ORLANDO, Florida (AFP) - Undefeated welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather will drop Roger Mayweather as his trainer for a rematch with Oscar de la Hoya in September if his uncle continues to train Steve Forbes.
The World Boxing Council champion said Thursday in a telephone conference call that he asked his uncle not to train Forbes for a May 3 bout against de la Hoya, whose planned rematch with Mayweather would be scuttled by a loss.
"If it's not done within a couple weeks, I'm going to get a new trainer," Mayweather said. "If he continues to train Steve (he's out). I told him on numerous occasions not to train Steve Forbes and he's training him at my gym."
Mayweather said he last saw his uncle at a February 25 party but did not speak about the conflict there.
"We didn't have a falling out. We never have a falling out. It's just right is right and wrong is wrong," Mayweather said. "He must realize that him training Steve Forbes, he's taking a ton of money out of his own mouth.
"For 80 grand, Roger is jeopardizing millions. He can get that money a ton of times over and over again. He's jeopardizing huge money."
Mayweather's split-decision victory over Oscar de la Hoya last May was the richest bout in boxing history, pulling in 120 million dollars, and a September rematch could exceed those totals, provided Forbes does not beat de la Hoya.
"He wants to train Steve Forbes then he wants to come over and train me," Mayweather said. "He wants Steve to beat de la Hoya but if he beats him, everything around me goes down the drain.
"That's taking money out of my pocket. I'm going to have to go get another trainer. I may have to pay my dad more."
Mayweather would not say that he would ask his estranged father, former de la Hoya trainer Floyd Mayweather Snr, to train him, suggesting an internet poll but adding, "There's a lot of good trainers out there."
Mayweather could also scuttle a de la Hoya rematch if he is injured March 30 in WrestleMania 24 when he faces 7-foot "Big Show" in the choreographed pro wrestling show, giving up 282 pounds to the massive giant.
"I know I can get hurt. Things happen," Mayweather said. "People have to worry. I'm the centerpiece of the puzzle. They have to worry. But this is what I chose to do and we're going to rock and roll with it."
Whether simply confident or having read ahead in the script, Mayweather was secure in the idea that nothing which happens in the wrestling ring would keep him from facing de la Hoya in September.
"I'm pretty sure I'll be OK," he said. "Every wound heals."
Mayweather claims to be making 20 million dollars from the event, following in the footsteps of such fighters as Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson who battled wrestlers - Ali notably in a 1976 Tokyo affair with Japan's Antonio Inoki.
"Those guys get in the ring for a quick second. I'm in there the whole time," Mayweather said. "Things happen. I don't know what those guys did but I'm a different breed."
Mayweather, 39-0 with 25 knockouts in the boxing ring, stopped England's Ricky Hatton in the 10th round last December to keep his crown but resists the idea to fight rival champions such as undefeated Miguel Cotto, calling him one-dimensional and talking down his promoter, Bob Arum.
"I'm not going to fight those guys and make them big. They fight Floyd Mayweather that makes them big. I'm not going to let no more fighters piggyback on me," Mayweather said.
"If Oscar de la Hoya wants one more chance to get his ass kicked, we can make it happen. If Ricky Hatton wants one more chance to get his ass kicked, we can make it happen."
Mayweather has tried to brand himself as an entertainer beyond boxing, appearing last November on the television contest show "Dancing with the Stars" and joining World Wrestling Entertainment for the upcoming scripted slugfest.
"I'm happy. It has been a great move," Mayweather said. "What I'm showing every other fighter out there in the boxing world that you don't have to be one-dimensional. Think outside the box.
"When you look at any other fighter, you say he's a boxer. When you look at Floyd Mayweather, you say he's an entertainer. I'm living my dream. I've always been a fan of wrestling ever since I've been a kid."
The World Boxing Council champion said Thursday in a telephone conference call that he asked his uncle not to train Forbes for a May 3 bout against de la Hoya, whose planned rematch with Mayweather would be scuttled by a loss.
"If it's not done within a couple weeks, I'm going to get a new trainer," Mayweather said. "If he continues to train Steve (he's out). I told him on numerous occasions not to train Steve Forbes and he's training him at my gym."
Mayweather said he last saw his uncle at a February 25 party but did not speak about the conflict there.
"We didn't have a falling out. We never have a falling out. It's just right is right and wrong is wrong," Mayweather said. "He must realize that him training Steve Forbes, he's taking a ton of money out of his own mouth.
"For 80 grand, Roger is jeopardizing millions. He can get that money a ton of times over and over again. He's jeopardizing huge money."
Mayweather's split-decision victory over Oscar de la Hoya last May was the richest bout in boxing history, pulling in 120 million dollars, and a September rematch could exceed those totals, provided Forbes does not beat de la Hoya.
"He wants to train Steve Forbes then he wants to come over and train me," Mayweather said. "He wants Steve to beat de la Hoya but if he beats him, everything around me goes down the drain.
"That's taking money out of my pocket. I'm going to have to go get another trainer. I may have to pay my dad more."
Mayweather would not say that he would ask his estranged father, former de la Hoya trainer Floyd Mayweather Snr, to train him, suggesting an internet poll but adding, "There's a lot of good trainers out there."
Mayweather could also scuttle a de la Hoya rematch if he is injured March 30 in WrestleMania 24 when he faces 7-foot "Big Show" in the choreographed pro wrestling show, giving up 282 pounds to the massive giant.
"I know I can get hurt. Things happen," Mayweather said. "People have to worry. I'm the centerpiece of the puzzle. They have to worry. But this is what I chose to do and we're going to rock and roll with it."
Whether simply confident or having read ahead in the script, Mayweather was secure in the idea that nothing which happens in the wrestling ring would keep him from facing de la Hoya in September.
"I'm pretty sure I'll be OK," he said. "Every wound heals."
Mayweather claims to be making 20 million dollars from the event, following in the footsteps of such fighters as Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson who battled wrestlers - Ali notably in a 1976 Tokyo affair with Japan's Antonio Inoki.
"Those guys get in the ring for a quick second. I'm in there the whole time," Mayweather said. "Things happen. I don't know what those guys did but I'm a different breed."
Mayweather, 39-0 with 25 knockouts in the boxing ring, stopped England's Ricky Hatton in the 10th round last December to keep his crown but resists the idea to fight rival champions such as undefeated Miguel Cotto, calling him one-dimensional and talking down his promoter, Bob Arum.
"I'm not going to fight those guys and make them big. They fight Floyd Mayweather that makes them big. I'm not going to let no more fighters piggyback on me," Mayweather said.
"If Oscar de la Hoya wants one more chance to get his ass kicked, we can make it happen. If Ricky Hatton wants one more chance to get his ass kicked, we can make it happen."
Mayweather has tried to brand himself as an entertainer beyond boxing, appearing last November on the television contest show "Dancing with the Stars" and joining World Wrestling Entertainment for the upcoming scripted slugfest.
"I'm happy. It has been a great move," Mayweather said. "What I'm showing every other fighter out there in the boxing world that you don't have to be one-dimensional. Think outside the box.
"When you look at any other fighter, you say he's a boxer. When you look at Floyd Mayweather, you say he's an entertainer. I'm living my dream. I've always been a fan of wrestling ever since I've been a kid."
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