Floyd Mayweather: Fighting provides me with a means to help people
(In conjunction with HBO Sports, Yahoo! Sports will be featuring special Q&A entries from Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Shane Mosley. This is part 2 of 2 from the Y! Sports pound-for-pound king Floyd "Money" Mayweather.)
How important is it for you to stay involved and give back to the community? Can you tell us about some of your recent charitable efforts and if any of them will coincide with your upcoming fight on May 5?
What I do in the ring means nothing if I don’t share my good fortune with the community. My desire to give back is just as strong as my desire to win. It is very important to me to help others and be active in the community, whether in Las Vegas where I live or my hometown of Grand Rapids, MI.
I’ve always been a big supporter of the homeless and hungry because it’s an issue that is near and dear to my heart. It hurts me to see the homeless people and the state of their lives. Because I have been blessed with a gift that has brought me many blessings including a house to live in and food on the table for my family, I definitely feel a sense of responsibility to give back to this group. The Money Team goes to the store, buys the supplies and then we hand out sandwiches, fruit and drinks to help as many as possible. I hope that when they see me, and not just my team, it will encourage them to do better and get themselves out of that situation. I really want to make an impact on my community because I feel that people shouldn’t have to live on the streets and struggle to survive, and I’m willing to do whatever I can to help those in need.
I also like to give to charities that are already making a difference. Most recently, I made several donations to Las Vegas chapters of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas and Three Square Food Bank. They all do great work and I am happy to help support their efforts. As a matter of fact, last Saturday, April 21, right here in Las Vegas, the whole Money Team ran a 5K race for Habitat for Humanity. It was great fun, for a good cause and we helped raise money too.
This past month I’ve also made contribution and visited young students who attend Rainbow Dreams Academy, a local charter school in the Las Vegas which offers free open enrollment to underserved children. By supporting Rainbow Dream Academy, I feel like I can make a difference in the future of these young kids. In just the short time I spent with the students, I could see that they have great potential and deserve the best success possible in the future.
Everyone knows that my fight on May 5 is going to be the biggest fight of the year. But I am also doing something special before the fight with my foundation. On Thursday May 3, The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation and Sugar Shane Mosley foundation (Diamond Love Foundation) will hold a "Spring of Style" Social Affair with live entertainment, a fashion preview and a DJ to play live music in order to raise funds for our charities. Anyone can attend the function and we appreciate the support. For more information on the event, visit our website: www.tfmj.org.
Even though I’ve been busy training for my fight, I find time to continue efforts to give back and hopefully doing my part to help those in need.
You've taken very little punishment during your career, but at age 35, how much longer do you anticipate fighting?
I plan to end my career when I am 37 but we will see how I feel then too.
At 35, I am in the best shape of my life. I'm dedicated to my craft and to the sport of boxing. For those reasons, I know that as long as I feel and remain healthy, I can continue to fight for as long as I want. I have the best team, "The Money Team," in my corner who works with me day in and day out to make sure that I'm prepared every time that I step into the ring. Staying focused is definitely a big part of my success and it will continue to be. At this moment, I'm the fighter to beat and I don't see that changing anytime soon.
Of course, I would like to fight for the fans too. They have supported me throughout my career and without them I would not be the fighter I am today. Forty-two have tried, 42 have failed. I will hang up the gloves when I'm ready.
When my career is over I know I will live with no regrets. Everyone asks about other fights and fighters I might fight but none of that will affect my decisions to fight moving forward.
I don't live with regrets. No way. I work for me, I fight for me and I will always do what's best for my career and my family. But right now, I'm focused on my upcoming fight with Miguel Cotto on May 5 and once I beat him, I can then worry about what's next step in my career.
"Ring Kings: Mayweather vs. Cotto," and Canelo Alvarez vs. Sugar Shane Mosley will take place Saturday, May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
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