Sunday July 12
Training camp is officially and finally under way. I had the unique pleasure of starting off sparring with the pound-for-pound king, Floyd Mayweather today. It’s been two years since we last worked together in the ring, so it was fun (and an honour) to be the first person he shared a ring with since he dismantled Manny Pacquiao.
Floyd was sharp, his movement was nice and flowing beautifully for the first few rounds. Floyd chatted ‘mess’ to me during the sparring, but that’s what Floyd does. You just have to enjoy the occasion. It was a pleasure and always a learning curve, to put in some rounds with him.
Monday July 13
In the locker room after his sparring session Floyd said I helped him get sharp yesterday. [Mayweather team member] Cornelius Boza-Edwards was very happy with my performance with Floyd. He liked that it was tough and competitive sparring.
Tuesday July 21
Floyd bought me a Chrysler 300 car today around midnight. He bought and paid for the car and all I had to do was just go and pick it up. And surprise, surprise – I’m very happy with it and very humbled. Spanking brand new, Floyd paid $50,000 for it. He helps out people on a day-to-day basis. Not many people hear about the lives he changes. He funds kids across the country to achieve their dreams, but unsurprisingly I’ve never heard about this in the press.
Monday August 3
Floyd arrived at the gym around 4pm and by 5pm he was out on the gym floor ready for sparring. It’s Monday so he normally wants hard work. I thought he’d go with me or Lanardo Tyner. Bob Ware walked over to us and looked at me, smiled and said, “It’s you today.” Boza put on my headgear and strength coach Chris Ben-Tchavtchavadze took out my diamond earring. That’s all that needs doing for me to be ready, willing and able!
Floyd was in the ring first. I entered the ring to a gym fully packed with fight fans, Floyd’s kids, his workers and fighters.
We worked out for four rounds of six minutes with only 30 seconds rest in between. Floyd and I both had our moments. It was a hard sparring session, but I dug deep and we had some nice exchanges. I always love it from start to finish – why wouldn’t I? After all I’m in with the best in the world.
The enthusiastic onlookers congratulated me on my performance afterwards, I think many were surprised I was that good, as Floyd normally beats on his sparring partners. I held my own, but I had to give my best.
Wednesday August 12
I sparred with Yuriorkis Gamboa today. I had completed five hours’ training beforehand with a six-mile run, two hours of weights and two hours of boxing.
Gamboa started real good. He probably shaded the first two four-minute rounds, but then his energy levels dropped and I banged him with jabs and opened up with combinations that busted up his nose as blood leaked out. I wanted one more round, but he was done. It was good work that I didn’t really want to do at the time, but enjoyed it after we had finished.
Tuesday September 1
This is the last week of hard training. It’s been a long camp. Twelve weeks by fight time – still on all my Wellman nutrition and supplements – we’ve been partners for some seven years now and we have never failed each other. I’m ready, really ready. I’ve sparred three world champions in Floyd Mayweather, Mickey Bey and Yuriorkis Gamboa plus some talented young fighters. Mayweather Promotions are now working on a title fight for me.
Floyd told me last camp I was getting a shot soon, and Dejuan Blake, my boxing advisor, is looking at the landscape of the world organisations. Adrien Broner would be an easy fight to make and I would be really up for it.
Right now my focus is Steven Upshaw Chambers who I fight on Floyd’s September 12 undercard. Berto beat him 12 months ago and now is in the biggest fight of his life. Hopefully a win will lead me to the biggest fight of my 12-year career.
I’ve been part of Floyd Mayweather’s training camp for his last fight. I’ve witnessed one of the greatest fighters prepare for three years now. I’ve been around him inside and outside the ring. He’s treated me better than anyone in the professional boxing world has done before.
I’ll be forever grateful to him.
