The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Experience
Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 8:26 am
The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Experience
XLFights
Young, black, good looking, a great showman and arguably the best boxer in the world, some friends of mine and I ran into Floyd “Money” Mayweather at Drais’ after hours nightclub in Las Vegas during the early morning hours of July 26th. While we were partying in the room spinning house music and hanging with some boxer who swore up and down he was scheduled to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition over in Dubai, unbeknownst to us, Money and crew were just next door in the hip-hop room getting their groove on.
My brother walked up to our table and blurted out, “Yo! Floyd Mayweather is next door,” and that’s all it took for my boys and I to put our drinks down, get off our asses and head next door to meet the champ. Even the mystery Mike Tyson opponent joined us. Of course, in typical Mayweather style though, he was with a big entourage of maybe a dozen guys, and four bodyguards formed a perimeter around the party, only allowing what seemed to be the prettiest girls in the club to get inside next to the man.
It was stiff competition for these young ladies, as these guys were literally turning away droves of girls looking to get their hands on Money’s….well money. It was truly gold digger central going on right before my eyes. Peering inside the perimeter at the party, I could see Mayweather sitting on a plush couch with a girl on his lap while at least twenty others lingered around their prey for a turn at impressing the man. Meanwhile, members of his crew were drinking bottles, dancing and making a play for whatever leftovers he may have already rejected.
Of course being cocky myself and having a little swagger, I decided to crash the party. I just looked straight ahead, relaxed and marched forward in between two mammoth bodyguards as if I belonged. Once I got a foot inside the perimeter, a bodyguard who was about six feet, six inches tall and three hundred and fifty plus pounds put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Where da fuck you think you going?” I told him I was a boxing writer and wanted a word with Floyd, but the big guy’s response was, “I don’t give a fuck who you are. You ain’t talkin to Floyd right now. Floyd’s trying to get some pussy and don’t want to be bothered.”
OK. Well, of course I could understand he was busy doing his thing, but I felt a bit disrespected by the language used and tone of this man’s voice. At that point, my south side of Chicago roots kicked in, and I mustered up the courage to tell the giant of a man that he didn’t have to talk to me like that. Then my brother, “Big Ed”, said something to him, and my friend Art pulled me backwards. While all this was going on, the commotion caught Floyd Mayweather’s eye, and he came over.
Money asked what was going on, at which point my brother told me to be quiet and explained we just wanted to pass along a card for reference because we wanted to interview him at some point in the future. He then told his bodyguard, “They’re cool” and to “chill out.” In the end, he took the card, shook my brother’s hand, and we all went about our business for the rest of the early morning hours. A potential conflict we surely would have lost in so many ways was gladly avoided.
Of particular note was Floyd Mayweather’s appearance that night. He looked absolutely chiseled and in fighting form, which indicates he is training on a regular basis. I actually sat next to another boxing writer on the flight back from Las Vegas, and he indicated this was in fact the case.
Let’s face it, at only thirty-one years of age and having taken very little punishment over the course of his career, it is incredibly difficult to believe Floyd Mayweather Jr. has retired permanently and hung his gloves up for good. Yes, partying with friends and lots of beautiful women in Vegas is certainly a lot of fun. Now of course I wouldn’t know personally, but I have to imagine that scene would get very old and tired after a while.
Based on his career and partying habits, I am sure Floyd Mayweather Jr. enjoys being the center of attention, and as an athlete in his prime, I am also sure he wants to be challenged and remain the top dog in his sport. That, and the fact Floyd Mayweather Jr. maintains a lavish lifestyle tells me he will be looking for a big fight in the first half of 2009. Expect him to call out the winner of the December 6, 2008, match between Oscar De la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao. That is the biggest money fight to be made next year, and as we already know, Money is all about the dollars. Try thirty to forty million of them on for size. That’s what it will take to get him back into the ring, and outside of De La Hoya or Pacquiao, there are no other fighters that can generate enough revenues to meet his purse requirements.
So in the meantime while Floyd will continue being regularly seen in all of his adopted hometown’s hot spots, just remember what he is doing on the down low….training constantly to maintain his status as alpha male among a crowded field of very talented boxers in the welterweight division.
