"They say I'm still looking sharp; they say I'm still looking young. When I say they, as far as the media and everybody that showed up yesterday, so you know, I still feel strong when I get to the gym and once I get started. You know, because I'm a little different from any other fighter...I've been dominating the fight game since Victor Ortiz been 9 years old until now and I'm still sharp...I can guarantee you guys it won't go the distance...I truly believe he's going to come out and be at his best and fight extremely hard, and me, myself, I'm going to go out and do the same thing. I just want to give the fans a pleasing performance," stated undefeated pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather as he spoke to the media during a conference call held earlier today to promote his upcoming September 17 clash with WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz. You don't want to miss what else he had to say. Check it out!
On Golden Boy Promotions...
They call it Golden Boy Promotions, but I prefer to call it Richard Schaefer Promotions because he done a hell of a job. Richard Schaefer's a great guy.
On whether or not he attended Ortiz vs. Berto to scout his next opponent...
"You know, when I left, I was like, man, I mean, this guy, I thought in my head, I said, 'Man, this guy can, me and him will get it on; it'd be an exciting fight.' I was happy that the guy won a title."
"I wasn't scouting the fight. I was just going there just to watch. I wasn't scouting no opponent. I was going there just as a spectator; just to watch the fight."
On looking for a knockout in this fight since it's been awhile since he had one...
"It's just that these fighters go into survival mode. Once they're down on the scorecards or once they feel that they have no chance of winning, they go into survival mode. Mosley done the same thing; Marquez done the same thing. These guys go into survival mode. Hatton was a little different. Hatton came to fight. And so, you know, I get knockouts if a guy comes to fight and put it all on the line, but once you get to the pinnacle, you get to Floyd Mayweather, you get to the elite level, they go into survival mode."
On whether or not it's difficult to get into fighting shape after a long layoff...
"I just try to be responsible and have discipline as a fighter, you know, maintain my weight. You know, I keep my weight between 147 and 150, you know, even when I'm off. And a lot of times people say it's what you eat; no, it's how much you eat. I don't overindulge myself with eating. If it's something that I like to eat, then I'm going to eat it, but I'm not just going to pig out. And you know, I workout; I love to play basketball a lot even, you know, when I'm off."
On whether or not he believes he has ring rust...
"Well, I haven't showed it thus far, so, you know, everybody is entitled to say certain things."
"I just try to focus on going out there and doing my job."
On whether or not it bothers him that he didn't get respect from some people...
"Certain individuals call themselves boxing experts. I mean, I feel like what better fighter, if you want to pattern your fighter or pattern your style, what better fighter to use than Floyd Mayweather. And that's not bragging or boasting, it's just, I feel I have the remedy to know how to win whether it goes the distance or a knockout. I mean, the main thing about life is winning in life. You know, every reporter on this phone should think they are the best. If not, hopefully they looking to be the best."
"You got all these new guys that's around now, right? Then you say it's obvious Floyd must've been doing something right thus far because you have no fighters left from the '96 Olympic teams, no fighters left from the 2000, no fighters left from the 2004, even from 2008, so you gotta ask yourself, where did these guys go? You know, I've been dominating the fight game since Victor Ortiz been 9 years old until now and I'm still sharp, so I mean, like I said before, I have to thank you for the compliment because, you know, like I say, reporters like you keep me striving, keep me working hard and keep me in the sport."
On retiring undefeated...
"I mean, I feel like, anything can happen on any given night; anything can happen on any given Saturday. Anything can happen, but, you know, like I always say, if a fighter beats me, I want him to do it the honest way; the fair and honest way because I've done it the fair and honest way for 16 years. No matter how much Floyd brags or boasts or how much he talks about his money, when it's all said and done, I'm fair. I'm fair! So the only thing I want, I want to be treated fair. That's all I ask."
On whether or not he's noticed any deterioration in his skills...
"They say I'm still looking sharp; they say I'm still looking young. When I say they, as far as the media and everybody that showed up yesterday, so you know, I still feel strong when I get to the gym and once I get started. You know, because I'm a little different from any other fighter. I don't go to the gym...I don't shadow box. You know, other fighters shadow box. When I get to the gym, I just put my wraps on and get right in the ring and start sparring, so I'm a little different from any other fighter. You know, of course I run at 3 or 4 in the morning. Like I said, I don't think, as far as me deterioriating or me losing skills, I think I'm still very, very sharp; still strong, and the reason why is because I don't think I've been in any just toe-to-toe wars. Because I think, you know, when a fighter is a toe-to-toe war, a lot of wars, it's wear and tear on the body and I haven't took no abuse, so I thank God for blessing me with this great defense."
