By Ryan Songalia

If you want the best answer to a boxing question, ask a trainer. Jeff Mayweather is gaining a reputation as one of the sport's best young trainers. We were first introduced to Mayweather as a fighter, a slick technician who faced the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Joey Gamache, and others. Now, retired from the ring and still only 42 years young, Jeff Mayweather is a noted trainer in his own right. Currently, Mayweather is helping Shannon Briggs prepare for his next fight in Colorado Springs, CO. Briggs will be facing Sergei Lyakhovich for the WBO Heavyweight title on November 4 on Showtime. Besides Briggs, Mayweather also trains The Contender Season Two runner-up Steve Forbes and prospect JD Chapman.

Jeff is one of the three training Mayweathers, along with brothers Floyd Sr. and Roger. We all know his nephew Floyd Jr., who is the universally recognized pound for pound king in the sport. I recently spoke with Mayweather about Briggs' next fight, Forbes, and the continuing drama inside the Mayweather boxing family.

BoxingScene.com: How is Shannon's training going for this fight?

Jeff Mayweather: "We've only been up here a little over a week. He's trying to get acclimated to the altitude. But he's doing well, he's doing better than I expected already."

BoxingScene.com: Are you concerned about Briggs' conditioning for this fight? His primary achille's heel has been his stamina in all of his major bouts. Is this a primary concern for you?

Jeff Mayweather: "I think that's something that everybody is expecting. There've been times Shannon has gone the distance as well. I think the knock on Shannon is the fact that he tries to get you early. If he can't get you early, you have a chance. Shannon's a sharpshooter, so he's going to try to get you early. He has alot of early knockouts. That's always going to be his MO, because that's him. I think that he is going to be ready to go the distance if he needs to, that's the reason why he chose to come up here. Originally we wanted to train in Vero Beach. He wanted to come here himself, so he's pushing himself. He's pushing himself because he knows the advantages of training at altitude, and then going back down to sea level. It's going to be really beneficial for him."

BoxingScene.com: I spoke with Briggs recently and he said that he doesn't keep scales in training camp. Is weight an issue with him, or is it only important for him to feel comfortable?

Jeff Mayweather: "Most important thing for Shannon is to be in condition. To be honest, I think that Shannon skill for skill is probably the most talented heavyweight out there. Shannon's a big boy. Shannon is not a small heayweight, he's a big guy.I think that if he's somewhere around 250-255, he should be fine. I don't think that it's going to make a big, big difference. I think it will make a little difference because his speed and agility will be a little better."

BoxingScene.com: Besides training at altitude, is there anything else that Shannon is doing to condition himself for this fight?

Jeff Mayweather: "He's hired a new running coach. He's doing alot of things with him, alot of different things. He's going to be prepared, believe me. You're probably going to see the best Shannon Briggs ever. I think that now is his time because he's older and wiser and more mature. I think that that's the most important part is that you're going to see a mature Shannon Briggs, as opposed to the young kid everyone had high expectations for. There was alot of pressure on him.

I think that he got caught up because everything he had came easy for him. He was hanging out with Puffy, he was hanging out with all of these big name stars and didn't realize that he hadn't even became a star yet. He was just a fighter. Now he's more mature. It's funny because now he's become the great black hope, he's become the American hope. With all of those things, it makes him even more hungry."

BoxingScene.com: Shannon's manager Scott Hirsch stated at the press conference that he was picking Shannon to knock out Lyakhovich in 2 rounds. Is that a realistic possibility or is it just hype?

Jeff Mayweather: "Don't get me wrong, I think it's a real possibility because Shannon is a devastating puncher. Shannon's goes out to get you. This guy has been knocked out by a lesser fighter than Shannon. Don't get me wrong, I know that he's improved alot since then. We're going to be ready to go and do whatever needs to be done. When you say things like that, I think you just put it out there. It is a possibility anytime you have a guy who is a puncher. The guy has 41 knockouts. Anything can happen the first 10 seconds of the fight, if he hits you right. Shannon has that kind of power. I think the fight will go a little longer than that, but I do expect Shannon will knock him out."

BoxingScene.com: Shannon was initially supposed to fight Wladimir Klitschko, but that fight fell through. Now he finds himself taking on Lyakhovich, a lesser known commodity that many feel is more dangerous a challenge. Do you think Lyakhovich is a stiffer challenge?

