Mayweathers see finish line ahead

As Floyd Mayweather Jr. was holding court with reporters Wednesday to try to sell his Sept. 12 fight with Andre Berto at the MGM Grand Garden on Showtime Pay Per View, Floyd Mayweather Sr. stood in the back of his son's gym and patiently waited to get to work.

The 62-year-old Mayweather has been through this too many times to get worked up over the organized chaos that is media day. In fact, if Mayweather Jr. stays true to his word and retires from boxing for good after the Berto fight, his father is fine with that.

Then again, the historian in him wouldn't mind if Floyd Jr. (48-0, 26 knockouts) decided to stay active, open the new MGM-AEG arena next spring, go to 50–0 and pass Rocky Marciano, whose 49-0 record he would equal should he defeat Berto.

Even if it means having to endure yet another one of these media days.

"If his heart isn't in it, he should get out," Floyd Sr. said. "But if he still wants to train hard, if he still has the desire to fight and wants to continue, who am I to tell him to stop? If he wants to go for 50, let him, because he's so close."

Father and son haven't always had the best relationship. Remember the time in 2011 when Floyd Jr. kicked his dad out of his gym for the world to see on HBO's "24/7" as part of the run-up to his fight with Victor Ortiz?

Those days are long gone. Neither looks back on the incident with any fondness.

"Those things happen in families from time to time," Mayweather Sr. said. "We love each other, and we're closer than ever. It's a great feeling. What father wouldn't want to be close to his son?"

When Floyd Jr., 38, talks about his father these days, it is with a sincere loving emotion.

"Do we always see eye to eye on everything? No," Mayweather Jr. said. "But we respect each other, and I know that at the end of the day, he and my family are going to be there for me.

"He sees things on social media that gets him upset, and I try to tell him not to worry about it. I tell him, 'You got a good life. You're making seven figures. You live in a beautiful house. Just stay positive.'

"I love him. But I think sometimes he takes everything too personal."

Mayweather Sr. said his son has trained well enough for Berto (30-3, 23 KOs) that he will take care of business.

"One thing about my son, you never have to worry about him being out of shape," Mayweather Sr. said. "Floyd's been running, and he runs a long ways. I'm used to seeing him train every day. For this fight, he's going three or four days in a row and taking a day off. I'm not used to that.

"But he knows his body, and we got all the work in that we needed to be prepared for this fight. I'm not worried about my son. He's ready to whip Berto right now."

Mayweather Jr. arrived in style Wednesday in his recently purchased $4.8 million Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita "hyper car."

"I've done this for 30 years," he said. "But I'm always motivated. Always. I don't overlook anyone."

There has been speculation that father and son might leave the ring together and ride off into the sunset in the Trevita. That probably isn't going to happen, because Floyd Sr. is working with Las Vegan Devin Haney, who will turn pro this year.

"That's gonna be my next world champion," he said, putting his arm around the 16-year-old Haney. "This young man has got all the skills and desire to be great, and we're going to the top together."

Mayweather Sr. also works with other fighters, including former world lightweight champion Mickey Bey. But until Haney begins his pro career in December, Mayweather has unfinished business with his son.

"He has been able to not get hurt from boxing, and I'd like to see him leave that way — not getting hurt," Mayweather Sr. said. "This is his father talking. But he's a grown man, and it's his decision. It's his life.

"Forty-nine and 0 is damned good. But you can't be playing with the game. If you ain't gonna fight for real, if in your heart you don't want to fight no more — then quit."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.