Floyd Mayweather’s Media Day Open Workout Sneak Preview

Posted on | September 7, 2011 | No Comments

A life-size photo of "Vicious" Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22KOs) stares down on a throng of press swarming his September 17th opponent Floyd "Money" Mayweather, Jr. (41-0, 25 KOs). A huge fight poster on the wall at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas on Tuesday, September 5, 2011 gives Victor Ortiz a bird's eye view of Al Bernstein interviewing Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather and Ortiz will throw down in less than two weeks.

By: Rich Bergeron

Upon gloving up and getting in the ring to train for a swarm of press Tuesday afternoon, Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. (41-0, 25 KOs) ordered the air conditioning of the gym to cease and desist. He wanted to train in the heat.

“Cut the air off,” he bellowed. “The gym gotta be hot. Can’t cook with cold grease.”

What he called “a light workout” when it was all over included: pad work with Roger Mayweather, a heavy bag session, a few minutes over at the speed bag, his signature stand up and punch sit-ups and other ab work, some weighted neck lifts, furious jump roping with and without ankle weights, shadowboxing with weights, and some hard minutes at the pull-up and dips station.

Floyd and Roger work the punch mitts.

Mayweather was literally sweatin’ to the oldies in the ring, rocking out to classic James Brown tunes and rap with his Cutman Rafael Garcia between doing ab work for a swarm of cameras and reporters.

Floyd’s first entry to the gym Tuesday created a seismic shift in the media coverage.

Before he arrived, most reporters and camera crews were focused on Jessie Vargas. Once the Vargas media storm slowed to a squall, Trainer and Retired Boxer Roger “The Original Black Mamba” Mayweather (59-13, 35 KOs) became the center of the media’s attention. As Floyd Mayweather Jr. made his first few strides into the main gym reporters and camera crews absolutely enveloped him and his entourage, giving the label “press” new meaning. Every camera in the room flocked to Floyd’s side within seconds. His soldiers stood in position at the ready to help him transition from one stage of training to the next. It was a showcase of a lifetime of perfecting his craft, guided by family and friends. Mayweather’s Vegas swagger combined with his ability to keep coming back to the boxing well and tapping his God given talent are something special.

Floyd Mayweather, Sr.

Nowhere in sight was Floyd Mayweather Sr. (28-6-1, 18 KOs), who is seemingly too much of an under-achiever to be kept on at Team Mayweather as a trusted advisor. Floyd Jr. lambasted his father on the first episode of the 24/7 series chronicling Floyd’s preparation for his September 17th bout with “Vicious” Victor Ortiz.  Junior and senior went at each other like they were imitating the worst blowout between the father and son duo from American Chopper. The controversy turned out to reward the show’s viewers with some heavy drama, much to the detriment of their father and son relationship.  Floyd Junior basically chased his namesake out the front door of the facility with insulting barbs targeting the fact that his father has no gym of his own or world champion boxers under his tutelage.

Floyd Senior is now talking about opening his own Las Vegas gym in the aftermath of the verbal dust up. Floyd Mayweather Junior addressed the family feud briefly after his workout was over Tuesday, lamenting that the fight with his father seems to overshadow coverage of him feeding the homeless and helping out school children in the Vegas area. The on-again, off-again public feuding between father and son might be finally approaching the point of no return. Their history is intense and personal, but they’ve reconciled in the past, and there may be less love lost with enough passage of time.

It appears one issue behind Floyd Junior’s 24/7 outburst could be linked to senior’s training suggestions and constant commentary. Most of the son’s tirade focused on the fact that Roger Mayweather is his trainer now and the one most responsible for his success. From the tone and tenor of Tuesday’s workout session, it seems that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. likes to have little said directly to him–by anybody–while he is officially at work in the gym. For “Money” Mayweather, silence is truly golden, and that’s a fact his team ultimately respects. Things might not always be the same when the camera’s not rolling, but it must seem like they never stop rolling when you’re a fighter with Floyd’s fame and stature in the sport.

Lead Trainer Roger Mayweather is soft-spoken and quiet, and it’s sometimes hard to hear exactly what he’s saying, even when he’s standing right next to you. Tuesday he came into the gym and sat down to wait for Floyd on the steps leading to the ring. A crush of press lined up to ask him questions he happily answered. He is patient, calm, and never appears to be self-absorbed or craving the spotlight that comes to him naturally. He also knows the fight game since he’s been a part of it and fought a who’s who of famous fighters during his generation in the boxing spotlight. He’s held and lost titles, and he’s passed his best lessons on to his nephew Floyd during the years the two have trained together.

One reporter asked Roger if Floyd would be ready when the Ortiz fight finally comes. “A fighter don’t get ready the day of the fight,” the wise trainer replied.

Leonard Ellerbe

Roger Mayweather and Leonard Ellerbe take on a natural speak when spoken to mentality while working with their star pupil. During the entire routine Tuesday, no commands were shouted at Floyd and only quiet and casual conversation took place between the boxer and his staff.

