"Floyd was just different. I knew Floyd was going to be a champion a long, long time ago, way before he became a champion. I always knew it...It would have never been a Floyd Mayweather if there was no Dale Williams. And what I am doing, man, even though this man is gone, I’m giving him his props...He is the one that taught me what I taught my son," stated world-class trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., who paid homage to his son as well as the man who taught him everything he knows about his style of fighting. Check it out!
PC: How are you doing, Big Floyd?
FMS: I’m doing well, man. I’m just doing my thing and making champions.
PC: I was sitting thinking the other day and you were like the first LaVar Ball in the sense that you saw the talent in your son and you did everything in your power to bring out that talent and maximize his potential.
FMS: Who is LaVar Ball?
PC: He’s the basketball dad. He has 3 sons and some feel he’s a little too involved or pushes them too hard. Even if you don’t know who he is, I’m sure that’s some of the things that you heard when bringing Floyd up?
FMS: I’m gonna tell you this right here, man, and this is with anybody; you have your kids and you take your kids out and you run your kids. I’m just saying on my thing; what I did. You don’t overdo things because you know how you would’ve been yourself. You wouldn’t run yourself to death and stuff like that. But Floyd had something in him, man, I don’t know what he had, man. He would be a guy, man, I would tell Floyd to run 5 miles and Floyd was going to do 7 or 8 miles. And that’s when Floyd was about 13 years old.
PC: That’s crazy, man.
FMS: It is crazy, man, because this when I was still running myself, but guess what, he was running with me all the way.
PC: And to me, you always see a talent in your own kids that maybe other people don’t see; the same with their flaws.
FMS: Yeah! It’s like this right here, it’s just like I got a granddaughter right now, and she’s in ballet and stuff like that. She’s really good, man. She’s real good. So I might be pushing her next. I don’t know what it is, man. If I see something in them, I’ll work with them all the way with no problem. Floyd was just different. I knew Floyd was going to be a champion a long, long time ago, way before he became a champion. I always knew it.
PC: What did you see in him that let you know that he would be a champion one day?
FMS: What made me see it is I used to grab his hands and put his fist over like that to throw a hook and then throw a straight right hand and then an uppercut. I used to do this with him all of the time on the bed; pretty much every day. I was doing this with him when he was a baby. And honestly, when Lil Floyd got bigger and older, all of that stuff just came to him. He was whoopin guys way bigger than him. Floyd was whoopin' guys bigger and older than he was.
PC: We have seen other fighters attempt to use the "Mayweather Style" and it’s not the easiest style to fight out of. Were you even surprised at how easily Floyd was able to pick up on it?
FMS: Yes, I was. Who taught me how to do the shoulder roll is my coach, Dale Williams. He was from Detroit. He taught me the shoulder roll and I got the shoulder roll down real, real good. And then I introduced the shoulder roll to Lil Floyd and Lil Floyd got real good with it. Lil Floyd is the type of guy, it won’t be too many of him coming around anymore. Everything was natural with him. I don’t know how it was or how it was done, but it was all natural to him. Floyd could do anything I showed him. It didn’t take long either for him to figure out what was going on; the hook off of the jab, the right hand and slide back to the body. He knew how to do all of that, man. He’s had a great career, he’s accomplished things that will never be accomplished again, and he should be done now. It’s enough, man.
PC: A video surfaced leading up to Floyd’s fight with McGregor and it was showing the similarities in your fighting style and Floyd’s. You guys really did use a lot of the same movements and punch selection.
FMS: Oh yeah! You might have seen Roger with my son sometimes, but my son never fought like Roger. Roger never moved his head. Roger was a good puncher though. Roger was a damn good puncher. But Floyd went with my style and what I taught him because he was taught that at an early age. And the honest truth, I think that was the best way and style for him to use. He is where he is today and he is able to retire with all of his faculties in place because he didn’t take no punches. He delivered and didn’t take none and that’s a great thing right there.
PC: You mentioned your old trainer, Dale Williams, and how much he taught you. Do you think there is a shortage in boxing right now of boxing teachers?
FMS: This is very, very true. It ain’t many good trainers, man. I’m going to be honest with you, I will tell you this right here today, my trainer, he was a great trainer. I can’t say he was good, he was great. The trainer I had, if some of these guys would know what my trainer knew and they had that today, man lookie here, they would’ve been jogging over to him as fast as they could. Dale Williams, I have to give him that; he was around when Emanuel Steward was around, he was around when a lot of the black trainers and the white trainers was around and they thought they know what they were doing, but they didn’t know nothing. A lot of these trainers today are junkyard dogs is what they are. My trainer was a real trainer. These guys are a bunch of junkyard dogs. But overall, Dale Williams was one of the greatest trainers ever. You may have never seen or heard of him, but guess what, he was one of the guys that brought me to the forefront and I’m the one that brought Floyd to the forefront. It all starts somewhere and this all started with Dale Williams. It would have never been a Floyd Mayweather if there was no Dale Williams. And what I am doing, man, even though this man is gone, I’m giving him his props. He had it coming and I want to be sure to let everyone know where it all started. He is the one that taught me what I taught my son.
PC: I appreciate your time, Big Floyd. I gotta thank my man, Amer Abdallah, for reconnecting us because it’s always a pleasure to speak with you. Good luck with everything you have going on and all of your fighters.
FMS: Hey man, I appreciate that, man. Take care of yourself, alright!
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]