MAYWEATHER DISCUSSES TURNING PRO AND SPARRING PERNELL WHITAKER

During a private sit-down interview with select members of the media, undefeated pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather talked about his early boxing career. Check out what he had to say as Mayweather discusses what it was like when he was an amateur getting ready to turn pro, his experiences sparring with the likes of Pernell Whitaker and Frankie Randall, and much more.

[@quenquen411]

"Pernell is a guy who doesn't give out a lot of compliments. He didn't want to say anything about another fighter, because he didn't like the idea of anyone upstaging him. But I remember him saying to me, 'Man, this kid is good right now.' He said to Floyd, 'You stay with this and you remain dedicated, ain't nobody going to touch you.' " - Whitaker was #1 P4P, FM was 17

[@CoachJeromeTeasley]

When he say he gave his life to boxing.....man did he. True to his craft

[@michigannewsnow4927]

The man that truly gave his life to boxing was roy jones . He went above and beyond to please his fans by ruining his body with all the weight gaining ,weight losing and that just aged him quick . Mayweather did what he wanted ,when he wanted and when the fans are the reason for his wealth , he should do what the fans want ,and that's what roy did

[@Lessoninablessing]

Hero Fit 🤙🤙 bingo

[@michigannewsnow4927]

@@Lessoninablessing I'm confused as to if your siding with me lol

[@gnicevids]

Yeah right Steroid Floyd

[@michigannewsnow4927]

I mean I'm just making an opinion and comparing , was mayweather good yea he was did he give his life to boxing ? No not really he did things on his terms WHICH is smarter to think of his body and health 1st which u cant knock him for that BUT the comment was he gave his life and in my opinion it's not, roy jones sacrafice his body for the fans and giving his life

[@money1968]

Whos here after hearing of the Passing of Sweet Pea😣 RIP champ, one of the best to ever do it for sure. EDIT RIP Frankie Randall 😔 man we losing so many legends

[@ItachiUchiha-cp6xy]

Same

[@206hooperr]

Rip Sweet Pea 🙏🏾

[@hendog7322]

Money 19 rip

[@motivatedlemonadeRider33939]

Floyd has huge respect for Julio

[@darnellkirkland784]

I had to come back to this classic interview. RIP Sweet Pea

[@BluRay8o4]

Basically what he's saying is that when he sparred Frankie Randall and Whitaker, He outboxed them no problem but he will always say it was good work for both of them out of respect.

[@nihilismfromnow5904]

+BluRay8o4 lol ..sounds to me he doesn't want to talk about sparring Whitaker too much ...

[@BluRay8o4]

+I'm You You don't say if you destroyed someone in a sparring session or not. It will cause unnecessary rivalry

[@nihilismfromnow5904]

naww if you scroll down there's a link about it .. guy said Pernell handled him but it was obvious he was gonna be great .. noone can tell me a raw 17/18 yr old went in and beat Pernell so bad he just doesn't want to brag .. cmon.. lol .. Pea was the best..*****

[@BluRay8o4]

I'm You Styles make fights, age doesn't matter

[@nihilismfromnow5904]

casual sparring with a new kid is far from a fight ...

[@UncleOut682]

Floyd is a born boxer and student of the game. Came up in a different era. The best of our time.

[@charlesc.b2435]

Floyd was hungry in his youth..and that is why he is one of a kind, that Drive made him great. You hear similar stories from guys like Kobe, Jordan, and Magic etc...they just have something that cant be taught.

[@J.C.117]

Even when old he was hungry

[@mylesjones3134]

Floyd Mayweather Jr nah he wasn’t lol he was just that much better then everyone else he ain’t have to be

[@mgonzalezjr1986]

Cool to listen to these kinds of stories. Floyd is a certified legend, beyond his record. He hit heights very few fighters do.

[@paulmccarthy2024]

R.I.P. To The Champ, Pernell Whitaker, one of the Best EVER.

[@quattronation7094]

I respect Floyd Mayweather.

[@jesusmalverde2051]

Ok

[@nimrodgeronimo2397]

50 and 0 you better respect that glorious record .and he beat them all and has the film footage to prove it .

[@nimrodgeronimo2397]

50 and 0 you better respect that glorious record .and he beat them all and has the film footage to prove it .

