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Yahoo! Sports boxing analyst Kevin Iole has a new article up on the "hidden" side of Floyd Mayweather Jr., which isn't so hidden anymore if you've been watching HBO's "24/7" for Mayweather-Marquez. But if you've missed it, you've missed Floyd Mayweather the humanitarian and philanthropist, the guy who hands out sack lunches to the homeless from the back of a truck.
Mayweather repeats what he said on the show:
“I’ve been blessed by God,” Mayweather said. “No doubt about it. God gave me this talent and I’ve been able to build a better life for myself and my family. The people out there, the ones we’re going to see, they haven’t been so lucky. They need someone to give them a break, but no one wants to bother with them. People forget about them and pretend like they don’t exist. I guess they think if they act like there is no problem it will go away. But it won’t. Someone needs to help, so I do my part.”
He also says that his public persona -- the "Money Mayweather" guy, the arrogant braggart making it rain at nightclubs -- won't change:
“Why should I have to act differently just to please someone who doesn’t know me?” Mayweather said. “The people who know me know who I am and the person I am. If you want to know about me, ask them. I’m a guy who loves my family, who wants to do the best for my kids, and if I can do something to help someone who hasn’t been as truly blessed as I have been, I’ll do it. Ask the people who know me what I’m really like.”
Iole also goes deeper into the story of Nate Jones, an ex-fighter that knew (and disliked) the young Floyd Jr. way back when, but has worked for him for years now. Jones is one of many that knows Floyd personally that talks about him in much different tones than anyone else does.
“He doesn’t need me,” Jones said. “He’d win without me. But he cares about people. He pays decent money so people can have good lives and have a chance to have success. And that touches a lot of people. There’s one guy here who is working for Floyd who basically can’t do a thing. He can’t even carry a bag without having some problem. Floyd just doesn’t turn his back on anyone.
“He said to me, ‘Nate, I don’t need this guy. He can’t carry a bag. He serves no purpose. But how would I feel if I told him to go home and I know it would hurt him? I can’t do that.’ That’s the part of Floyd people don’t understand.”
It's a really good article, and these quote portions are just tastes. Go check it out.