On comments made by Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach during a press conference to promote the Marquez fight...
"On one note, they try to take me to the court room, right? I prefer to hold court inside the squared circle. America is the country that I live in and I'm all about being fair. And I just truly believe if you the best, take the tests. But you know, a lot of time, like I said before, on one note, Freddie Roach and I guess Team Pacquiao don't want me to speak on them at all, don't want me to say anything about them at all, so I'm wondering if you at a Marquez press conference, why is Floyd Mayweather's name coming up if you feel like you're on the same level as a Floyd Mayweather? That's all I'm saying."
"As long as he's attached to my name, he's going to make great paydays. As long as he can keep fighting Floyd Mayweather's leftovers or fighting the fighters that's already beaten as far, I mean, the media has to really pay attention to this."
"I never accused nobody of doing anything. It's obvious that you must be hiding something. If I say I'm the best, you say you're the best, so we fighting for the best belts, we fighting for the best titles, we fighting in the best city in the world, we fighting in the best country in the world, so why not have the best testing? That's all I ask. And the thing is this, I'm not just picking on one guy. Everybody that I face has to take the tests because this sport is a little different than how it used to be. It's tainted, so that's all I'm saying. And once again, the guy says, 'You know, I'm suing Floyd Mayweather for saying that I done this or done that,' but you're still attaching your name to me. Y'all still speaking on me. Y'all speaking on me, but y'all saying you don't want me speaking on you guys at all."
"I spoke on that situation enough. There's no need for me to even speak on it because it's useless. If the guy wanted the fight, he could've been done had the fight. Y'all know this. Y'all know this."
On facing a younger fighter in his prime and a southpaw like Ortiz...
"That's why this has been the longest training camp thus far because we wanted to make sure we was ready all around the board for a guy that's 10 years younger, strong, and got good speed. We will be ready and that's why we held training camp a lot longer this fight."
On whether or not he'll be more aggressive in this fight...
"I can guarantee you guys it won't go the distance."
"Yeah, absolutely, right from the gate I'm aggressive."
"For this fight, I'm coming straight ahead."
On whether or not he's a better fighter at 147...
"I'm more comfortable at 47 because I'm able to work hard and eat whatever I want to eat. I like to be comfortable."
"I think at 147, I'm more comfortable at 147 than I was at 130, but am I a better fighter? Probably so at 147."
On comments made by Victor Ortiz throughout the promotion of the fight...
"Like I said on 24/7, you start looking at certain things outside and say, 'What is going on with this sport.' Victor Ortiz said, 'You know, I look at De La Hoya like a god.' You know, you look at a guy who wears drag, does drugs, drinks alcohol and commit adultery like a god. Then you say, 'You know, I've never been a Floyd Mayweather fan. I never like Floyd Mayweather.' But then you go back and watch Faceoff and he's talking about, 'I mean, who don't respect Floyd Mayweather. Have you seen the things he's accomplised?' Like I said before, you get mixed feelings from this guy. I mean, what we call it where I'm from, we call him a liar, so he must step up and just be honest, you know? I mean, I guess he's a little upset about his payday that he's getting, but, you know, I mean, to get a Floyd Mayweather payday, you gotta have 16 years of hard work, dedication, prayers and belief, and a good team and you'll be exactly where I'm at."
On whether or not he's heard back about from De La Hoya or Ortiz on the bet he offered...
"I'm waiting. I haven't heard no feedback. I'm waiting."
On comments made by De La Hoya...
"I don't like how Oscar De La Hoya...first, like I told Mosley, you guys probably don't remember, I told Mosley that he wasn't a partner in the company, in Golden Boy. I told Mosley that a long time ago. When Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton was his fighter and then he talked bad about Hatton; how Hatton was small. And then Marquez; how Marquez was small. About me; I was old. And then he talked about Mosley; Mosley was old. I mean, I'm saying, you're supposed to uplift fighters. I mean, like I said before, boxing is not dead, but the sport is dead when you got guys that's been around the sport, you know, one of the guys that paved the way for the sport is downplaying his own fighters. But, you know, that's why, like I said before, I take my hat off to Richard Schaefer because Richard Schaefer has done a hell of a job with those fighters. We can't even call it Golden Boy Promotions no more. We gotta call that Richard Schaefer's Promotion."
On whether or not Victor Ortiz will be a challenge...
"I truly believe he's going to come out and be at his best and fight extremely hard, and me, myself, I'm going to go out and do the same thing. I just want to give the fans a pleasing performance."
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