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LEONARD ELLERBE: "HE HASN'T BEEN CHALLENGED BECAUSE FLOYD IS JUST THAT GOOD"
By Percy Crawford | April 20, 2010
"Floyd is a gifted fighter and he works harder than any fighter out there, so he talks more trash than any fighter out there. When you put that work into the gym and it translates to the ring, you have the right to say whatever you want until someone could prove you wrong. It's not a knock on all of his previous opponents, because Floyd has faced some great fighters, but he hasn't been challenged because he is that good. Floyd is just that good! Shane is going to be no different on May 1st. He's going to bring his best, I'm sure of that, but it won't be enough and come May 1st, Floyd will be 41-0…I truly expect the best performance to date from Floyd. I have seen every indication of that. Mosley will be well-prepared and he's going to come to give the fans everything that they want to see, but it won't be enough," stated Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, as he talked about Floyd Mayweather's upcoming clash with Shane Mosley.
PC: How is it going L?
LE: What's up Percy? Everything is good.
PC: When you have an undefeated fighter that doesn't make many technical mistakes, how do you gauge his progress in the gym and be comfortable with where he is at?
LE: When Floyd comes to the gym, he knows exactly what he has to do. Floyd is the hardest working fighter out there, so it's not really any one thing we look for because he always trains hard. I don't know if that answers your question, but like I said, there is not really one thing we look for because Floyd is a hard worker and it all comes together.
PC: Freddie Roach and some other people within the sport said Floyd would never fight Shane Mosley. The fight is about 2 weeks away now…
LE: (Cutting in) People like that are only looking for ways to hype themselves and their fighter. Floyd doesn't pay attention to any of that. Floyd's record speaks for itself. Floyd has fought many great fighters and Shane Mosley is no different, so that's just a way for them to try to hype themselves, but they should worry less about Floyd and more about their own fighters. This is what people have to understand. You don't get to be the best in the sport, the most watched fighter in the sport and the highest paid fighter in the sport if you're not doing things the right way.
PC: There haven't been many fighters that could challenge Floyd inside of the ring. Do you think a lot of the negative things people say about Floyd are simply because fighters haven't been able to push him?
LE: Floyd is a gifted fighter and he works harder than any fighter out there, so he talks more trash than any fighter out there. When you put that work into the gym and it translates to the ring, you have the right to say whatever you want until someone could prove you wrong. It's not a knock on all of his previous opponents, because Floyd has faced some great fighters, but he hasn't been challenged because he is that good. Floyd is just that good! Shane is going to be no different on May 1st. He's going to bring his best, I'm sure of that, but it won't be enough and come May 1st, Floyd will be 41-0!
PC: Floyd also gets criticized for his style, which, as a boxing fan, I have a great deal of respect for what he does in the ring, but some people don't appreciate it.
LE: The name of the game and the reason why he's been so successful at this level for so long is because he's a smart fighter and he knows the game better than anybody out there. He's a smart fighter that doesn't get hit.
PC: The funny thing is people seem to think as soon as he gets hit, he will fold the tent. Everyone that I speak to that picks Shane to win feels like once Shane hits him, Floyd is going to fold. Why do you think the perception of Floyd is that he is soft?
LE: That's just from people that want to see a slug fest. The name of the game is boxing and hit and don't be hit. If we can walk away from this sport and have people wonder if Floyd can take a shot or not, that is a great thing.
PC: Is Floyd doing anything different to prepare for Shane that he hasn't done in the past?
LE: Floyd looks at all of his opponents the same. He respects everyone that he steps in that squared circle with. I have never seen Floyd prepare for a fight as hard as he is preparing for this fight, and that's saying a lot, but he looks at everyone the same, so he isn't doing anything different necessarily; just taking things up a notch.
PC: I know you guys are not looking past Shane, but at the same time, I'm sure you plan on being successful in May. After Mosley, how many more challenges do you see out there for Floyd to make him stick around?
LE: That's a hard question because, in my opinion, he is so much better than the rest, I don't know who we would view as a challenge.
PC: You have been on record saying expect a Corrales-like performance. What makes you that confident that we will see that Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
LE: I truly expect the best performance to date from Floyd. I have seen every indication of that. Mosley will be well-prepared and he's going to come to give the fans everything that they want to see, but it won't be enough.
PC: All of the greats - Ali, Leonard, Duran and the list goes on and on - they were not only exceptional fighters in the ring, but also exceptional at the mental aspect of the game; the mental warfare. They were great at getting their opponents out of character. Do you view Mosley as being out of character right now with the smack talk back and forth with Floyd?