[@thatbronzeboij]

@@nimrodgeronimo2397 shut up and stop repeating yourself 😅 idiot.

[@JustOzzy82]

We will NEVER see another like him. #TBE

[@teofimo68]

All About Boxing teofimo lopez look him up

[@jesusmalverde2051]

@@teofimo68 lmao Teofimo has only 1 good opponent out of his 10 fights , hype

[@gstacks510]

We might not, but future generations definitely will. History repeats itself...

[@mobbcreep956]

I was a Floyd rider not no more..no respect for the old skool

[@DanielGonzalez-wu2ep]

Yeah i hope not,to watch him run so mush when he fought pac and all them wrong desicions against other boxers that where given to floyed like the castillo ,madonna ,delahoya pac even aginst juadah ,hello dont need those fucken upsets in boxing no more

[@DarrinSK]

Pernell is probably my favorite fighter

[@gatormark]

I was down with Pernell back in the day too.

[@noncustody]

Sweetpea was the shit!

[@vena180]

Rest to him

[@clemondbrown]

Leonard Ellerbee is proud of Floyd. Genuinely loyal. Stuck with floyd. True to the game, floyd deserves what he get from boxing

[@sidneyrash9718]

leonard ellerbee knows where is bread and butter come from would not dare bite the hand that feed him etc period

[@antoniow1825]

The man truly loves the sport and has never complained about the sport. You can tell how he speaks of other fighters and how he takes care of his body .

[@meeturmatch2day122]

the implication that Whitaker was easy work for 17 year old Mayweather is bullshit. Whitaker has the same body as Mayweather and was a master of defense . I'm sad Mayweather couldn't admit hes more similar to pernell than anyone else

[@slip-n-rollboxing1826]

Floyd said that.

[@The_Primary_Axiom]

Whitaker was my fav fighter. he should've beat Oscar.

[@Bendova215]

+Eastcoastflavor absolutely robbed him

[@The_Primary_Axiom]

***** Oh do I know... I so remember that night. He was robbed and he was dodging pretty boys punches all night.

[@Gooddaybadnews9000]

he definitely got robbed, oscar was so goddamn protected back then

[@Dizzle0919]

That "loss" pisses me off to this day Pernell was the champion Oscar did not do enough to "take" the belt from a long time champ.

[@The_Primary_Axiom]

Patrick Coleman Yes that's one fight I will never forget. Whitaker fought some tough people. I love may weather too but besides a old manny pacqua has he fought anyone good ? Lol.

[@cater10]

I love the excitement he has remembering where he started, you can see where that hunger came from

[@DaveConrad3234]

Man listening to his story Mayweather has a best selling autobiography in the makes a year after he retires.

[@southpawrey3541]

he's bullshitting, boosting his appearance. he's picking his words carefully yall believe anything this guy says.

[@Playthellgb42]

Dave Conrad And it will be quickly made into a MAJOR MOVIE!!!! I would love to write the script!!!!

[@Playthellgb42]

Dave Conrad Of all the dumbass things I have heard said about Floyd is the comment that "he's picking his words carefully." WTF??? I have made a living speaking - and a good exciting one too - TALKING!!!!!!! And I think Floyd's conversation is fluid, beautifully cadenced, dramatic and eloquent! You need to GET A LIFE LITTLE STEVIE!!!!!!

[@DaveConrad3234]

Yeah take that Steven!

[@southpawrey3541]

bahahaha! yall sound like floyds cheerleaders lol fucking groupies haha

[@lwbhslgy6722]

You can see he loved the game by the joy in his eyes from his storytelling.

[@patrickskehill5589]

I don't believe I am about to say this but I think I'm warming to Floyd!

[@PLayAshEFF72]

He's a decent guy away from the money persona

[@fordtruck4512]

Patrick Skehill good for you,brother!! God bless you!! He's my dude!

[@yudahel8521]

I love Floyd

[@stonelove871]

Patrick Skehill he a real boxer, disciplined don't let that money act fool you, it's just an act to promote himself. Hes a pure boxer, no drinking partying girl chasing, very disciplined dude that's why hes undefeated

[@antoniow1825]

Patrick Skehill nothing wrong with that , especially when you see the mans true nature of who he really is and who he had to become just to get people in the ring with him. It’s sad really. Us guys and gals that’s been with him his whole career know he’s worked and deserves everything he has.

