FLOYED ‘MONEY’ MAYWEATHER
EARLY LIFE: Floyd Joy ‘Money’Mayweather Jnr.was born Floyd Joy Sinclair on the 24,February, 1977,in Grand Rapids, Michigan, into the family of boxers.
His father ,Floyd Mayweather Snr.was a former welterweight contender who fought Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard .His uncles Jeff and Roger Mayweather were professional boxers ,with the later Floyd’s former trainer -winning two world championships ,as well as fighting Hall of Famer’sJulio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker, and Kostya Tszyu.
Mayweather was born with his mother’s last name ,but his last name would change to Mayweather shortly thereafter. He attended Ottawa Hills High School before dropping out.
Boxing has been part of Mayweather’s life since his childhood and never seriously considered any other profession .
“l think my grandmother saw my potential first”,he said .”When l was young,l told her,”l think l should get a job “,she said,”no,just keep boxing”.During the 1980s,Mayweather lived in the Hiram Square neighborhood of New Brunswick, New Jersey, where his mother had relatives, He later said,”when l was about eight or nine,l lived in New Jersey with my mother and we were seven deep in one bedroom and sometimes we didn’t have electricity, When people see what l have now,they have no idea of where l came from and how l didn’t have anything growing up”.
It was common for the young Mayweather to come home from school and find used heroin needles in his front yard. His mother was addicted to drugs,and he had an aunt who died of AlDS because of her drug use.”People don’t know the hell l have been through,” he said. The most time that his father spent with him was taking him to gym to train and work on his boxing career,according to Mayweather ,”l don’t remember him ever taking me anywhere or doing anything that a father would do with a son ,going to the park or to the movies or to get ice cream ,”he says.
“l always thought that he liked his daughter (Floyd’s older sister) better than he liked me because she never got whipping but l got whipping all the time”.
Mayweather’s father contends that Floyd is not telling the truth about their early relationship.”Even though his daddy did sell drugs,l didn’t deprive my son”,the elder Mayweather says.”The drugs sold,he was part of it.He had plenty of food. He had the best clothes and l gave him money. He didn’t want for anything. Anybody in Grand Rapids can tell you that l took care of my kids “.
Floyd Snr.says he spent all of his days with his son,taking him to the gym and training him to be a boxer .”If it wasn’t for me,he wouldn’t be where he is today,”he maintained.
“I basically raised myself”,Mayweather says.”My grandmother did what she could .When she got mad at me,l would go to my mum’s house. My life was ups and downs.”
His father says he knows how much pain his incarceration caused his son,but insists he did the best he could.”l sent him to live with his grandmother,” he says. “lt wasn’t like I left him with strangers”. ln the absence of his father, boxing became an outlet for Mayweather .
As the elder Mayweather served his time,his son put all of his energy into boxing and dropped out of high school.” l knew that l was going to have to try to take care of my mum and l made the decision that school wasn’t that important at the time and l was going to have to box to earn a live”,he said.
THE LEGENDARY PUGILIST; FLOYED ‘ MONEY’ MAYWEATHER
