Floyd Mayweather Jr. is more than familiar with this drill.
Meeting with the media Tuesday at his boxing gym just west of the Las Vegas Strip, Mayweather answered question after question in preparation for his Sept. 17 WBC welterweight title fight against Victor Ortiz at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Mayweather was asked about his year-plus layoff from competition, his many legal problems, his legacy in the sport, a potential mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao and whatever else the hordes of reporters threw at him.
With the air conditioning off inside his gym, which is common practice during training, the reporters seemed to work up more of a sweat than the confident Mayweather. His ability to be comfortable with the media ? and other prefight distractions ? comes from years of experience in the spotlight.
That?s where he feels the 24-year-old Ortiz could be overwhelmed. This is easily the biggest fight in Ortiz?s career. For Mayweather, it?s simply another day at the gym.
?I have been here so many times, so you know I know what it is going to take,? said Mayweather (41-0), who is six-time world and five-division champion. ?It is very difficult when you get to this level and you fight a fight of this magnitude. It?s not the same as fight in small arenas and small preliminary bouts.”
?This is the pinnacle,? he said. ?Once you get to the top, it is rough and only the strong can survive. I am one of the strong, and that is why I am where I am today.?