Floyd moved at his own pace and made his own decisions. He worked seamlessly with Roger on the pads without the trainer having to say a word to the trainee. Aside from a few moments of moving and grooving to the music with Cutman and Hand-Specialist Rafael Garcia, Mayweather took the session very seriously and seemed to run his own workout with his team’s collective support rather than under their constant direction.

Floyd’s interaction with the press was also fairly limited during his actual training time, though he stopped in mid-workout to make sure his staff sent out Twitter updates about the session streaming live on UStream for all his fans. He also called out for the Ustream cameras a few times and addressed his audience on the streaming site multiple times.

"hater"

Floyd’s only major distraction came when he singled out and harangued a young reporter for a few moments during his heavy bag work, repeatedly calling him “a hater” for comments the scribe spoke into his tape recorder after Mayweather announced a multi-million dollar bet he wanted to make with Oscar De La Hoya and Ortiz. He pledged $5 million they would have to split at $2.5 million each. Floyd’s sports betting’s become somewhat of a side job while Floyd’s been between fights in Las Vegas. He often tweets about his big wins.

Mayweather leveled a low blow at his former opponent-turned-promoter when he suggested De La Hoya could use the bet money to “buy more product.” If the members of the gathered press let that reference to Oscar’s drug use go over their heads, he clarified the remark by adding, “We know he’s got his vices.”

Both Mayweathers offered limited thoughts about the potential for Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, but it seems inevitable now that the two will have to fight each other as long as they both win their next bouts. Despite the defamation lawsuit filed by Pacquiao still pending against Mayweather Promotions, Roger and Floyd Junior and Senior, both Floyd and Roger referenced the need for drug testing.

“On one note, they try to take me to the court room, right? I prefer to hold court inside the squared circle,” Floyd said about the legal situation with Pac-Man.

“He’s gonna have to take that test,” Roger Mayweather said about Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs). “That’s the only way it’s gonna hapen.”

Between workout stations Floyd chanted, “No cheatin’! If you the best, take the test.” Since reports are circulating that say Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum is now open to making the match happen, 2012 could be the year of the Super Bout.

Before Mayweather even threw a single punch Tuesday, he made sure to work his jaw thoroughly. The pre-training interviews went on for nearly an hour, right up through his hand wrapping. When he stepped into the ring wrapped and ready, I asked my lone question of the day: “Floyd, what do you love most about boxing?”

I had to ask again, because I guessed he either purposely ignored the question or didn’t want to field any more. He paused a few moments and finally replied, “Everything.”

CLICK HERE FOR FULL FLOYD MAYWEATHER PHOTO GALLERY

Jessie Vargas

The open workout session also opened some huge doors for light welterweight Jessie Vargas (16-0, 9 KOs). Vargas is another local prospect for a world championship. His flawless record proves Mayweather Promotions knows how new champions are made in boxing. Vargas is coming off wins against Walter Estrada and Vivian Harris, and he faces a stiff test September 17th on the Mayweather/Ortiz undercard against Joselito Lopez (29-3, 17 KOS). His form looks incredible, and his reach and size is deceiving for his weight.

Vargas is in phenomenal shape and has a snappy 1-2 combo and brutal uppercuts. He circles the ring well and looks to be extremely well conditioned.

VARGAS OPEN WORKOUT PHOTOS: (Click Thumbnails to see full size)

Long before Floyd’s gratuitous bath in the white hot spotlight, the gym teemed with life as the younger, more obscure boxers enjoyed a bit of attention. Errant stares from the impatient media waiting for Vargas and Mayweather to start their training days focused on the other fighters in the gym. Most of them could be identified by their official gym shirts or their extremely fit physique. A quiet confidence could be seen in their eyes, and they all seemed to realize that someday all the cameras in the room might be there to preview their own fights. The motto of the gym along with the facility’s 2007 founding date are emblazoned on each trainee and team member’s t-shirt. “We Make Champions” is the Mayweather mantra, and it’s already starting to make its way into the youngest hearts and minds.

Floyd Diaz (left) is just 8 years old and already training hard enough at the Mayweather Boxing Club to earn him the nickname “Cash Flow.” He is living proof of a boxing legacy taking shape at the gym. Floyd Mayweather himself gave the young boxer the moniker after watching him train. The boy’s father took advantage of some down time before Floyd arrived Tuesday and put his son in the ring to shadow box. “Cash Flow” looks to be a very promising talent for his age, and he oozes confidence.

Diaz even interrupted Roger Mayweather at one point while he was answering questions from the gathered press. The youngster reached through the ropes to give the trainer a fist bump and went right back to his routine. Diaz later went right around the gym fist-bumping everyone he knew before he left for the day, even me. A little bit of the “Money” Mayweather class is obviously rubbing off on the little guy.

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