Floyd Mayweather, Sr.

Infobox_Boxer


name = Floyd Mayweather
realname = Floyd Mayweather
nickname = Joy
weight = Welterweight
nationality = flagicon|USA American
birth_date = birth date and age|1952|10|19
death_date =
birth_place = New York City, USA
style = Orthodox
total = 36
wins = 29
KO = 19
losses = 6
draws = 1
no contests = 0

Floyd Joy Mayweather, Sr. (Born on October 19, 1952, in The Bronx, New York) is a professional boxing trainer, and father and former trainer of five-division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. Floyd Sr. was a 1970s–1980s welterweight contender. Floyd Sr. is known for his defensive ability as well as his overall knowledge of boxing strategy and is self credited for teaching his son the defensive skills that made him a champion.

Biography

Floyd Mayweather is the senior member of the Mayweather clan. Younger brother Roger was WBC super featherweight and super lightweight champion and was known for his offensive skills. The youngest brother, Jeff, held the IBO super featherweight title.

He is known for his outspokeness. He frequently recited poetry about his opponent and he still does it today for his fighter's opponnent. Some refer to him as the "poet laureate of boxing." He is also a flamboyant dresser who wears very colorful suits, ties and shoes to news conferences.

Mayweather Sr.'s boxing record was 29-6-1 (20 KOs). He once stepped into the ring with Hall of Fame Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard

Floyd Mayweather Sr. taught Mayweather Jr. how to punch when he was still a toddler in Grand Rapids, Mich.

When Mayweather Jr. was a year old, his mother's brother pulled a gun on Mayweather Sr. "I told him, 'If you're going to kill him, you're going to kill me too,'" says Mayweather Sr., who was holding his son. "That's all I got in the world." The uncle then shot Floyd Sr. in the leg.

Prior to his breakup with his son Floyd Mayweather Jr., he not only trained Floyd Jr. but also served as his manager.

Family Rift

Floyd Sr. was chosen as the 1998 Manager of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America [http://www.bwaa.org] but the increasingly brash Mayweather Jr. was tired of being told what to do. The partnership between father and son stuck together until Floyd Jr won his first world belt, the WBC super-featherweight title, before son dismissed father in a bitter falling-out. They did not speak for seven years. The family divide was underlined when Floyd Jr turned to his uncle, Roger in 2000, to train him and the pair became a success. Floyd Sr has not spoken to his brother Roger Mayweather since 1997.

Trainer

As a trainer, Mayweather preaches defense and a stiff jab. He teaches many of his boxers a defensive technique known as the shoulder roll, in which the fighter uses his front shoulder to deflect blows and limit their impact. He has on many occasions, including HBO's "Mayweather-Hatton 24/7", claimed to be "Floyd Joy Mayweather Sr., 'The Greatest Trainer of All Time'"

He is currently the trainer of WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson, Ring Magazine light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton, WBO super featherweight champion Joan Guzman and women's champion Laila Ali. He is most well-known for his stint as Oscar De La Hoya's trainer from 2001 through 2006. He said he would train De La Hoya for his May 5, 2007, fight against his son, but demanded a $2 million fee to do so. After considerable deliberation, De La Hoya opted not to hire Mayweather Sr. and announced on Jan. 30, 2007, he would use Freddie Roach instead. The snub briefly reunited father and son, Floyd Sr. turning up at the Mayweather Jr. boxing gym, while Roger (who had been banned from being in the corner at boxing matches for 12 months for starting a riot during Floyd Jr’s bout against Zab Judah last year when he attacked Judah) served six months in jail for a domestic assault. But when Roger was released, the situation became awkward because of the brothers’ rivalry.

Floyd Jr. chose Roger as his trainer and Floyd Sr. left again, claiming that the father-son relationship was “back to square one” for choosing Roger over his own father again.

Recently, Floyd Sr. agreed to once again train De La Hoya in anticipation for Mayweather Jr.- De La Hoya 2 presented by Golden Boy Promotions. However due to Mayweather's retirement this bout was cancelled. Mayweather is now set to train Ricky Hatton for his bout against Paulie Malignaggi on 22nd November.

A New Son

Floyd Mayweather, Sr. has found out in 2007 that he is the father of another boxer, Justin Jones, a promising 19-year-old light middleweight amateur boxer in Grand Rapids. Jones contacted Floyd Sr. because of numerous comments over the years about his resemblance to the Mayweather family. He then asked him if he’d take a DNA. test. The DNA test proved positive. Mayweather Sr. and Justin Jones plan to start training together soon.Fact|date=December 2007

References

*http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article1749849.ece
*http://www.mlive.com/sports/advancenewspapers/index.ssf?/base/sports-4/117681800724390.xml&coll=10
*http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7596348.stm

See also

* Notable boxing families

External links

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