What sort of man is more comfortable in the boxing ring with British bruiser Ricky Hatton than on the dance floor with Scary Spice? That would be Floyd Mayweather Jr., who will put his WBC welterweight tile on the line Saturday in Las Vegas.
The last time we saw the 30-year-old fighter, he was unceremoniously knocked out in the fourth round of “Dancing with the Stars” in October. But Mayweather is widely accepted as the best active pound-for-pound boxer on the planet, so he should last a little longer in this weekend’s battle of unbeaten boxers.
RedEye did some research, and here’s what else we learned about the tough guy who can dance the cha-cha.
* “Dancing With the Stars” partner Karina Smirnoff discovered Mayweather’s weakness for gummy bears and used them for motivation, though apparently not enough. “I’m good with dancing to R&B and hip-hop,” he told tvguide.com. “But ballroom dancing would be tough for Michael Jackson.”
* Mayweather is nicknamed “Pretty Boy,” but it has nothing to do with his appearance on “Dancing With the Stars.” It’s got everything to do with his appearance after fights, which is largely unscathed, thanks to his defensive approach.
* Mayweather keeps some famous company. Rapper 50 Cent not only performed “Straight to the Bank” as he accompanied the boxer to the ring before his May 5 fight with Oscar De La Hoya, allhiphop.com also claimed the rapper bet $1 million on the “Pretty Boy.”
* The Mayweather family takes dysfunction to a new level. Mayweather Sr.’s boxing career ended when he was shot in the leg while holding his son in his arms. Senior now works as a boxing trainer, but not for Junior. That title goes to Junior’s uncle, Roger. Father and son have not worked together since a falling out in 1999.
* Mayweather’s parents didn’t waste any time molding the boxing prodigy after he was born. “The first day home from the hospital, the first place they took me to was the boxing gym,” he told ESPN, “one block away from my house.”
* Mayweather can turn off some people with his brash personality, but the L.A. Times reported he does have a sweet side. On Halloween, Mayweather gave away so many candy bars at his Las Vegas home that kids were begging him to “make it rain” Snickers, the boxer’s manager said.
