On September 13th at the MGM Grand garden arena Floyd Mayweather will face Marcos Maidana in highly anticipated rematch titled ‘Mayhem.’ Mayweather, now 37, is in his 18th year as a champion, remaining undefeated while facing the best in multiple divisions, but rarely being threatened in the ring. Floyd looks to improve on his majority decision win and remove any doubt at all from the results of the first bout.
I recently had a chance to speak with Floyd Mayweather Jr. about his upcoming rematch with Marcos Maidana and discuss what the fans can expect from ‘Mayhem.’ Floyd spoke in detail about dealing with fouls in the ring, and how he will deal with any fouls coming from Maidana. Mayweather also talked about his fathers advise in the corner and how he thinks that could play into the rematch. Additionally Floyd talked about the perception that he needs to win more clearly in the rematch. Here is what Floyd Mayweather Jr. had to say.
Jenna J: You’ve dealt with fighters fighting rough during your whole career. Zab Judah and Victor Ortiz intentionally fouled you. How do you stay poised in the ring when this is happening to you?
Floyd Mayweather: The thing is this, I try to tell my sons to always conduct themselves like gentlemen. I say, “Under any circumstances, always conduct yourself like a gentlemen.” Even though — you guys have seen all access — you must understand that it’s about entertainment also. I got to sell tickets, that’s a part of my job, and I signed up for this. But when it’s something like that, I just tell myself, “Keep your composure, just relax.”
The referee is gonna do his job, and I guess on the night where a guy was the worst, the referee did a little work but he had a bad night. Like I said before, it’s crazy and this didn’t just start, this has been going on since the beginning of my career. If you guys go back and look how fighters have been fighting dirty and trying to pull dirty tactics. Even in the Canelo fight, go look and see.
Leonard Ellerbe: I want to touch on that too. Personally for me, I’ve always noticed that Floyd has always taken the high road in all these situations. That’s one of the things that I really admire about him because he could take a different approach with being the leader of the sport. He’s not about crying and complaining, but a lot of these situations that come about, he just takes the high road to it.
Floyd preaches all these kind of things to members of his team and camp, it’s all about being positive, turn a negative situation into something positive. You go back to the Zab Judah situation, he was the one that stood there and didn’t retaliate and that just goes to show you what type of professional he is.
Jenna J: In the post fight presser you mentioned that your father was giving you very good advice but that you wanted to fight the way that you wanted to fight in the first fight. What can fans expect to see? How much different is the second fight gonna be from the first?
Floyd Mayweather: My dad was giving me good advice, not saying that his advice wasn’t right or wrong, but it’s totally different inside than how it looks on the outside.
Jenna J: How much do you want to dominate Marcos Maidana compared to the first fight? How much do you want to end any doubt?
Floyd Mayweather: Well, I think nine rounds to three rounds is a shutout. I’m pretty sure you can Youtube the fight and I’m actually gonna get with Showtime today so I can put the fight on FloydMayweather.com so you guys can go watch the fight.
Look at the fight, the fight is not close. He came out, he won the first round, I won the second round, he won the third and the fourth and from the fifth on, he lost every round. I want to go out there and I guess get a knockout, win twelve rounds and look impressive, but also be exciting.
ADDITIONAL QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA CALL
Why ultimately did you decide to fight Maidana again?
Floyd Mayweather: The fans demanded it, the fans said it was real exciting so of course since the fans said it was exciting my team came up the idea. As I said before, I am a man of my word, just like I said after the fight, if you feel like you want to do it again, lets do it again, if you feel you really won. So we are making it happen again.
Can you comment on Kenny Bayless as a referee?
Floyd Mayweather: I think Tony is an extraordinary referee. I think Kenny Bayless is an extraordinary referee. Tony Weeks is only human, he’s capable of having a bad night. It doesn’t matter who the ref is gonna be, we’re just gonna go out there and entertain and give the people and exciting fight. I’m pretty sure Kenny Bayless is gonna be watching both sides extremely close.
What was it about Maidana that took you a little bit to figure out what he was doing?
Floyd Mayweather: I didn’t say it was tough or hard to make adjustments. I took my time. If you look at the interviews I said, “He came out kind of wild, and I took my time and kept my composure.” I can make adjustments and I can adapt to any style, whether it’s in the first round or second round.
Canelo is by far — just because I beat Canelo in eleven rounds, that doesn’t mean he’s not a better fighter than Maidana. Canelo is by far stronger and he tried to pull a couple of dirty tactics but like I said before, that comes with the territory.
Do you think 50 cent crossed the line by suggesting that you had trouble reading?
Floyd Mayweather: My thing is this, I try to focus on Maidana, I don’t really focus on that. I think that people can believe whatever they want to believe. Intelligence and education are two different things. I’m happy with my career and I wish 50 cent nothing but the best. When I’m in training camp I try to focus on my training and you gotta realize that the circus is for clowns and my job is just to focus on my job which is boxing. I know what I can and can’t do, so I couldn’t care less.
