Mayweather Jr. upset over uncle training Forbes, considers firing him There is another Mayweather family feud brewing. Pound-for-pound king and welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., already estranged from his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., now has a festering problem with Roger Mayweather, his uncle and trainer, that is so severe that he said Thursday he is considering firing him. Mayweather Jr. is upset because his uncle is training Steve Forbes for a 150-pound bout against Oscar De La Hoya on May 3. If Forbes beats De La Hoya, it would kill Mayweather Jr.'s Sept. 20 rematch with De La Hoya, depriving him of a $20 million-plus payday. Mayweather Jr. spoke to reporters on a conference call Thursday to promote his March 30 WrestleMania 24 pay-per-view match against 7-foot, 441-pound wrestler The Big Show at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, but the discussion quickly changed from his foray into the WWE to the situation with his uncle. "Lately, I've been upset with my uncle, Roger Mayweather," he said. "My uncle Roger has been training Steve Forbes and if Steve Forbes beats Oscar, it's taking money out of my pocket. [If he continues], I'll have to move on and get another trainer." Mayweather Jr. went so far as to say that he might even try to lure his father back to his corner, although Mayweather Sr. -- who also is estranged from his brother Roger -- trains De La Hoya. Mayweather Jr. said he's been busy promoting his WrestleMania match and hasn't talked to his uncle since seeing him at a birthday party about a month ago. But Mayweather Jr. said he asked his adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, to relay the ultimatum to Roger: Quit as Forbes' trainer or be fired. "I told Leonard to ask him not to train Steve," Mayweather Jr. said. "And he's training him at my boxing gym [in Las Vegas]." Asked if he would evict them from his gym, Mayweather said, "I'm not going to do that." But his discomfort with the situation was apparent. "We didn't have a falling out. He was at my birthday bash, but right is right and wrong is wrong," Mayweather Jr. said. "For him to train Steve Forbes, he is taking a ton of money out of his own pocket. He is jeopardizing millions." There is at least the appearance of a conflict of interest in Roger Mayweather being in Forbes' corner. What if Roger Mayweather stops the fight for some reason, thus preserving his nephew's rematch with De La Hoya? And, of course, what if Forbes pulls off the major upset? "That's not a good look at all," Mayweather Jr. said. "No disrespect to Steve Forbes. He's a good fighter and good person. Roger Mayweather is my uncle. My uncle is training Steve Forbes to beat Oscar De La Hoya and then he wants to come over and train me? He wants Steve to beat De La Hoya but if [Forbes] beats him, then everyone around me sees the fight go down the drain." After suggesting that he could ask his father to return to his corner -- Mayweather Sr. used to train his son very early in his pro career -- Mayweather Jr. said that Internet boxing sites should start a poll to ask fans who they think should become his next trainer "if Roger continues to train Steve Forbes." Mayweather Jr. said he hasn't given his uncle a deadline to drop Forbes but said it must be "within a couple of weeks." "If it's not done within a couple of weeks, I'm getting a new trainer," he said. Roger Mayweather could not be reached for comment. Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.
I think he's found another way of clowning Oscar. It isn't taking money out of his pocket unless Forbes actually beats him.
I have a transcript Of the phone conversation. Floyd: Waaaaaa Roger: But Floyd! Floyd: Waaaaaaaaa Roger: But... Floyd:(interupting) Waaaaaaaaaaa Thats all I got because the call was dropped.