[@charlesmartin7347]

And if you didn't know now you know he's paid his dues. The real King of Boxing Floyd Maywheather not Paq

[@censari544]

Charles Martin gotta respect both fighters. Both came from nothing. But now look at them. Richest boxer ever and a Senator.

[@russelladams7134]

Great interview. Floyd LOVES boxing. He remembers all this stuff like it was yesterday. He is like a little kid explaining how he has been influenced by the older fighters. He definitely found his true calling in life. I would think he has even a greater purpose in life after boxing. God only knows. He has the money to support his family and children.

[@jakefalcon8727]

Love this side of Floyd. Born to box. Rent-A-Center furniture, Doritos and water. He deserves where he’s at today. I’m happy I got to witness his career.

[@BabyFacedAssassin301]

this is prob the best mayweather interview ive ever seen without all that Money May BS

[@RickeyRickardo]

"MAYWEATHER" the movie. Waiting my whole life if need be.

[@thesangster]

One of the greatest interview one can ever have of one of the greatest fighter in the sport. Savour this interview. 20 years from now, this will be classic.

[@mahhaymrbeyo]

Mayweather is Legend.

[@DanielGonzalez-wu2ep]

Where all legends ,were all historic as indivisuals as humans on this earth where all legends ,god is good

[@mjk5174]

Pernell fought roger.

[@sexxmode3197]

Knocked Roger out

[@matthewgaler6544]

Underneath all the flash , false bullshit, which is sometimes embarrassing, gloating about his pads, dollars n everything else, is a man who has dedicated his life to the hard grind. It’s nice to see really, he’s got all the stories which you know are absolutely true. Shame people didn’t see more of him like this. Defo one of the best to ever do it.

[@NUMBA1PROSPECT]

Notice how Floyd tries to navigate away from talking about the sparring with Whitaker. Why? Because Whitaker played with Floyd like he toyed with all the other amateurs during sparring sessions. Pea wasnt even trying to hurt any of them. Floyd couldn't hit Whitaker. No one could back then. Whitaker was the best pro in the world at that time and Floyd, tho very talented, was a 17 yr old kid.

[@PrinceAkeem612]

My favorite Floyd interview of all times ⚡️🧠🧠🧠⚡️‼️💯

[@rustinonthevine]

The interviewer ruined the interview by saying, "I heard it was easy work for you" because Floyd was about to explain what the sparring session was like, which is what we were all waiting to hear, but when dude said that, Floyd had no choice but to respond with "I always respect a champion" and that was it, nothing about the sparring.

[@amenkhosmos]

sparring and a professional fight are very different. Pernell Whitaker was better defensivley, offensively, and he fought tougher opponents. And he was great on crack. I don't care how many titles in how many weight classes pacquiao has, whitaker was the best southpaw in boxing history. he beats floyd and manny in his prime and they in their primes

[@knifelunatic]

This is the best interview i have ever seen with Floyd.

[@DiceEsque]

I love this series of videos he did in that room.

[@KingIzKash]

People have to learn to appreciate and give credit to the Living while they can know that they're appreciated...Floyds TBE! Sweet Pea is one of The Top 5 Greatest Ever! Sad loss! May His Legacy Live on...R.I.P.

[@blowkush614]

Great interviewer!

[@Fit4lyfe122]

One thing I can always say about Floyd is that his success was generated by his hunger for personal gain and recognition. He also spoke about his Mother needing money for bills and the sacrifices he made plus the danger he put himself in to get where he is today. A lot of ppl thinks he’s selfish and I’m not saying I know him personally but I don’t believe that for a second. The man simply worked his ass off for everything he has and his drive for success is still showcased well after his retirement from the sport #FLOYDMAYWEATHERISTHEGOAT

[@heyladyimaniceguy]

Notice he didnt talk much about Pernell and when he did he said it was a LEARNING EXPERIENCE lmao. But with Randall he flat out said he thought he could have beaten him. With Pernell he said he respects his Legends. SWEET PEA BEST EVER

[@James_Edward59]

Dang crazy to hear even the reporters knowing that Floyd made easy work of Whitaker and Floyd was only 17. Only casuals forget how much of a beast Floyd was when he was Pretty Boy Floyd.