Jeff Mayweather: "I think that he has a little better skills than Wladimir as a whole. At the same time, I don't think he has the punching power Wladimir has."

BoxingScene.com: No one knew who Lyakhovich was before he beat Brewster. If Briggs is able to win this fight, does this change everything or is it just another chapter in his book, this one a positive chapter.

Jeff Mayweather: "I think it's a more positive chapter in his career because expectations have always been high for Shannon, always. I think that by beating this guy, it puts us in a position to add to the legacy. All of the expectations of beating Lyakhovich. that will be the first step. Of course he has to beat Klitschko to be respected. Everyone is gunning for Klitschko because he is the money. I don't feel like that, but you have to go with what the masses say. I think it will be the first step [towards mediating] the problems he once had. It is not too late.

He's focused, and I talk to him from time to time and he's very hungry. He wants this. He's working hard, he's pushing himself. I think he's pushing himself even more than he should be at this point. I think that sometimes you can kill yourself. He has that seed of doubt, he's listening to all of the voices saying 'You haven't done this, you haven't done that.' That becomes an obstacle that becomes your friend, because you're always challenging that obstacle. With him challenging that, he's going to be in the best shape of his life. He's going to continue to hear those voices of people who have doubts and people that say that he can only fight 4 or 5 rounds, and after that anyone has a chance with him. He's preparing himself for this."

BoxingScene.com: Do you think that Shannon's new deal with Don King will help him get a better position in the division than with Cedric Kushner?

Jeff Mayweather: "Of course, Don King is the ruler of the heavyweight division. He's always had atleast 1/2 or 3/4 of the division. At some point in time, you're going to have to deal with him one way or another. It's better to be on the team than to not be on the team. That's just how I feel. If you're a heavyweight, there's nothing wrong with being with Don. If you're in a lower weight, and you have a following, Don King is the guy to be with. Like Tito Trinidad, a guy who has a name that can always generate. I don't care what heavyweight you are, you got to try to be with Don King."

BoxingScene.com: Shannon is a significant underdog in this fight by most accounts. Why will he win this fight?

Jeff Mayweather: "I think he will win because I think he's a better fighter. Simply put, I believe he's a better fighter. It has nothing to do with me working with him, I just think that he's the better fighter. To be honest, I think he's the most talented guy in the heavyweight division. That's something I saw the first day I was working with him. The first time I saw him spar, I saw his agility, his balance, his speed, power. I was like, 'why aren't you champion?'. I couldn't believe that a guy that had all of these tools isn't the champion.

I think Shannon has a great chance to win this fight. You can't count out no guy that has the punching power that Shannon has. Shannon has a full arsenal of combinations, he has speed, he has power, he has balance, he has good reflexes. Alot of time, people don't realize that because they don't get a chance to see that much of Shannon. Most guys don't get past 3-4 rounds."

BoxingScene.com: Steve Forbes is another guy you have been working with. Prior to being on the reality show The Contender, his career had grown stale and he had slipped through the cracks of the 130 pound division. How has his exposure on The Contender affected Forbes' career?

Jeff Mayweather: "One thing I think now is that people are going to see a side of Steve that they never saw. That's one thing that is good about The Contender, that it gives you a genuine side of a person, not just a person's ability to fight. You can generate a fanbase of people that just like your character, the person that you are, maybe just the way you look. There are so many different assets involved in being on The Contender. The Contender can make anyone someone, alot of these guys on The Contender, who knows them? No one. But I guarantee you that, where they go now, people know them. Alot of times on shows like that, because it's not about the boxing aspect of it, that you have so many people who have become somebody. Look at Jesse Brinkley. Jesse Brinkley became huge in Vegas. Nobody even knew him, but then he started going to the malls, and people were asking him for his autograph. Jesse Brinkley! Who's that? Before The Contender, who was Jesse Brinkley?

One thing about Steve, Steve is a genuine good guy, genuine. On the show, that character trait in him is going to show, that he's a good guy. No matter what, no matter who you are, as long as you're a good guy, you're going to have people who are going to want to see you. And not only want to see you, they're going to want to see you win. He's going to have a stronger following, more people are going to come out and want to see Steve Forbes and be a part of Steve Forbes' success. We talked about The Contender before he even did it. I talked to him, I told him it's a major risk. But I said 'What do you really have to lose, too? Even though you've been world champion and everything, you're still unknown. But this, is going to turn you into somebody.' It's almost as if he's got a second career."

