, but fight night, my dad will be working my corner.
q On if his uncle will be present
And will Roger be in your corner also?
Mayweather
No, I don't think Roger will be in my corner. I don't need both in my corner, but both guys are my trainers of course, my dad is the head guy in my corner.
q On Mayweather family issues
So, did you make that decision besides the health issues that your uncle has been having, did you have some sort of revelation as you grow older you wanted to be closer with the family, bring them back in? I mean, your issues are well documented. We saw some of the blowouts that you had in the training camp before-some of the previous fights. And now it's just-
Mayweather
Well, my thing is trying to leave all of the negative things behind me and trying to focus on the positive and positive thing for me is just going to the gym every day, doing what I'm supposed to do and working hard to be victorious. You know what I'm saying? Far as me talking about what me and my dad-the argument we had in the past or the difference my dad and my uncle had in the past-that's the past. That's why we call it the past because we try to leave that in the past and focus on the future and the future should be bright and at this point in time, everything is going the way it should go.
q On the I (Incarceration)
I know it's probably a sensitive topic, but everybody knows that you spent a couple of months over the summer incarcerated because of the issues that happened. I'm just wondering if you could talk a little bit about when you're in the middle of doing that-I mean, you know there's a light at the end of the tunnel and you're getting out in a certain period of time. But I'm sure it's not easy to be in that situation to begin with even when you know that there's an end in sight. And I was hoping you could talk a little bit about what you would do during the course of a day and your reflections on what was happening and maybe thinking about your boxing future and how it maybe had changed you as a person to where you are today as you get ready for this fight.
Mayweather
It's just an obstacle that was in my way. The only thing you can do when you're locked up is just do push-ups and read and write-write your fans and write to your loved ones. That's all I really did. So I think what I thought about every day-I thought about my children. I thought about my family. Of course, thought about my career and I'm happy to be home.
q On how jail changed him.
Can you express in a manner in how it may have changed you at all?
Mayweather
Well, I mean it just-anybody should know-your freedom is extremely important. There's nothing more important than freedom. Once you lose your freedom, you understand that. Freedom is very, very important.
q On staying in touch with Uncle Jeff Mayweather
Earlier on in your career, you had your uncle Jeff Mayweather assisting Roger with you training. Do you still talk with Uncle Jeff these days and how's he doing?
Mayweather
Oh, I talk with Jeff on a regular. What my Uncle Jeff is doing now-he's a trainer that's on the rise-my Uncle Jeff. He's training a lot of fighters-not just in the sport of boxing, but he's also trained a lot of MMA guys. So, he's very, very busy in today's time. I see him- I saw him yesterday actually at the boxing gym. He was there and he comes to my every day and works with fighters. So, he's doing good. His health is good. I'm happy as long as he's happy.
q On fighting in his home town
Floyd, you have adopted Las Vegas as your home. However, you are originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan and of course, in the first episode of All Access it showed you taking the trip back to your home time. Would you consider fighting at Grand Rapids once more before your career is over with?
Mayweather
As of right now, I can't say what the future holds, but- As of right now, I've got to be loyal to who I'm with and MGM Grand is who I'm with. That's my home and that's where I love to perform. I can't know what the future holds for Floyd Mayweather. I've been to Grand Rapids in the past and we've done some record-breaking numbers, but as of right now, it's all about the MGM Grand.
q On the face of boxing
Last week we were talking and you talked about being the face of boxing and trying to set an example for your fighters that are in your promotion team. Could you elaborate a little bit about those responsibilities and why you're taking it so seriously at this stage of your career to set that-?
Mayweather
Well, you know I only have 30 months left, so I want to just help clean the sport up. What I think is really, really great is that how Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions can sit down and do business-sit down and do business-and nobody worries about who's getting what and make sure that the main thing is what everybody-
What Mayweather Promotions tries to focus on is letting a fighter win. It's about the fighter winning because the fighter is the talent. The fighter's the talent. The fighter's taking all the risk. So we want the fighter to win, but I'm saying like in the past when you used to see Don King and Bob Arum not really see eye-to-eye. Well Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions-we communicate. We talk and we see eye-to-eye.
