By Keith Idec

Floyd Mayweather Jr. took a brief break from spending the holidays with his family to criticize two of his favorite targets.

In an interview with FightHype.com’s Ben Thompson that was posted Thursday, Mayweather claimed his former promoter, Bob Arum, and onetime opponent Oscar De La Hoya aren’t doing right by the boxers represented by their respective promotional companies – Top Rank Inc. and Golden Boy Promotions – and care only about themselves. The retired five-division champion’s criticism came in response to a question Thompson asked about whether other promoters are treating their fighters appropriately in comparison to how Mayweather Promotions operates.

“Once again, the thing is this – you’re supposed to care about a man’s physical well-being,” Mayweather said. “But it’s obvious in today’s time in the fight game, a lot of promoters don’t care about nobody but themselves and what they can get. In my opinion, Oscar De La Hoya only cares about himself. In my opinion, Bob Arum don’t care about no fighter. He only cares about himself. That’s just my opinion and, as a man, I can express and speak my opinion. It’s called freedom of speech.

“Canelo [Alvarez] just came off a good, exciting victory against a future Hall of Famer, Miguel Cotto, but they’re so fast to try and throw this guy right back in the lion’s den with another guy that they say is one of the top fighters in boxing [Gennady Golovkin]. Why is the promoter rushing and trying to throw Canelo right back in there in another rough and tough fight? If they really care about your health and your well-being, if they really care about you and your family, which they don’t, because I know – I’ve been in this sport forever, so I done seen how it works. But if they really care, me, as a promoter, I’d let that fight build. Badou Jack was in two tough fights. Do he need one or two solid bouts just to stay active before he go out there and fight another big name? Absolutely, because I care about his well-being. It’s not just about working harder – it’s about working smarter. We have to care about these fighters’ well-being.”

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.