By Luis Sandoval

The build up to a Floyd Mayweather fight wouldn’t be complete without a pre-fight series documenting his and his opponent’s life and training leading up to their showdown. Floyd may have left HBO for Showtime but Mr. 24/7 is now Mr. All Access and nothing’s changed but the name of the show.

One thing that is new is his opponent as Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero is the latest boxer to get a chance to dethrone Mayweather and collect a lucrative pay day in the process.

Episode one of All Access opens up with both fighters claiming why they will be victorious and why the other has no chance. For Floyd, there’s no blue print to beat him. For Robert, it’s questioning his 36 year old opponent’s legs.

Things get more interesting when we see Mayweather return back to the place where it all started; his hometown of Grand Rapids, MI. Mayweather admits he hasn’t been back in about 5 years as he tours the city in freezing weather. We are also introduced to Mayweather’s Grandmother who Floyd manages to coax into cursing at the cameras. It made for a funny moment but Floyd is soon off again and makes sure to leave one of his signature money stacks behind for the woman he says gave him the best she could give him when he was growing up.

Things move from one small town to another as we are taken to Gilroy, CA where Robert Guerrero was born and raised and still resides with his wife and kids. While Mayweather is normally seen as the villain, it is Guerrero and his father who quickly begin the war of words as they critique the “cheerleaders” Floyd has around him at the gym. Robert goes on a rant as he questions the way Floyd represents himself and calls him a clown.

Guerrero and his team strike first blood but Floyd soon gets his chance when they meet face to face at a promotional shoot.

“What does it take to sell this fight? The fight is sold already because of me. It’s a Mayweather weekend, it’s a Mayweather show. Robert Guerrero, the only thing he has to do is show up” boasted Floyd after showing up 3 hours late to the shoot.

Floyd gets in Guerrero’s face as both fighters jaw back and forth with even WBC Lightweight champion Adrien Broner getting involved. When things go back to Las Vegas, we find out that while both Roger and Floyd Mayweather Sr will be training Floyd, only Floyd Sr will be working the corner on fight night. Both father and son have had falling outs in the past but seem to have once again righted the ship as working together is something Floyd says makes them all stronger.

One of the reasons many felt Guerrero would be a great fit for a pre fight documentary series such as All Access is because of the great story he has. Guerrero’s wife Casey Guerrero was diagnosed with cancer which made for very difficult times for their family. Fortunately for them, Casey was able to beat cancer as they overcame a tough moment in their life. They’ve been together 14 years and Robert has stuck with her through thick and thin.

Floyd also has his moments with his family as he buys out a movie theatre so he and his daughter can enjoy a movie night and spend time together. It’s more proof that Floyd’s lifestyle can provide him and his family luxuries we can only dream of. If we learned anything else about Floyd is that 30months isn’t just the limit on his contract with Showtime, but also with the sport of boxing. 

The show ends with Guerrero embarking on a stressful and busy media tour while Floyd remains home and trains like only he can. It’s a huge contrast as its Guerrero busy promoting himself and the fight and missing training sessions while Floyd’s schedule goes uninterrupted. 

Ross Greenburg was brought in to help this series retain what made Floyd’s run on 24/7 so great as Greenburg worked as producer since the genesis of 24/7 back in 2007. While the first episode was entertaining, you come to the realization that Mayweather might simply be a different person now.

Floyd has definitely toned down and it’s understandable as Mayweather is now 36 year old and has reached the pinnacle of his success. He’s at the top so there’s nowhere to go but down and you better believe Floyd is going to do his best to make sure he stays just where he’s at for the next 30 months.

Guerrero is a fresh face and the more this series goes, the more we’ll find out about him and how he handles being on this big stage. In the past, some of Mayweather’s opponents have been reluctant to engage in verbal warfare but with Guerrero, Floyd has a guy that can bring the best out of him again. And judging from the first face to face meeting, it looks like he may already have.

Grade: 4/5

You can follow Luis Sandoval on Twitter @Truewest007. You can also tune in to BoxingScene Radio, Boxingscene’s official audio show every Tuesday from 6-8PM PST with hosts Ernest Gabion, Luis Sandoval, and Ryan Burton.