Like I said before, Mayweather Promotions-we've got to be a game changer. We want to be positive ... together with any company that's willing to sit down and negotiate and talk and be on the same level as us because that's what it's about in business. But, it's all about the talent. My main focus is helping guys get to that next level. If we can help guys go to their next level and hopefully someday surpass me that's whatever we're trying to do.
q On Guerrero's gun arrest
I believe on tonight's All Access show you're going to be referring to Robert Guerrero as a hypocrite in light of his gun arrest. Can you elaborate on that a little bit for us?
Mayweather
Well, Robert Guerrero was saying that I basically-money is my God. He'd been saying money is my God and I praise money. And you look at the beginning of my career, you know I always gave thanks to God and you go back to the beginning of my career. I've always given thanks to God just for blessing me with the ability that I have, blessing me with the talent that I have.
But, like I said before, this is not about religion. You know what I'm saying? What a person does or doesn't believe in God-this is not about that. This is about two fighters going out there, testing their skills against one another. That's what this is about.
You know, you've seen the story about his wife with cancer and basically I'm not here to talk disrespectful about anybody's wife, I'm not here to talk disrespectful about nobody's religion, because I'm not about that. I support different causes. I support breast cancer and I give back to the less fortunate and I don't have nothing negative to say about this man's wife. I don't have anything negative to say about his religion.
The only I was saying' was basically on one hand you're trying to be a role model for children at school. You say you're going to a school. Then you're going to the 700 Club. But then as you look closely you see he has Marilyn Monroe on the wall in his house and then he's driving a truck all over somebody's lawn.
And then a little while later after leaving the school and leaving the 700 Club this guy is going through the airport with a gun and then they were basically making jokes about me, making fun of me, talking about that Floyd Mayweather couldn't do his time. I could do my time, but who wants to lose their freedom? There's nothing cool about losing their freedom. Of course I didn't want to lose my freedom.
But like I said before, what goes around comes around. They were talking trash about me, very, very bad. Joking about me going to jail. You know? It's time for him to do his time. So basically, like I said before, he had an opinion and I had an opinion and that's the only way I feel. And I always said, I'm only human. I went out there before and said I'm only human. I contradicted myself. We all have contradicted ourselves because we are human. But like I said, nobody's perfect. We all make mistakes.
q On jail taking a toll on him
Robert seems to think that maybe-he said, "Having a year off and being in jail could take a toll on Floyd Mayweather." What are your thoughts on that?
Mayweather
If that's the way to psych yourself out, to build this confidence, then more power to him. Me, myself, I'm in tiptop shape. I'm in tiptop shape, tiptop condition. I've been in the gym working hard, working hard. So if that's the way to psych yourself out, if that's the way that he can get himself mentally prepared then more power to him.
q On if he's ready to fight again
Just to follow up on that previous question then. So you don't feel there's going to be any rust after not fighting for a year? You think he's wrong? Do you still feel unbeatable?
Mayweather
I mean of course I feel unbeatable. I mean of course I'm in the sport to go down as the best. I'm in the sport to go down as the best. I'm not going into a fight thinking that I'm beatable. Anything is possible. I'm just saying it might. But as far as my career thus far, I feel what I'm capable of doing. I feel that I can adapt.
And I think you don't just get to this level, you just don't get to the level, you just don't get the pinnacle by not facing and fighting the best competition. I just feel like I was before my time. I beat everybody, I beat everybody in the 90s and I beat everybody early on in the 2000s. Now here we go 17 years later. Like I said, my main focus is to win. I focus on winning and I'm always going to be able to control the tempo of any fight because of my experience.
q More readiness questions
So you don't have any concerns about the rust, the so-called rust?
Mayweather
Well, like I said, I've took a long time off before. I took a long time off before. This is not my first time taking a year off. This is not my first time taking a couple years off. You know, I just call it a vacation. I think the body needs time to heal. The body needs time to rejuvenate. The body needs rest.
q On his opponent humbling him
[Guerrero] has said God put him in this position to humble you. What do you make of the notion that he says God put him in this position?
Mayweather
I mean I can't even comment on it. Like I said before, I mean, once again he believes in God. I believe in God. This is not about-this fight is not about church. This fight is not about being a Catholic, being a Christian, being a Jew, being a Muslim. This is about two fighters competing, testing their skills against one another. That's what it's about.
You can hear the entire Mayweather v Guerrero conference call by clicking here.
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