By Tim Smith, NY Daily News
LAS VEGAS - Roger Mayweather is prone to outrageous statements and proclamations. But when he says that his nephew is the best boxer in the sport, it is not hyperbole.
As Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s trainer - the man behind the man - no one ever says that Roger Mayweather is one of the best trainers in the game.
"I don't get offended by that," Mayweather said Thursday. "The only thing I want is the best for my nephew."
It will be Roger Mayweather's strategy that the boxer carries into the ring when he faces Shane Mosley in a 12-round welterweight showdown at MGM Grand on HBO PPV on Saturday night. It is a strategy that has helped Mayweather build a 40-0 record.
Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) represents the stiffest challenge of Mayweather's career, so he will need every bit of strategic help and every in-fight adjustment that his uncle can provide.
The fact that he works with a gifted athlete who is a superb boxer is a blessing and a curse for the elder Mayweather. It's like managing the 1998 Yankees - a team that won 114 games. People assume when you have that much talent all the man who manages it has to do is roll out the balls and bats.
Everyone assumes that all that Mayweather has to do is show up at the gym on time, hold the mitts for his nephew and turn the lights off before he leaves.
"I've been dominating this sport for 14 years and my uncle is one of the best trainers out there," Floyd Mayweather said. "But not once has Roger gotten Trainer of the Year."
David Mayo, a veteran reporter for the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press who has covered all the Mayweather boxers, said Roger doesn't get the credit because of his carefree attitude.
"He has an inattentive and goofy nature when he's in the gym," Mayo said. "He's always playing with the kids or doing something else. It makes him look flighty and like he doesn't have that much attention to detail. But the results speak for themselves."
The nephew credits his uncle for much of his development because he took over his amateur career prior to the 1996 Olympic Games when Floyd Sr. went to prison on drug charges.
When Floyd Sr. was released, Roger turned Mayweather's training back over to him. It was right at the start of Floyd Jr.'s pro career. Floyd Sr. lasted 23 fights before he and Mayweather had a nasty breakup in 2000.
Mayweather brought back Roger. They have been together since, though Floyd Sr. has since healed the estrangement and has become more involved in his son's training for the Mosley fight.
"His father always had a hard work regimen, so he always worked hard with the way he ran and trained," Roger Mayweather said. "He got that from his dad. It really wasn't about making Floyd a fighter. I can make anybody a fighter. Making a superstar is the difference."
There is no question that Mayweather is a superstar in boxing. Roger Mayweather is credited with adding offense to Mayweather's already airtight defense. He said it was the difference between his nephew being just a good boxer or a superstar.
"Before they made him a Pay Per View fighter, HBO wanted to see if Floyd could fight," Roger Mayweather said. "Once they saw he could fight and box they were satisfied."
Mayweather said it wasn't that difficult to get his nephew to step up his offense. He said the conversion started when he fought Emanuel Burton and Diego Corrales.
"You have to throw punches," Mayweather said. "You can't be an offensive fighter if you don't want to take risks. You have to be willing to attack someone. You have to be willing to take chances. He already had the boxing skills so it wasn't that big a risk."
Naazim Richardson, Mosley's trainer, said Roger Mayweather deserves credit for helping to form one the best boxers of this generation.
"I can only go off the record of what I see with Floyd," Richardson said. "I have to assume he's outstanding. It takes talent to understand that you have the right guy and you just have to get the hell out of the way and let him do his thing. A lot of trainers can't do that. I respect Roger's game."
Source: nydailynews.com
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