[@hoochymama]

can you imagine sparring with sweatpea at 17?? that experience in itself would make some kind of impression even if you were talented. floyd may go down as the best ever. i have seen everyone from the 80's on and he is so smart, talented, crafty, makes decisions in the ring, etc. its very hard to compare because he didnt fight those guys in the early 80's. But, just looking and listening that would of been epic.

[@jasonestrada9395]

Did he even talk about Whitaker? About 1.3 seconds then it was about him. Good story but i still wanted to hear more about the work with Pernell

[@theglove602]

Nope he didn't

[@hugocruz011]

i love hearing floyds storys when he was younger.

[@montbrink4700]

Whitaker when mayweather was 17 was p4p the best in the world. so you mean to tell me a17 year old kid could out box one of the all time greats in his prime. dats sum bullshit. I like Floyd but I'm from Norfolk va. and love pea. I'm a huge fight fan have been all my so I better than to believe than. put the best 17 year old in the world right now in the ring with the likes of Floyd he would get killed. I'm just not buying it.

[@orionnorwood209]

I don't think it's that hard to believe.I love sweet pea but even Roger may weather dropped him in their fight and Roger doesn't have half the skill Floyd does.I'm from Akron Ohio and I seen 17yr old LeBron give it to a few nba players

[@Bigsmith4040]

No disrespect to Sweet P,one of the All timers,more heart than Floyd,BUT he often displayed behaviour that was far beneath him,showboating with his guard down on many occasions.That doesnt diminish his legacy as he obviously got away with it,but a little careless,took unneeded punishment at times.Floyd is pretty much dead man serious in the ring.

[@77tjw]

man this was great to listen to, really inspirational

[@Not2Be0utDone]

i think i like mayweather as a person now

[@theqs7289]

That's why we support this man. Humble beginnings and now A1 lifestyle.

[@heyladyimaniceguy]

Also Floyd NEVER said in the video that Pernell was easy. The INTERVIEWER did. He said I heard you had an easy time with Pernell. The people that he heard that from probably exaggerated given Floyd was 17 and looking to make a statement against the champ. The kid even said he thinks about Pernell before EVERY fight because of how good Pernell was at being small and dominating. It sounds like he has great respect

[@carlitoboxing7isback]

ronnie shields saw whitaker sparring mayweather and that's what he said "Pernell handled him, like he handled all of those guys,". "He wasn't hitting them hard, just playing with them, going down low like he did and fighting with his hands at his side. They couldn't hit him. But remember, Pernell was the best in the world at the time. When Mayweather was in there, even though he was having trouble with Pernell, it was obvious how good the kid was

[@mchealy90]

It can be argued that Whitaker was better, but he certainly wasn't much better. He was harder to hit than Floyd, but he wasn't as good of a counter puncher. That's one big difference between the two. When Whitaker made someone miss, he'd dance around and make the other boxer look like an idiot. When Floyd makes someone miss, he punches them in the mouth. I would argue that, while Pernell's defense was better, Floyd is the better boxer.

[@welloftruth]

Its always fun to hear someone who is passionate about their art, talk about their art.

[@mcagn6791]

The masterful wizard Floyd.....☆

[@joshvn715]

A boxing prodigy. The mess we call US Amateur Boxing produced Floyd Mayweather. Even though this talent was signed sealed delivered to go right to the top. Born to box and raised to win, so two Saturdays a year we witness what the Mayweather clan calls family outing. Their breadwinner is hosting a picnic, and a particular guest is fed a vast selection of hand crafted "shots and hooks" to eat. The continuity of mesmerizing movements is prodigious.

[@troubleman9084]

pernell whitaker my favorite

[@MrSilus2000]

Beating a dude in sparring isn't saying anything. Mike Mcallum said the fight only begins in the 7th round.

[@KeithMJohnson]

Nice interview

[@ezekielthemack]

Kudos to your respectful response. To answer your question, I know because a boxer doesn't come out of obscurity and then become a potent force in boxing.Ten years ago people didn't even know who Manny Pacquiao was. I don't know everything, but what I do know is that on the strength of the last performance against Marquez, Floyd will have no problems beating Manny Pacquiao.

