MOURNING MAYWEATHER TO COACH?

From ‘Pretty boy’ to ‘Money May’ , Floyd Mayweather likes to give himself many names but ‘boxing coach’ may be his most interesting one yet. Over a week ago, the boxing legend found himself where he is so used to being, all over the news. This is because he made a heartfelt vow to become a coach following the passing of his close uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather.

Roger was an essential part of the Mayweather team and is credited for sculpting his nephew into one of the best boxers the sport has ever seen. The loss of Roger affected Floyd to the extent that he’s decided to follow his uncle’s footsteps as he told his 23 million followers on Instagram “I will be one of the best trainers in the world” captioned under a video of him practising pad-work with his own nephew.

The five-weight world champion has, at points throughout his career, landed himself on the newspaper headlines with a spot of backlash after pulling stunts such as hinting at coming out of retirement and eventually not doing so. This may lead fans on to doubt Mayweather promises however, given the reasoning behind his claim, this may be different and very real compared to his previous half-hearted declarations. If an Instagram caption ever had tone to it, stating “I want to make a difference in people’s lives and help them achieve their goals” comes off as serious as it could on a social media post.

As the self-proclaimed ‘Best Ever’, Mayweather has shown the boxing world before that he can go beyond his competitive capabilities whilst still contributing to the sport. This was proven in the establishment of his own promotions in 2007 which is now spearheaded by WBA super featherweight champion Gervonta Davis.

Having dabbled in the business and promotional side of the sport, Mayweather now looks to expand his talent and knowledge of the sweet science to the role of holding the pads instead of punching them. It is unlikely the 12-time world champion will seem out of his depth entering the coaching game as he is surrounded by masterful trainers including his father, Floyd Mayweather senior.

His son’s intentions caught the attention of his rival coach, Freddie Roach a long-time trainer of Mayweather Junior’s former opponent Manny Pacquiao. Roach, owner of the Wild Card gym, spoke out about boxing’s newest coach to give his words of advice. He told Floyd that to be successful he must accept that his fighters may not have careers as successful as his own. ‘The Money Team’ founder broke records at his time of retirement by leaving the game 50-0. Roach is clearly making it imperative to Floyd that he cannot place the same expectations he’s lived up to on his own boxer’s shoulders as a coach.

Whether it’s business, boxing or both, Floyd Mayweather has excelled when applying himself to something he loves doing. In the coming months or years, fans will see just how much he loves coaching and if he can replicate the heights his late Uncle reached.

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Max Taylor articles