Fansided

30 little-known facts about Floyd Mayweather Jr.

By Zachary Alapi

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Floyd Mayweather Jr. reacts to the crowd during the Floyd Mayweather Jr. v Conor McGregor World Press Tour event at SSE Arena on July 14, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Floyd Mayweather Jr. reacts to the crowd during the Floyd Mayweather Jr. v Conor McGregor World Press Tour event at SSE Arena on July 14, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 31
Next

27. Sparring sessions at his Mayweather Boxing Club are insane

In the buildup to his rematch against Marcos Maidana, Floyd Mayweather Jr. gave fight fans a glimpse into the punishing realities of the “dog house” — Mayweather’s moniker for his gym, where sparring sessions are infused with a street-fighting tone. On an episode of Showtime’s All Access, which aired on September 6, 2014, clips from an alleged 31-minute round between British amateur Donovan Cameron and Hasim Rahman Jr. were aired.

The then-23-year-old Rahman was aiming to avenge Cameron’s bludgeoning of his younger brother Sharif, only 18, after Cameron failed to lure veteran Ishe Smith into the ring. With Mayweather holding court and acting as referee — with “referee” being used loosely here — Cameron battered Sharif Rahman into submission. Although Hasim Jr. was able to exact some revenge, all three men left the ring with varying degrees of battle scars.

The Rahman Jr.-Cameron sparring session created problems for “Money” after the Rahman family filed a lawsuit against Mayweather, Mayweather Promotions and Showtime in Clark County District Court. Here are some details from Kevin Iole’s piece on Yahoo Sports:

"Hasim Rahman Jr., 23, and Sharif Rahman, 18, sued for battery, tortious assault, false imprisonment, negligent hiring, training, supervision and retention and unjust enrichment. Neither Rahman has fought professionally, though Rahman Jr. is scheduled to turn professional on Nov. 13."

Although Floyd Mayweather Jr. claimed that the 31-minute round and accompanying negligence were misrepresented on All Access, Iole’s piece notes that Mayweather’s denial came when he wasn’t under oath, and that the suit “accus[ed] the Mayweather Boxing Club of not having the proper license to allow amateurs to spar.” Mayweather is known for his rigorous training regimen, and his gym has become a pilgrimage site for fighters aiming to impress. A throwback to the old adage that only iron sharpens iron, the Mayweather Boxing Club certainly toes a fine line when it comes to its brutal, macho culture.

Home/Boxing