[@jeirock78]

I really love this video. Mayweather truly has a passion for boxing.

[@suicidalkilledme2243]

This is one of the best, most organic interviews with mayweather. TBE!!!!

[@Steveuploads]

Great interview

[@sidneycoverson4234]

Floyd is real. You got to listen to him and his story and that is where you really get him. Cool story and although many people may have bad things to say; this man is real and inspiring. "Hard work is easy work!"

[@tjtaylor3446]

Man this dudes DETERMINATION WAS IN INCREDIBLE!!

[@richardking8928]

No matter what you do make sure you love it and people will recognize that, that’s where the greatness comes into play.

[@twenty1aboutdis]

Great interview.

[@BL4CK0UT17]

I’m a Pacquiao fan but have grown to love Mayweather too! Great interview, he has a great attitude.

[@TheWallethead]

“Naturally”..... was such a big shot at Pacquiao moving up in weight and beating bigger guys, with a little help lol

[@Flexb123]

pernell was the better fighter and IMO ranks way ahead of Floyd in ATG. Ive heard people use the Oscar fights as a comparison. Well, oscar beat a just past prime pernell, and Floyd beat a past prime oscar, so you can't really compare both of those. I think both Pernell and Oscar beat Floyd prime for prime.

[@JovhonteFirstOfHisName]

7 years later I'm still waiting for him to answer the question 🙄🙄

[@IGetBuckets98]

Mayweather is young at heart, most of these guys in the room cant take the way hes story telling lol. i love this shit.

[@Gman-ex5dg]

08:10 he said himself. He boxed Randle for 3-4 rounds. See trying to measure him against a Chavez, Whitaker, more importantly a Leonadr, Hearns, Robinson who fought 15 rounds, which Floyd NEVER had to do is absurd. I get it, really I do. Fans love what they see NOW. But no. He couldn't hang with those tougher fighters from yesteryear

[@josegenuino5706]

And what was Floyd's age at that time?

[@BluRay8o4]

***** You do know he spars 15 minute rounds for 15 rounds..... With a new fighter stepping in the ring every 3 rounds right? He can fight 15 Rounds no problem

[@FrankWillTV]

He spars 21 minute rounds. Also, the brother is 17 sparring legends!

[@pcaz23]

Great interview. .love seeing him thinking through his good ole days..but what was funny was how quick his face changed when he started talking about betting..completely diff look

[@NeatandCleanFloors]

Look at how Floyd went off on a tangent when asked about Pernell Whitaker. He has taken some form of punishment. It shows. I respect every decision he's made in his career.

[@rich7674]

Nah........U can tell he just wanted to vent cuz he said "don't worry I'll answer your question about Sweet Pea in a moment"..I paraphrased that quote of course but he just rarely opens up anymore in this way... this was a rare special occasion where he spoke from the heart, not being a business guy(Money Mayweather) at the moment... Jus letting his painful/joyful experiences and memories be shared with the world.. he had to get that Frankie Randal experience/story out to the world... That story was interesting in itself because it made me understand his style of fighting, his mentality, his approach, his focus his hustle even more now... but if he hadn't shared that Frankie Randal story and only answered the Sweet Pea part(which was a short answer) I wouldn't feel like ok so that explains how he is who he is today...

[@MrRedskins0021]

Nobodies defense is better than Pernells.

[@sashasarronen6300]

+MrRedskins0021 Floyd's

[@MrRedskins0021]

Sasha Sarronen Not even close. Floyd didn't face the great fighters that Pernell did. He hand picked his opponents and never fought anyone great in their prime. Floyd was just a great business man not great fighter.

[@MrRedskins0021]

moneyxl00 OMG!!! Pernell fought great fighters in their prime. Mayweather doesn't even have one great name under his belt. The only great fighters he fought were old.

[@MrRedskins0021]

moneyxl00 That's because he fought better competition. Parnell fought greats in their prime while Floyd played the waiting game to avoid them.

[@MrPhukYu]

Floyd's is. And none of your excuses about his opponents can change the fact that Floyd fought MUCH MUCH better competition than Pernell. That's why Floyd is the one who fought more world champions than anyone in boxing history. All of your excuses about the opponents is just pure ignorance.