LE: One thing we know for a fact is that we live in a world and a society where a lot of things are based on factual info. I know for a fact that the majority of the elite fighters out there are jealous of Floyd. You can get mad that Floyd is earning 8 figures every time he steps inside of the ring, but he's worked hard to get to that point. You have a guy like Mosley, who I know for a fact sits around and asks, "Why does Floyd get paid this and why Floyd get this and that?" Focus on your own career instead of worrying about what Floyd has going on and you may get there one day. The thing is Shane is 5 years older than Floyd though, so it may be too late. Instead of these guys sitting around and trying to find ways to criticize Floyd, they need to follow his business model. Floyd gets 100% of his money and I can't stress that enough or say it enough. No other fighter out there can say that.
PC: You guys have also created a model for him to make money outside of the sport of boxing and I don't think a lot of boxers understand the importance of that.
LE: We worked hard to build his brand to be able to take it to the next level. Floyd has a phenomenal fan base and everyone has an opinion about Floyd - good, bad or indifferent - and that's a good thing. That's the reason he was the most talked about fighter when he was away for nearly 2 years.
PC: How does Floyd react when he sees some of the negative things being said about him?
LE: He doesn't consume himself or concern himself with the negative criticism. Floyd doesn't read the papers and things like that to really see that stuff.
PC: A lot of fighters haven't gotten their just due until they walked away from the sport. Do you think Floyd is in that same boat?
LE: I don't think Floyd will get the credit he deserves until he walks away from the sport. I mean, if you look at when he did walk away from the sport, somehow or some way, his name always came up on every telecast. Some kind of way they would find a way to mention Floyd's name and I think that's because he was missed. Love him, hate him or whatever, he will be missed when he walks away. But again, the fans and people that want to criticize Floyd have to understand the business side of boxing. It's no different from anyone working a 9 to 5 because that's their livelihood. Well, this is Floyd's, so he has to make the best business decisions for him and his family and it doesn't get any better than collecting 100% of the money you earn.
PC: Do you think a solid performance and win over Mosley silences some of the critics?
LE: When Floyd puts on the performance that he's going to put on come May 1st, they not going to have a choice.
continued..
By Percy Crawford | April 20, 2010
"Floyd is a gifted fighter and he works harder than any fighter out there, so he talks more trash than any fighter out there. When you put that work into the gym and it translates to the ring, you have the right to say whatever you want until someone could prove you wrong. It's not a knock on all of his previous opponents, because Floyd has faced some great fighters, but he hasn't been challenged because he is that good. Floyd is just that good! Shane is going to be no different on May 1st. He's going to bring his best, I'm sure of that, but it won't be enough and come May 1st, Floyd will be 41-0…I truly expect the best performance to date from Floyd. I have seen every indication of that. Mosley will be well-prepared and he's going to come to give the fans everything that they want to see, but it won't be enough," stated Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, as he talked about Floyd Mayweather's upcoming clash with Shane Mosley.
PC: How is it going L?
LE: What's up Percy? Everything is good.
PC: When you have an undefeated fighter that doesn't make many technical mistakes, how do you gauge his progress in the gym and be comfortable with where he is at?
LE: When Floyd comes to the gym, he knows exactly what he has to do. Floyd is the hardest working fighter out there, so it's not really any one thing we look for because he always trains hard. I don't know if that answers your question, but like I said, there is not really one thing we look for because Floyd is a hard worker and it all comes together.
PC: Freddie Roach and some other people within the sport said Floyd would never fight Shane Mosley. The fight is about 2 weeks away now…
LE: (Cutting in) People like that are only looking for ways to hype themselves and their fighter. Floyd doesn't pay attention to any of that. Floyd's record speaks for itself. Floyd has fought many great fighters and Shane Mosley is no different, so that's just a way for them to try to hype themselves, but they should worry less about Floyd and more about their own fighters. This is what people have to understand. You don't get to be the best in the sport, the most watched fighter in the sport and the highest paid fighter in the sport if you're not doing things the right way.
PC: There haven't been many fighters that could challenge Floyd inside of the ring. Do you think a lot of the negative things people say about Floyd are simply because fighters haven't been able to push him?
