by James Slater – Currently recognised by a lot of knowledgeable people as one of the best, if not the best, trainers in the sport, Floyd Mayweather Senior has gone on record as saying he feels he may have less than two years left in boxing, before health problems force him to call it a day. This news has no doubt come as quite a shock to many people, Ricky Hatton, who Floyd is now training, in particular. Oscar De La Hoya – who may well have looked at re-hiring Mayweather Senior’s services if a showdown with “The Hitman” came about – will be feeling the same way..
Mayweather, who suffers from a lung disease called sarcoidosis, has been quoted in a recent issue of The Mirror newspaper.
“It’s tough and I don’t see me carrying on for another two years,” Floyd Senior said. “If you don’t find something that works for you, you’re going to have a bad day. It [the lung disease] can attack you at any time. I’m training these fighters and exercise is good. But it seems the more I exercise the worse my lungs get.”
This is sad news. Mayweather Senior may not be a man everyone can warm to – what with his cocky attitude and his constant boasts that he is the greatest trainer “of all-times” – but he is very good at his job and it will be a shame if illness stops him from being able to do it. Much like Freddie Roach – a fellow trainer Floyd has actually verbally attacked in the past when comparing his skills with his own – Mayweather is battling ill health while preparing top class fighters to do their stuff. Roach, of course, suffers from Parkinson’s syndrome. Now, like Roach, Mayweather Senior will undoubtedly receive some sympathy and compassion from those who follow boxing.
Mayweather Senior also found time to speak about his famous son, Floyd Junior. The 55-year-old firmly believes his son will box again, most likely next year.
“I believe he’ll be back next year,” Floyd said. “All that stuff between me and him? Everybody should just sit back and relax. Everything is going to manifest itself.”
It’s hard to see how Senior knows what Junior is going to do, next year or any other, seeing as the two men are very much estranged and have been for some time. Maybe father knows something we don’t? In any case, it sure will be interesting to see if Senior is proven correct in his beliefs. Who wouldn’t want to see “Money” back in action?