Floyd Mayweather Jr. Talks Pre-Fight Training, Retirement and more in October Men’s Fitness

NEW YORK, NY–On September 19, welterweight fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. will return to the ring for the first time after surprising boxing fans two years ago by announcing his retirement. In the October issue of Men’s Fitness, Mayweather discusses his decision to retire and the inspiration that ultimately led him back into the ring. “I had been fighting since 1987 without a vacation,” he says. “I needed to get to know myself again..”

The October issue of Men’s Fitness hits newsstands September 21 nationwide. Following are highlights from the interview.

On how reconciling with his father led him back into the ring…
“My 10-year-old son was always asking to go to the gym. So my dad started working with him and I started tagging along. It was really special to see my dad working with my son. It was stuff you needed to get on a video camera. This ultimately led him to start going back to the gym, hitting the heavy bags and sparring. “I missed the fans and the atmosphere and I thought, as long as I’m doing all this stuff, I might as well get back into what I love, and that’s boxing.”

On pre-fight training which starts with a massage, shadowboxing and five to nine rounds of sparring then ends with hand pad/heavy bag intervals and hours at the “fitness gym”…
“I want to push myself to the limit and always try to be the best. I’m always trying to outdo my last performance.”

On his community initiatives…
“Someday I want a kid to surpass me. Someone who wouldn’t have a chance except for the programs that keep getting cut. And I want to start golf programs in the inner-city schools. I’m going to start playing too, now that it’s right outside my house.”

On the growing popularity of MMA…
“We got black fighters and Hispanic fighters dominating the sport. There are no white fighters in boxing that are dominating, so they had to go to something else and start something new.”

On pattering himself after multi-talented stars like Jaime Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson by pursuing outside endeavors outside the ring…
“We believe in rolling the dice and taking chances. I didn’t do it by myself. I had a good team.”