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Floyd Sr: "I don't think he's done, he just wanted a reason to pull out of the fight"
It's safe to say boxers are never short on being boastful. From Muhammed Ali calling himself the greatest to George Foreman saying he could beat anyone, if there's a boxer around, a good quote is sure to follow.
But this doesn't just apply to the boxers themselves, but also their trainers.
A man who considers himself to be the greatest trainer in the world stopped by The Factory in Duluth last weekend. Floyd Mayweather, former boxer turned coach, made an appearance at the open house for The Factory's new boxing training facility, complete with a regulation ring and all the various punching bags one would need to train.
Renowned for having some of the quickest hands of any fighter, Mayweather was there to give demonstrations and tips to some of the fighters at the facility, as well as to do one of his favorite activities, recite poetry.
"I have all kinds of poems floating in my head," he said. "I like to write one for before each fight and then one for after."
Mayweather said his poetry sticks to the sport, because that is his love and what he knows.
While he may seem very outspoken about his work, it is not without merit. He said he is very sought after by fighters wanting the best, but he has gotten to the point where he has had to turn them down, instead focusing on his core group. Most notably, he served as Oscar de la Hoya's trainer from 2001-2006, and is now the trainer for Laila Ali and light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson.
"I do a lot of stuff other trainers don't, and mine works," he said. "I motivate, innovate and create. That's what it takes to win."
The man who resides in Vegas had agreed to once again train De la Hoya for the highly anticipated rematch fight with Mayweather's son, current welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. But this partnership looks to be dissolved as the son announced his retirement from the sport the day Mayweather was in Duluth.
"I don't think he's done, he just wanted a reason to pull out of the fight," the elder Mayweather said, touching on the rift between father and son. "I don't know if I'll continue to train De la Hoya, I haven't spoken to him."
The strained relationship between the two Mayweathers has been a notable story in boxing over the years. As the younger Floyd began rising in the ranks, he became more outspoken and the two suffered a falling out. The father said he has not spoken to his son in about a year, and not for seven years before that.
"It's hard to train someone to fight your son, but then that's part of the business," he said referring to the likely canceled De la Hoya fight. "I never wanted to do it, but it leaves you no choice."
Mayweather's appearance at the gym was made possible in part by The Factory's lead trainer, Lincoln Buggs, who got his start at the same gym in Grand Rapids, Mich. as Mayweather. Buggs said Mayweather was turning pro when he first started fighting there.
"It was extraordinary watching him train," Buggs said. "No one had hand speed like him. We've kept up over the years so it was easy to call him up and get him to come here."
To have a man of Mayweather's stature in the gym was an honor for owner Erik Richards.
"It's just unbelievable to have him here. Just the number of great fighters he's trained is amazing. I think the best part is that our coaches will learn a lot from him to pass onto their fighters," he said.
One of those fighters who got a chance to step into the ring with Mayweather was Richards' daughter, Payton, the 2008 Junior Olympic boxing champion for Georgia. Mayweather had her hit his hands while she was wearing gloves. His speed still at 55 proved to be mostly intact.
"I watch a lot of these fighters today, and I think 'I'm faster than them,'" Mayweather said. "I got into the ring to spar with someone a few months ago, and a few days later I asked him if he wanted another go, and he said he'd had enough."
For Mayweather, training is a way of life, and one that has made his life very comfortable. He said he hopes when all is said and done his son will come around and try to reconcile things.
"I'm very proud of all that he's accomplished," the father said. "I taught him all of the basics and it's great knowing he did something positive with his life.
"I try not to worry about things too much because I know he'll one day come around. But for now, I'll let him do him and let me do me."
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