YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE
I’ve now been in Las Vegas for three stimulating and instructive weeks.
I’m enjoying the first class training and some great sparring sessions at the Mayweather Boxing Club.
I kicked off the week by sparring with world number 15 Vernon Paris, this was followed by then sharing 13 rounds of sparring over two days with two weight, five time world champion, Celestino Caballero.
Floyd Mayweather normally spars for an awe-inspiring five minutes or longer at a time. Celestino wanted us to do that on one occasion. We completed multiple five minute and six minute rounds of sparring.
That is truly deep end stuff. Sink or Swim! Thanks to my great conditioning I swam hard, but it was really tough. No champion athlete settles for easy training. That is what separates the best from the rest. I’m learning from some great champions, who are the quite simply the best.
Celestino Caballero is the 11th world champion that I’ve shared a ring with through sparring; Joan Guzman, Argenis Mendez, Yuri Foreman, Paul Malignaggi, Elio Rojas, Joseph Agbeko and Ricky Burns are some of the others.
I’ve completed 24 hours training this week. 12 of which was at the Mayweather Boxing Club, the other 12 hours was spent on the roads of Las Vegas and at the 24 hour fitness complex.
My biggest fights and best performances have all been in the States. I’ve beaten former world champion, DeMarcus Corley and two time world title challenger, Delvin Rodriguez. I also dropped a close split decision to current world champion, Danny Garcia.
I’m now looking forward to my next fight in the States, especially after such intensive sparring here.
The old dog still has much life in him yet.
Ishe Smith had a victory party over the weekend to celebrate winning the IBF junior middleweight world title. He is also the first Nevada native to win a world title. He’s a great inspiration to many fighters, to keep pushing towards your goal even when times are tough. He is a very positive role model!
The Money Team and Mayweather Promotion fighters are all a good bunch of guys. I really love my time here in Las Vegas.
Watching Floyd train in person can only add to your game. He’s the number one boxer in the sport, and there is a clear reason for it.
US Olympian, Errol Spence Junior, has been giving Floyd some good sparring sessions this week.
May 4th is ‘May Day’! I expect Floyd Mayweather to finish the night 44-0 when he is victorious against Robert Guerrero.
FIGHT CLUB
This has been another great week at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas. I continued my work with Floyd’s assistant trainer Nate Jones and I also worked with Roger Mayweather.
CBS – Showtime who Floyd has just signed a six fight deal, started filming him for the build-up to his fight with Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero.
Some of these were private sessions where only The Money Team or sparring partners of Floyd could watch. I had the privilege of being able to stay and watch Floyd go through his training regime.
It is always instructive and inspiring!
This week I had the pleasure of accompanying Floyd on his evening road running sessions. Being side by side with greatness is something that can only fuel you to achieve your goals.
Floyd invited me to the Alicia Keys concert at the Mandalay Bay hotel resort and casino with The Money Team on Friday. I had a great night out with them.
They have made me feel continuously welcome and very much at home.
Vegas is the place to be! Adrien Broner is due to fight world champion, Paul Malignaggi, in June and is considering basing himself in Las Vegas. Paulie has come a very long way since we first sparred in 2005.
I sparred with the talented Semajay Thomas again this week. It was his final week of sparring before his professional debut. He was a successful amateur being ranked US number one and world number five at the highest points of his amateur career.
He has already sparred two weight world champions Devon Alexander and Adrien Broner. As long as he stays focused and keeps working hard, I expect him to be a world champion. Remember where you heard it first.
I also traded punches with world rated Vernon Paris in sparring, which was decent work.
Next week I’m due to spar two weight world champion Cellestino Caballero. He is a great fighter and I’m looking forward to it.
There is NO let up here, and everything is competitive and hard edged. No quarter is ever asked for and absolutely no quarter is ever given without a fight.
BACK IN DA CLUB
After my really exciting and instructive visit last year, I’m back at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas and it really feels great to be here again.
There is a strong sense of competitiveness in the air, but somehow it still feels like a family environment. Everyone wants to be a champion and the best they can be, but at the same time, everyone is friendly and supportive of each other.
It reminds me a lot of Gleason’s Gym in New York.
I’m continuing to work with Floyd Mayweather’s assistant coach, Nate Jones, and it has been top quality work. He’s been teaching me stuff and I’ve been enjoying it. You can never stop learning in life and in boxing.
I normally start my day with an hour’s run on the Las Vegas streets, or a two hour cardiovascular, strength and core conditioning session at the 24 hour fitness gym.
I tend to get to Mayweather’s Boxing club for 1pm, and finish by 4pm. Then the main event starts; watching one of the greatest fighters of all time, Floyd Mayweather Junior.
I work very hard all the time, but what Floyd does is completely on another level. Since my last training camp in Las Vegas I have added to my game from watching Floyd and this time will be no different.
I love how Floyd says “I’m an old man” but still shows amazing speed, power and conditioning.
Watching Floyd spar, work out and train is like taking part in a living master class. When he’s on the pads and bags, he works intensely on his speed and power, but still has the time to show us onlookers how you are supposed to punch correctly. Pure class!
I sparred with Semajay Thomas, who was US Amateur champion in 2009 and 2011, ranked number one in America and number five in the world as an amateur.
I didn’t know who he was before we sparred, but we work with the same trainer, Nate Jones, so I had seen him at close quarters working on the bags and pads. I always want to spar and fight with the best available, so I was more than happy to trade punches with him when asked.
At 20 years old he has a big future ahead of him and he could possibly be a world champion, if he stays dedicated and continues to work hard.
We completed 5 rounds sparring with just 30 seconds rest in the 30 degrees centigrade Vegas heat. We will continue to work together next week, as he is making his professional debut in two weeks.
As a 5 year old kid watching the likes of Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler, I fell in love with the sport and dreamed of training and fighting in the States.
It has been a long and hard road to get to where I am today, but by inspiring others, just like I was once inspired, makes my hard work, dedication and resilience all worthwhile.
Another really important reason for being out here is that it keeps me in touch with the US boxing scene. I’ve been approached this week about possible championship fights in the Philippines and in America.
Las Vegas is currently the boxing capital of the US. I’m feeling and loving the buzz of the place. It’s fabulous to be here in the mix.
That’s one week down and three more to go.
Mayweather’s Boxing Club is a great gym and it’s impossible not to enjoy every minute of it, and not forgetting that I’m in the presence of greatness.
BACK INSIDE MAYWEATHER BOXING CLUB, LAS VEGAS
Check out more photos on the Hustle Boss website here
Photos courtesy of Chris Robinson