[@TheRemake1]

this was a really good interview it allowed to see the side of floyd that i have never seen.

[@jamm356]

lol is he trying to say he could of taken on chavez because frankie randall beat him and he wasnt going hard this guy is delusional.

[@dashawnfrederick3053]

He could have beat hi him easy r u serious

[@TheRaveMusicArchive]

Of course it is. It's a triangle theory.

[@mrqadaffi3638]

jamm356 look at who floyd beat. its not far fetched at all

[@isk8erboi]

thats the wrong comment on a video that has pernell whitaker involved in it.

[@jae21ful]

People have a lot of respect for Floyd because what he has done, He's a beast in the ring too smart.

[@66ott7]

Floyd is beatable at this time in his life. Is more beatable than most people think. Floyd's skills are still there and sharp but his main concern is stamina. If you noticed, Floyd now drastically moves less and doesn't fully "box". he takes those small breaks between opponent because he can get away with it. Its going to take another incredible black boxer with skills or a really powerful guy with stamina who can cause damage. Young blacks don't box anymore like they used to.

[@markmcbrien16]

Excellent viewing! The real FMM!

[@thomas.bobby.g2918]

i like him, a good fellow. it pisses me off how folks rob these young athletes.

[@eggyeggbean]

Because I'm a boxing fan and I wanted to hear about his sparring with Sweet Pea. I didn't expect to have to sit through countless stories where he named unimportant people, always by their full name, and hear about what food he ate during some training camp (without Pernell Whitaker) when he was directly asked about sparring with Pernell Whitaker within the first few minutes of the video

[@goukimess]

Finally someone who get its. Floyd worked with the WWE. He definitely knew how to get the crowd against him and they all fell for it. He pulled the simple Ali Shuffle on them. The Haters will pay more because the non-haters know he already won before the bell sounded.

[@terrychills1]

Good interview, Floyd. I learned new stuff about you. Let me write that bio-pic for you.

[@cilliansull]

No, no that statement that guy made is literaly ONE HUNDRED percent accurate. :)

[@boxingchief9543]

Any of you notice that nobody has interviewed Whitaker with his take on their "sparring session"?

[@tyronewhitehawk6718]

I like listening to this Floyd Mayweather talk, not the promotional, obnoxious Mayweather. Good clip!

[@AncientHumper]

I agree with you to some extent, but it is a fact Mayweather has earned more. Mayweather 7 PPV fights, total revenue = $366.6 million. Pacquaio in 11 fights = $ 324.4 million.

[@brandnew9834]

That Doritos and water story is kind of sad. It kind of gives you a glimpse into what created Money Mayweather.

[@richmuttsmusic2476]

Mindset plus gift = greatness

[@grawakendream8980]

the interviewers questions aren't valid. he doesn't understand for your defense to work, you have to be able to hit. haters always trying to paint floyd in a bad light

[@theironboxer]

People are just Fucking Jealous, because they are not where Floyd is right now. One of the best fighters in the World.

[@MarkDarnell]

Floyds first words was box. Dang bro, I wish this video should be the inspiration for a great movie.

[@chris7231000]

Touching Floyd: Bringing children in the world is the most important thing to him because his legacy will always live on. Interesting....

[@sashasarronen6300]

+Christopher Tyler Why you act surprised?

[@chris7231000]

Sasha Sarronen Surprised about what?

[@iStepOnShi]

ellerbe in the background cheesin away, dude obsessed with floyd got a crush on em lol

[@royalcooper2489]

Proud. You’re reaching.

[@Nemesio609]

They say he got on pernell but pernell was putting him on with that defense so basically great session

[@carmodifire]

Nah, I'd say Muhammad Ali. Not of the 70's, but the 60's Ali that relied on reflexes. Hit and not get hit.

[@eduardobrutus3420]

floyd mayweather has the greatest defense of all time

[@camirocz]

Purely and simply the greatest boxer ever.No one even comes close to Floyd in a ring.

[@bucktaylor7300]

Floyd need a movie.

[@singingchef23]

As a boxer I love watching his fights, as an adult, he's got a long way to go. Break the cycle, don't end up doing hangover movies like tyson