Last night on Showtime, Jim Gray sat down with Floyd Mayweather to discuss the controversial fallout of his May 2 win over Manny Pacquiao. It was about what you would expect.
Here's a transcript of the interview:
Jim Gray: "Floyd, what is your assessment of Manny Pacquiao and his shoulder injury?
Floyd Mayweather: "He's embarrassed. He was a beat fighter. There's a difference between a great fighter and TBE. And I proved that I'm the best. Excuses, excuses, excuses. I knew it was coming. I knew it. But I'm not gonna buy into the bullshit. I'm not gonna buy into the bullshit. And I don't want the public to buy into the bullshit. He lost, he know he lost, and I lost a lot of respect for him after all of this. You know, you fight, if you lose, it's OK. Mayweather was the better man. A true champion can bounce back. Come on. I mean, this is ridiculous. It's ridiculous. I won. I knew I won. I knew I'm the better fighter. We fight 10 times, I'm gonna win 10 times. We fight 20 times, I'm gonna win 20 times. We fight 100 times, I'm gonna win 100 times. Manny Pacquiao just, he's not a better fighter than me. Nowhere around the board."
Jim Gray: "Could you detect at any time in the fight that he was having a problem with his shoulder?"
Floyd Mayweather: "Absolutely not. He was fast. His left hand was fast, his right hand was fast, and he was throwing them both, fast and strong. But when it's all said and done, he was a beat fighter. From round one. He knew it. 'I can't beat Floyd Mayweather.' Six days before the fight, he boxed four rounds. And if you go look, when he came out to Las Vegas, he was throwing combinations. Everything seemed just fine. Waving to the crowd, both hands. Manny Pacquiao, you're not on my level. Manny Pacquiao, you will never be on my level. Period. Simple and plain. If you lost, accept the loss, and say, 'You know what, Mayweather, you know what? You was the better fighter. You was the better fighter.' It's OK to be number two. It's OK to be right behind me. It's OK."
Jim Gray: "How annoyed are you with Manny for doing that?"
Floyd Mayweather: "I'm upset. I'm very upset. And did I text Stephen A. Smith and say I would fight him again? Yeah, but I changed my mind. At this particular time, no. Because he's a sore loser. And he's a coward. You don't do that."
Jim Gray: "Coward is a pretty severe word."
Floyd Mayweather: "I just don't like that. That's a coward move. And after all these years of the media and the critics bashing me--"
Jim Gray: "You mentioned a rematch, you now just said no rematch. Is there any possibility that down the line you would reconsider?"
Floyd Mayweather: "No. I don't wanna do business with then anymore. Anymore. I'm a professional. I've dealt with the biggest and some of the best Fortune 500 companies in the world. Bad business on that side. Period. Bad business. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. Excuses, excuses, excuses. Go back. Y'all got the tapes. Go back. Y'all remember what I said. I was born to win. I was born a winner, I'm gonna die a winner."
Jim Gray: "Will September be it, or will you consider possibly going beyond September and try to get to 50-0?"
Floyd Mayweather: "Right now, I don't know what I'm gonna do. Because every day I feel different."
Jim Gray: "How do you feel right now?"
Floyd Mayweather: "I'm on top of the world!"
Jim Gray: "So maybe 50-0 is possible?"
Floyd Mayweather: "I gotta do that Disney commercial! I feel like going to Disney World! I'm blessed. I'm truly blessed. Sharp mentally, smart investments, everything paid for, mother healthy, father healthy, children getting the best education. Free. I'm just, I'm free as a bird. I'm happy."
Jim Gray: "Has something with you changed? Is there a different Floyd Mayweather today? You were very quiet during this promotion. You had been boisterous. People have come to know a certain image and expect something out of you. You did not give that to them this time. Why not? Are you different?"
Floyd Mayweather: "Mentally, I'm in another place. Just mentally, I'm in another place. Older, wiser. For years, people said I was crazy when I told them I would be the first fighter to make $100 million or $200 million in one night. They said I was crazy. And I know with this interview, my voice is hoarse. Because I've been up for the last couple days. But I don't have to say what I can do. The proof is in the pudding. I did it over and over and over again. I've always said, put them in front of me, and watch what I can do. So I don't -- I'm just -- I don't really wanna say anything bad about Manny. But he's leaving me no choice."
Jim Gray: "And some of the things that Freddie Roach said about you?"
Floyd Mayweather: "Freddie Roach, I love you. Keep up the good work."
Jim Gray: "Really?"
Floyd Mayweather: "I don't got nothin' bad to say about Freddie Roach. When Freddie Roach came in the back, you know how he was looking at me, when he'd look at me? Every time. 'I've never seen a fighter so confident.' Because Freddie Roach is used to going in the back, seeing a fighter hands being wrapped, and them being nervous. I'm calm, cool, and collected. Hanging back there with you, talking, chatting, trying on my boots, picking out which outfit I'm gonna put on, watching the fights, and just waiting for me to go out there and do what I have to do. Win, lose, or draw. I said before, we both are winners when we are at that level. Or at least I'm a winner. I don't know what he made, upwards of $25 million, that's still a lot of money. But you know, my team, I'm somewhere $225 million."
Jim Gray: "Is that what you're gonna make this evening?"
Floyd Mayweather: "Well, you know, I'm already $125 million to the good, so we still got another $100 million to pick up on the back end. Good job, Al Haymon!"
Jim Gray: "Thank you, Floyd."
Floyd Mayweather: "Thank you."