XLFights
Young, black, good looking, a great showman and arguably the best boxer in the world, some friends of mine and I ran into Floyd “Money” Mayweather at Drais’ after hours nightclub in Las Vegas during the early morning hours of July 26th. While we were partying in the room spinning house music and hanging with some boxer who swore up and down he was scheduled to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition over in Dubai, unbeknownst to us, Money and crew were just next door in the hip-hop room getting their groove on.
My brother walked up to our table and blurted out, “Yo! Floyd Mayweather is next door,” and that’s all it took for my boys and I to put our drinks down, get off our asses and head next door to meet the champ. Even the mystery Mike Tyson opponent joined us. Of course, in typical Mayweather style though, he was with a big entourage of maybe a dozen guys, and four bodyguards formed a perimeter around the party, only allowing what seemed to be the prettiest girls in the club to get inside next to the man.
It was stiff competition for these young ladies, as these guys were literally turning away droves of girls looking to get their hands on Money’s….well money. It was truly gold digger central going on right before my eyes. Peering inside the perimeter at the party, I could see Mayweather sitting on a plush couch with a girl on his lap while at least twenty others lingered around their prey for a turn at impressing the man. Meanwhile, members of his crew were drinking bottles, dancing and making a play for whatever leftovers he may have already rejected.
Of course being cocky myself and having a little swagger, I decided to crash the party. I just looked straight ahead, relaxed and marched forward in between two mammoth bodyguards as if I belonged. Once I got a foot inside the perimeter, a bodyguard who was about six feet, six inches tall and three hundred and fifty plus pounds put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Where da fuck you think you going?” I told him I was a boxing writer and wanted a word with Floyd, but the big guy’s response was, “I don’t give a fuck who you are. You ain’t talkin to Floyd right now. Floyd’s trying to get some pussy and don’t want to be bothered.”
OK. Well, of course I could understand he was busy doing his thing, but I felt a bit disrespected by the language used and tone of this man’s voice. At that point, my south side of Chicago roots kicked in, and I mustered up the courage to tell the giant of a man that he didn’t have to talk to me like that. Then my brother, “Big Ed”, said something to him, and my friend Art pulled me backwards. While all this was going on, the commotion caught Floyd Mayweather’s eye, and he came over.
Money asked what was going on, at which point my brother told me to be quiet and explained we just wanted to pass along a card for reference because we wanted to interview him at some point in the future. He then told his bodyguard, “They’re cool” and to “chill out.” In the end, he took the card, shook my brother’s hand, and we all went about our business for the rest of the early morning hours. A potential conflict we surely would have lost in so many ways was gladly avoided.
Of particular note was Floyd Mayweather’s appearance that night. He looked absolutely chiseled and in fighting form, which indicates he is training on a regular basis. I actually sat next to another boxing writer on the flight back from Las Vegas, and he indicated this was in fact the case.
Let’s face it, at only thirty-one years of age and having taken very little punishment over the course of his career, it is incredibly difficult to believe Floyd Mayweather Jr. has retired permanently and hung his gloves up for good. Yes, partying with friends and lots of beautiful women in Vegas is certainly a lot of fun. Now of course I wouldn’t know personally, but I have to imagine that scene would get very old and tired after a while.
Based on his career and partying habits, I am sure Floyd Mayweather Jr. enjoys being the center of attention, and as an athlete in his prime, I am also sure he wants to be challenged and remain the top dog in his sport. That, and the fact Floyd Mayweather Jr. maintains a lavish lifestyle tells me he will be looking for a big fight in the first half of 2009. Expect him to call out the winner of the December 6, 2008, match between Oscar De la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao. That is the biggest money fight to be made next year, and as we already know, Money is all about the dollars. Try thirty to forty million of them on for size. That’s what it will take to get him back into the ring, and outside of De La Hoya or Pacquiao, there are no other fighters that can generate enough revenues to meet his purse requirements.
So in the meantime while Floyd will continue being regularly seen in all of his adopted hometown’s hot spots, just remember what he is doing on the down low….training constantly to maintain his status as alpha male among a crowded field of very talented boxers in the welterweight division.