BoxingScene.com: November 4 is the date of the Shannon Briggs fight, but that date is also shared with your nephew Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s PPV bout with Carlos Baldomir. Do you see the irony there?

Mayweather: "I think the thing is that it's a network thing. I think Showtime is in competition with HBO and they figure that 'Hey, we'll kill some of HBO's shows by putting on a talented heavyweight fight.' I think that's the basis of why that fight happened on the same day. No other reason."

BoxingScene.com: What do you think about the Mayweather-Baldomir fight? Do you have a pick, and how will this fight unfold?

Jeff Mayweather: "I think it's a fight for Floyd to win on his own terms. Baldomir is nowhere near Floyd's talent. He's a strong guy, but everyone is acting like this guy does something phenomenal. He beat Zab Judah, Okay, so what. Floyd beat Zab Judah. He beat Gatti. Floyd beat Gatti. Floyd beat both of them easier than he did. It's up to Floyd how he wins the fight. Anything can happen in boxing, but skill for skill, it's not even a fight. It's a mismatch. Baldomir is strong, strength don't mean nothing when you can't hit him.

I think the strategy that Floyd has to use to beat Baldomir is pretty much like he did with Corrales and Gatti. He has to fight that type of style, where he's got to be in and he's got to be out. He's got to make his legs a part of the fight. I don't want to see him fight a fight like he fought Zab Judah, where he hid behind his shoulder and just tried to walk Zab down. It was a macho thing between him and Zab, he wanted to prove a point to Zab. Floyd's not strong enough to do that to this guy. He can, but why even try when you don't have to?

If Floyd boxes to Baldomir, he's going to beat him real easy. I can't see Floyd knocking this guy out, but he can outbox him. Anything can happen in boxing. If I had to make a pick, I'd have to pick Floyd. To be honest, skill for skill today, I can't see anybody that can touch Floyd. No matter what the weight class is, he's just the best fighter out there skillwise."

BoxingScene.com: Floyd has been eyeing a big money fight with one of your former opponents, Oscar De La Hoya. Is there any legitimacy to these talks, and what would happen if they ever did fight?

Jeff Mayweather: "I don't think that the fight is ever going to happen. I think that the right fight is happening, and that's Trinidad-De La Hoya. You're talking about two guys that have history together, two guys that have long layoffs, and two guys that are close to the same age. It's the perfect fight, it's one of the biggest fights in boxing. People are willing to pay their money to see it. Both of these guys have a huge, HUGE following. If De La Hoya wins, he gets vindication. They've got to fight again. It's a fan's fight.

The fight with Floyd is about the controversy, more than anything. Father against son. It's never been done in the history of boxing. That's the selling point. Brother against brother, that's the selling point. It's not so much the fighter's themselves. If Floyd Senior wasn't in Oscar's corner, no one would care about that fight."

BoxingScene.com: How are things with Junior and Senior? It's common knowledge that they haven't seen eye to eye at all times. Is their relationship still strained or have they been getting along?

Jeff Mayweather: "They don't have a good relationship. Let me put it this way, they aren't The Cleavers (Laughs). They're father and son and their relationship is a little strained. I think that they're civil. That's the best way to put it, they're civil."

BoxingScene.com: Are they on speaking terms?

Jeff Mayweather : "I'm not really around them because I'm in Florida now. From time to time, I've seen them talk. It's not like they hate each other, no it's not that type of relationship. It's a relationship of a fighter who has been hurt by his son. At the end of the day, no matter what, if your son hurts you, he's still your son. You still have love for him, no matter what. It's unfortunate what had happened between them two, but at the end of the day, they're still father and son.

It's kind of like me and Floyd. Me and Floyd don't speak, but he's still my nephew. I don't want him to lose. I don't want anything bad to happen to him because he's my nephew."

BoxingScene.com: HBO Commentator Larry Merchant once said that it's hard to find two Mayweathers that like each other. Is that true or is it all hype?

Jeff Mayweather: "That's Larry Merchant's opinion (Laughs). I get along with everyone fine. If I chose to get along with Floyd, I could get along with Floyd. I chose to pull myself out of that equation because I didn't like the person he became. I've talked to Floyd Sr. every day, I've talked to Roger every day and they even talk to each other. Don't get me wrong, there was a time when those two were at odds, too. I've never been at odds with anyone.

That's tv. Controversy sells."

Have any questions you'd like to ask me? Send them to me at mc_rson@yahoo.com