LE: Floyd is a gifted fighter and he works harder than any fighter out there, so he talks more trash than any fighter out there. When you put that work into the gym and it translates to the ring, you have the right to say whatever you want until someone could prove you wrong. It's not a knock on all of his previous opponents, because Floyd has faced some great fighters, but he hasn't been challenged because he is that good. Floyd is just that good! Shane is going to be no different on May 1st. He's going to bring his best, I'm sure of that, but it won't be enough and come May 1st, Floyd will be 41-0!
PC: Floyd also gets criticized for his style, which, as a boxing fan, I have a great deal of respect for what he does in the ring, but some people don't appreciate it.
LE: The name of the game and the reason why he's been so successful at this level for so long is because he's a smart fighter and he knows the game better than anybody out there. He's a smart fighter that doesn't get hit.
PC: The funny thing is people seem to think as soon as he gets hit, he will fold the tent. Everyone that I speak to that picks Shane to win feels like once Shane hits him, Floyd is going to fold. Why do you think the perception of Floyd is that he is soft?
LE: That's just from people that want to see a slug fest. The name of the game is boxing and hit and don't be hit. If we can walk away from this sport and have people wonder if Floyd can take a shot or not, that is a great thing.
PC: Is Floyd doing anything different to prepare for Shane that he hasn't done in the past?
LE: Floyd looks at all of his opponents the same. He respects everyone that he steps in that squared circle with. I have never seen Floyd prepare for a fight as hard as he is preparing for this fight, and that's saying a lot, but he looks at everyone the same, so he isn't doing anything different necessarily; just taking things up a notch.
PC: I know you guys are not looking past Shane, but at the same time, I'm sure you plan on being successful in May. After Mosley, how many more challenges do you see out there for Floyd to make him stick around?
LE: That's a hard question because, in my opinion, he is so much better than the rest, I don't know who we would view as a challenge.
PC: You have been on record saying expect a Corrales-like performance. What makes you that confident that we will see that Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
LE: I truly expect the best performance to date from Floyd. I have seen every indication of that. Mosley will be well-prepared and he's going to come to give the fans everything that they want to see, but it won't be enough.
PC: All of the greats - Ali, Leonard, Duran and the list goes on and on - they were not only exceptional fighters in the ring, but also exceptional at the mental aspect of the game; the mental warfare. They were great at getting their opponents out of character. Do you view Mosley as being out of character right now with the smack talk back and forth with Floyd?
LE: One thing we know for a fact is that we live in a world and a society where a lot of things are based on factual info. I know for a fact that the majority of the elite fighters out there are jealous of Floyd. You can get mad that Floyd is earning 8 figures every time he steps inside of the ring, but he's worked hard to get to that point. You have a guy like Mosley, who I know for a fact sits around and asks, "Why does Floyd get paid this and why Floyd get this and that?" Focus on your own career instead of worrying about what Floyd has going on and you may get there one day. The thing is Shane is 5 years older than Floyd though, so it may be too late. Instead of these guys sitting around and trying to find ways to criticize Floyd, they need to follow his business model. Floyd gets 100% of his money and I can't stress that enough or say it enough. No other fighter out there can say that.
PC: You guys have also created a model for him to make money outside of the sport of boxing and I don't think a lot of boxers understand the importance of that.
LE: We worked hard to build his brand to be able to take it to the next level. Floyd has a phenomenal fan base and everyone has an opinion about Floyd - good, bad or indifferent - and that's a good thing. That's the reason he was the most talked about fighter when he was away for nearly 2 years.
PC: How does Floyd react when he sees some of the negative things being said about him?
LE: He doesn't consume himself or concern himself with the negative criticism. Floyd doesn't read the papers and things like that to really see that stuff.
PC: A lot of fighters haven't gotten their just due until they walked away from the sport. Do you think Floyd is in that same boat?
LE: I don't think Floyd will get the credit he deserves until he walks away from the sport. I mean, if you look at when he did walk away from the sport, somehow or some way, his name always came up on every telecast. Some kind of way they would find a way to mention Floyd's name and I think that's because he was missed. Love him, hate him or whatever, he will be missed when he walks away. But again, the fans and people that want to criticize Floyd have to understand the business side of boxing. It's no different from anyone working a 9 to 5 because that's their livelihood. Well, this is Floyd's, so he has to make the best business decisions for him and his family and it doesn't get any better than collecting 100% of the money you earn.
PC: Do you think a solid performance and win over Mosley silences some of the critics?
LE: When Floyd puts on the performance that he's going to put on come May 1st, they not going to have a choice.
continued..
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