Recently I had the opportunity to spend some time with former IBO Super Featherweight champion, ?Jazzy? Jeff Mayweather. A variety of topics were discussed, which included, Bob Arum?s controversial comments about Floyd Mayweather and a potential Mayweather vs. Pacquiao bout. Jeff also discusses Freddie Roach?s controversial claims against Manny Pacquiao?s former strength and conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, and if he thinks this puts unwanted attention on Pacquiao?s past fights. Additionally Mayweather talks about Pacquiao?s tax debt and if he thinks Floyd owes him a fight. Here is what Jeff Mayweather had to say in part of 1 of this 2 part interview.
Robert Brown: What was the motivation behind Bob Arum?s extraordinary comments, in which he compared Floyd Mayweather Jr. to Adolf Hitler?
Jeff Mayweather: Well the one thing is this, Bob never made any money off Floyd because right at the time when Floyd was able to become a Pay-Per-View attraction, his contract was up. Of course, you have one of the best fighters in the world and you don?t make a dime off him, he?s got a lot of animosity towards Floyd.
So of course Bob?s gonna say anything he can to make him look bad, but at the end of the day, Floyd doesn?t owe Manny anything. Floyd tried to fight him twice already. He offered him to fight the first time and he refused to take the fight because he refused to take a blood test.
I guess everybody knows why he refused to take a blood test now, cause Freddie Roach basically just passing the buck to Ariza, since he got caught doing what he was doing with Brandon Rios, so they knew what he was doing anyway. Freddie?s way of getting around it is saying, ?Oh yeah he was giving Manny drinks and Manny didn?t know what he was drinking.?
Okay, he didn?t know what he was drinking, but the thing is this, I can be working with someone for 40 years and they better not come up to me and give me something that I?ve never had before. I?m gonna ask him what it is, I need to know what it is I?m taking. I don?t care about the fact that we?ve been together these many years, but I?m not gonna just take anything from anyone.
Robert Brown: Do you think Freddie Roach, by making those allegations about Alex Ariza; threw Manny Pacquiao under the bus?
Jeff Mayweather: I don?t think he was trying to throw Manny under the bus. I think he was throwing Ariza under the bus because him and Ariza don?t get along at all. It?s one of those situations in which he was trying to make Ariza look bad but at the same time trying to make Manny look innocent.
Robert Brown: Do you think Freddie Roach by making those comments; cast more aspersions into Manny Pacquiao?s past?
Jeff Mayweather: I think so. Of course, probably not to Manny?s fans, but to anyone that isn?t a Manny fan, when you say, ?This guy was so corrupt, I remember a long time ago back when he was giving Manny these drinks and he never told Manny what it was, and he would just drink them.?
Basically, Freddie really wasn?t thinking it through, but he was making it clear that Manny had no knowledge of what was going on, even though he basically said that Ariza is a dirty guy.
Okay here it is, they tested Brandon Rios six times. If they tested him six times, that?s because they already knew what he was doing. It don?t take no brain surgeon to figure that out. If you have to test a guy six times that you?re fighting, and the only reason you?re doing that is because Ariza is not working with him.
Not only that, but how dumb can Ariza be to know that he?s been with these guys and how they were gonna come at him with the testing? For him to blatantly just go out and give the kid steroids, that?s crazy!
Robert Brown: Can you please give us your response to Bob Arum stating that the fight won?t happen because Floyd Mayweather is afraid to fight a quality southpaw?
Jeff Mayweather: Like I said, Bob is bitter, a guy that is bitter will say anything. Bob is the reason why the fight won?t happen, it hasn?t had anything to do with Manny personally. Floyd and Bob have an extremely bitter relationship and like I said, Floyd is his own promoter, Floyd calls his own shots, he?s not gonna allow Bob Arum to call shots for him.
Pacquiao?s a guy that?s in need of Floyd, Floyd don?t need him. The guy is $68 millions in the red, with his taxes and the IRS. He?s at the end of his career, so he ain?t never gonna be able to pay them.
Robert Brown: What has Amir Khan done at 147 lbs to deserve a shot against Floyd Mayweather?
Jeff Mayweather: Oh don?t get me wrong, I?m not saying that Amir Khan deserves the fight either, I think he doesn?t deserve the fight. First of all he doesn?t have a title, so there?s no reason to even fight him. It?s not so much that Manny doesn?t deserve a fight, it?s like this, Manny was offered to fight twice and he refused it twice.
Now all of the sudden he owes $68 million to the IRS, of course Manny wants to fight. Manny goes out and says, ?We?ll fight for free,? nobody is fighting for free. That?s just a sign of desperation cause nobody is gonna fight for free, and you can?t fight for free if you owe the IRS 68 million dollars, you can?t fight for free!
It was indeed a pleasure talking to Jeff Mayweather. Stay tuned for part 2 of this interview!