What you guys don’t know, when you’re dealing with Pay-per-view, you have to read at least sixty to seventy teleprompters and I don’t think they can choose a better person for the job than myself. I go out there and do it with no problem. I’m not judged by a person, I’m judged by God, reading does not define my place in boxing history.
Will God not let me in heaven because I didn’t read like a news anchor? I would be perfect at reading if it were how I made my living and fed my family. Once again, intelligence and education are two different things.
Making fun of a person because they can’t read is not funny, it’s tragic. If I really couldn’t read, it would make my accomplishments even that much more amazing. I don’t know if 50 cent is a boxing promoter or if he’s making music, I really don’t know. My focus is Floyd Mayweather, and I wish him nothing but the best.
Will you being going for a knockout in the rematch?
Floyd Mayweather: I’m just going to let the fight play out the way it’s going to play out, if the knockout presents itself, of course I’m going to take full advantage of the knockout.
Do you think there is anything you can do different for the judges to see the fight unanimously in your favor instead of a close majority decision?
Floyd Mayweather: I don’t know what I can do, just like my fight with Canelo, I feel like I dominated that fight, but it was a split decision. When I fought Oscar De La Hoya, I felt like I dominated and that was a split decision. The only thing I can do is go out there and fight.
He definitely dominated both canelo and oscar i dont know what those judges was watching at all
Nice interview
You’re full of b.s. Floyd. How do you teach your sons to Conduct themselves as a gentleman? By beating their mothers? You’re full of lies. Just shut up and fight, no more lies no more excuses, teach your sons not to be a coward, show them how to be tough, show them how to be a man, make them believe you’ve got balls, give us the fight the boxing world wants to see, man up for your sons sake.
I will get my head chopped by the Syrian Rebel if Floyd knocked out Maidana. I already have it in writing, Stamped and sighed by a legal officer.
What a hypocrite, asshole, his idea of a gentleman is not a gentleman. the fans and the world wanted you to fight Paquiao asshole!! quit evading and fight who the fans really want you to fight. You’re the one that wanted a rematch with Maidana since you think you’ve dominated him fight someone else. o and you did not dominate Delahoya I think he should’ve gotten a rematch and the fans were pining for even Oscar was saying if he got rematch he would win in front of you asshole. Floyd just sat there like a retard in that interview with Oscar. Floyd did not want that rematch
This clown floyd is the most hypocrite in the whole world of sports. He said he fought maidana because it is the fans wanted when he himself conducted a poll in the internet asking fans whom they want him to fight, it was overwhelming that fans wanted him to fight Amir Khan instead he choose Maidana.
Second, he was claiming to read lots of teleprompter when doing a ppv when can not even finish a 10 second drop in iheart radio. Hahaha, this clown is not just uneducated, illiterate but also a FOOL. Good luck reading CAT IN THE HAT. HAHAHHAHAHHHAHHAHAHAA.
Floyd sounds like Manny in this interview.. talking about his kids and God. Sounding more low profile and down to earth.[getting some sympathy] I think people only bashes him of his difficulty in reading because he’s the antagonist here and Floyd knows that and knows what to expect from people in return. We all know about his racial rants in the past and mocking other people and saying that it’s all part of the game and to sell fights. Now we all know he’s just fronting for a long time so maybe it’s time to realize that Manny is not getting any younger either. So the tables just have turned and it is Floyd’s turn on the receiving end. We don’t hate him. We just gave him a dose of his own medicine.
“The fans demanded it, the fans said it was real exciting so of course since the fans said it was exciting my team came up the idea. ”
– Did anyone really demanded this non-sense fight to take place again?
I think he will just do the same thing he did in the first fight, he will not engage into a brawl, because Maidana has that power to kill Mayweather.
Who says Floyd can knockout Maidana? assh*le,you’re not Manny Pacquiao who can do such things….you’re a coward bum! and America hates you so much about that….better go back to Africa,Mr African waste! FLOYDCOTT!
good interview Jenna J Ontheropes
You can harp 24/7 about Floyd’s reading proficiency or lack thereof, but someday when the subject of Floyd’s legacy discussed, only boxing historians’ opinions count. Poets, novelists, and English PhD’s couldn’t care less.
In fact, Floyd may use his reading handicap to his advantage by creating a foundation or a charitable trust to promote reading proficiency in disadvantaged and underprivileged African-American children. He can even use himself as an example. Not every black kid who dreams about it becomes a Floyd, or Tiger Woods, or Lebron, or Michael Jordan. In a similar theme as that adage, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” I think Floyd’s PR should look into this. But what do I know about anything. Just my 2 cents.
If Mayweather will fight like a brawler and not like just a little kid who runs every time he was hurt , it will be a huge war, I will pick Mayweather again as winner by split decision. I wish he decide to fight Pacquiao early next year, if that fight happens, Mayweather will retire!