?What I do for a living, I?m a boxer, but I didn?t get to where I got to not being able to write, read and do arithmetic??
In anticipation of the Sept. 13 rematch with Marcos Maidana, pound-for-pound king Floyd ?Money? Mayweather met with the press this week via teleconference call. The fight was what Mayweather wanted to talk about, but much of the time was spent defending his reading skills.
No sooner were formal introductions complete than Mayweather was asked, as if it really mattered, if he thought 50 Cent ?crossed the line? by suggesting that Money couldn?t read. Having embraced a cool demeanor late in his career, he was more deliberate than defensive, which was appropriate on many levels, although defensiveness did eventually, perhaps inevitably creep in.
?My thing is this,? he said, ?I try to focus on Maidana. I don?t really focus on that. I think people can believe whatever they want to believe. Intelligence and education are two different things. I?m happy with my career and I wish 50 Cent nothing but the best. When I?m in training camp I try to focus on my training. You have to realize that the circus is for clowns and my job is just to focus on my job, which is boxing. I know what I can and I can?t do, so I can care less.?
Never one to leave well enough, the questioner persisted by asking Mayweather if he was surprised that 50 ?went in that direction,? about a topic that was so ?sensitive.?
?I don?t even worry about that. Like I said before, that?s not my focus. I know what I can and I can?t do. You guys don?t know when you?re dealing with pay-per-view you have to read at least 60 to 70 teleprompters, and I don?t think they could choose a better person for the job than myself. I go out there and I do it with no problem.?
That was that, or so I thought, but this time Mayweather wouldn?t let it go, and decided to bring God into the equation.
?I just feel like basically I?m not judged by a person, I?m judged by God. Reading does not define my place in boxing history. Will God not let me in heaven because I didn?t read like a news anchor? Me, myself, I would be perfect at reading if it was how I made my living and fed my family. Once again, intelligence and education are two different things.?
That is correct. Intelligence and education are two different things. Insofar as God?s intention vis-?-vis Mayweather and heaven, I?ll leave that one for the theologians.
?Making fun of a person because they can?t read is not funny,? continued Mayweather. ?It?s tragic. Second, if I really couldn?t read it would make my accomplishments even that much more amazing. I don?t know if 50 Cent is a boxing promoter, I don?t know if he?s making music; I really don?t know. My focus is on Floyd Mayweather, and I wish 50 Cent nothing but the best.?
Suitably dismissive of 50 Cent and his illiteracy claim, while wishing him the best, that appeared to be that. But appearances can be deceiving, as the next question illustrated.
?Floyd, do you want to just comment on the footage that the radio station played of you reading the drops??
Everyone likes a little scandal now and then, but making a career out of it is another matter.
?I don?t get paid to read radio drops,? said Mayweather, having grown impatient at the line of questioning. ?I?m capable of having a bad day. I?m not perfect. But you know, as well as I know, they edited the tape how they wanted to do it. I?m a perfectionist. If I go read a teleprompter, I read it six or seven or eight times, because I?m a perfectionist. I could have been up twenty-four hours. I could have just landed in New York City. People find different ways to try to break people down and tear people down.
?I?m going strong and I?m happy. We talk about that situation, but there?s plenty of videos out there just showing me reading teleprompters and reading other things. When I was at the ESPY?s I had to read a teleprompter. I?m pretty sure you guys thought I did an okay job. Like I said before, I?m not a news anchor, never claimed to be. What I do for a living, I?m a boxer, but I didn?t get to where I got to not being able to write, read and do arithmetic, and I?m going to say this once again, intelligence and education are two totally different things.?
And once again, Mayweather is right.
