It starts with a text and it can come at any time.
“Mayweather will be at the gym at……”
The times varies but on this occasion it was a little after midnight.
I have been to the Mayweather gym plenty of times but normally doing media days, but never during a private workout.
Everyone knows about Mayweather’s legendary work ethic, but I wondered how hard would he really be going? Conor McGregor will be the easiest opponent of his career, Mayweather at 50% would be able to beat McGregor fairly easily. I had just seen him at NBA Summer League a few hours earlier and he seemed relaxed, so I wondered if this workout was more for show than anything else.
When I got there the gym it was just filled with family, friends and bodyguards. There is a strict no photos or videos policy that everyone followed to the letter, besides Mayweather’s own videographer and photographer who recorded his every move.
Mayweather started off sparring and giving motivational speeches to himself and others. After six rounds, Mayweather’s sparring partner was sucking wind and Mayweather wasn’t even breathing hard.
Mayweather then went through an intense hour workout where he did different exercises while once again giving speeches to himself and others about life, money and why McGregor is in trouble.
There were times Mayweather spoke openly about being 40 and not being able to do things that he could when he was 30. At one point while shadowboxing with weights he says.
“This is the last one, I can’t do this anymore.”
Of course a few celebrities and athletes were in attendance. R&B singer TANK, Isaiah Thomas who is a close friend of Mayweather and Ex-NBA player Steve Smith. All seem in awe of the work that Mayweather was putting in.
At around 1:30am the workout was finished, friends and family clapped and strip club plans were made.
The impression I got was even though McGregor is no threat to him, the work ethic that helped made him 49-0 is something you can’t just turn off.
It doesn’t matter if it is McGregor, you or me as Mayweather Promotions fighter Ishe Smith said to me while we were watching the workout…
“I have worked with everyone in the business and no one works as hard as Floyd Mayweather.”
That is bad news for McGregor.