The Boxing Tribune

Boxing's Independent Media

  • Home
  • News
  • Videos
  • Best Of
  • Staff
  • Advertise With Us
  • Write for Us

Roger Mayweather: More Headache than Head Trainer?

July 26, 2011 by Paul Magno 5 Comments

0
SHARES
ShareTweet

by Sean Morehouse

When Floyd Mayweather enters the ring in September for his “come back” fight against Victor Ortiz, he will no doubt be flanked by his chief second, Uncle Roger Mayweather. Floyd’s father’s brother has been a staple of his corner since his 2004 fight with Emanuel Burton and has been a source of constant controversy.

Roger managed to stir the pot on a familiar subject last week, accusing another Freddie Roach fighter, Amir Khan, of taking performance-enhancing drugs. While similar accusations about Manny Pacquiao were at least potentially justified by the fact that Pacquiao has shown reluctance to take drug tests, accusations against Khan were completely out of left field, and seemed like an act of pure jealousy against the best trainer in the sport.

With Floyd seeming to try and alter his image, judging from his humble behavior thus far in the build-up to the Ortiz fight, it seems odd that he would keep a guy around who is constantly fueling controversy and drama like this.

What Floyd is getting out of this relationship has been a subject of debate in the boxing community for some time, and of course, it’s impossible to put yourself totally in the man’s head. One could argue though, that Floyd’s legendary discipline in training, combined with the fact that Roger has never proven himself as an elite trainer based on his work with other fighters, means he really doesn’t need these kind of headaches.

As to how much Floyd’s in ring performance is actually tied to the presence of Roger, it’s impossible to say. Conventional wisdom around the sport however tells us that “not that much” seems like a fair answer. A student of the game since the age of two, Floyd likely knows everything that a man can be taught about the sport of boxing. His aforementioned discipline in the gym is well documented, so it is hard to imagine anybody that can get Floyd ready for a fight better than Floyd himself.

However, one cannot deny that despite his often knuckle-headed comments, Roger is pretty damn knowledgeable about the sport himself. When the majority of the boxing community thought that Shane Mosley had the goods to give Floyd hell in his last fight, Roger and his brother Floyd Sr. ended up being 100% correct in their predictions that Shane both didn’t have the jab to hang with Mayweather, and would seem jittery and unable to pull the trigger.

Also, while “Money” himself often brags about the fact that he doesn’t watch tape on opponents, as he feels no need to scout what somebody else is capable of, Roger does put in that kind of time developing specific strategies. His critics would argue though, that while he may have a plan, when the fight starts, his between round advice usually is limited to colorful expressions like, “You whoppin’ his ass, keep whoopin’ his ass.”

Beyond all this, the unknowable factor is how much emotional comfort having his uncle in the corner provides Floyd. In the Mosley fight after Floyd was tagged in the second round Roger showed absolutely no panic. In fact, he had the cool, calm demeanor you would expect of a trainer who was working his charge through a soft sparring session, not a PPV mega-fight.

In the end, whether Roger’s presence is more about his ability or simply family loyalty, only Floyd knows for sure. What is clear, however, is that in Floyd’s apparent quest to win back some of boxing’s fickle fan base, Roger is not helping.

Sean Morehouse can be reached by email at morehouse1734@yahoo.com or followed on Twitter @morehouse17.


Follow us on our new Facebook Fan Page…Click “Like” to follow the source of Boxing’s True Independent Voice.



Your Ad Here

 

Paul Magno on Email
Paul Magno
Paul Magno
Paul Magno has over thirty-five years of experience in and around the sport of boxing and has had his hand in everything, from officiating to training. As a writer, his work has appeared in Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, Inside Fights, The Boxing Tribune, Fight Hype, Man Cave Magazine, Bleacher Report, and The Queensberry Rules.

Filed Under: Featured, Opinion Tagged With: Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roger Mayweather, Victor Ortiz

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Best of The Boxing Tribune

The Devil and Mr. Gary Russell Jr; Magno’s Monday Rant

The Devil and Mr. Gary Russell Jr; Magno’s Monday Rant

Canelo, Golden Boy Still Taking Steps Backwards With Chavez Fight

Canelo, Golden Boy Still Taking Steps Backwards With Chavez Fight

Lazarte, Club Once Unidos, and The Lifetime Ban; Magno’s Monday Rant

Lazarte, Club Once Unidos, and The Lifetime Ban; Magno’s Monday Rant

No One Here Gets Out Alive (Who Really Killed Frankie Leal?)

No One Here Gets Out Alive (Who Really Killed Frankie Leal?)

Augustus and Everything After; Magno’s Monday Rant

Augustus and Everything After; Magno’s Monday Rant

More of The Boxing Tribune's Best

Follow Us

Facebooktwitteryoutube

Alexa Traffic Rank

Sportsbook odds for all Boxing matches

Search

Recent

  • RIP Ted Sares: All Bull, No Bullshit
  • The Mental and Physical Benefits of Boxing
  • Interesting Similarities Between Boxing and eSports
  • 5 Boxing Rules Every Boxer Should Always Follow.
  • HOW TO GET STARTED IN BOXING