Special sparring session shows how Floyd Mayweather always has a plan

LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather’s media workout Wednesday heading into his much-maligned Sept. 12 showdown against Andre Berto was much different from his previous media events.

What had been known as one of the few times members of the press would have the opportunity to speak to the fighter who nicknamed himself “The Best Ever” took a different spin when, for the first time, cameras were allowed to film Mayweather’s sparring session.

While it is not unusual for someone at the Mayweather Boxing Club to see him spar in preparation for an upcoming fight, the media being allowed to film the session was certainly an eyebrow-raiser.

After a brief Q&A with a smaller group of attendees than Mayweather’s previous media days, the expectation was for the pound-for-pound king to begin one of his extensive workout sessions for photo opportunities. However, when the champ emerged with full sparring attire, the significance of the media day shifted.

“This is happening,” one member of the media not-so-quietly whispered. Confused cameramen raced toward the ring and jockeyed for position to record the action.

“He’s never done this before,” Mayweather camp coordinator Dejuan Blake said with a wide smile stretched across his face. “You guys are in for a treat.”

For the next 36 minutes, Mayweather would square off against a pair of sparring partners for two nine-minute rounds each with no more than a 20-second break between rounds. The shifty 38-year-old demonstrated superior conditioning and a little more aggression than normal as he tore into prospect Don Moore and pro boxer/MMA trainer Ramon Montano.

Against Montano, Mayweather began by trash-talking his opponent, who bulled his way forward, emulating the style Berto is expected to bring to the ring on Sept. 12. However, Montano struggled to land a punch. In response, Mayweather entertained by dancing and posturing for the cameras while strafing Montero with stiff jabs, hard counters and a straight right.

After 18 minutes, Mayweather (48-0) motioned for undefeated prospect Don Moore to step into the ring. In a nearly seamless transition, Mayweather takes a sip of water, turns to the camera to say, “Let’s cook this [expletive]!” and goes back to work.

Moore was far more spirited in his approach as he charged Mayweather and fired punches at a higher frequency. But Mayweather effortlessly picked off those advances while shouting a high-pitched, “No, no, no!” in jest before proceeding to dismantle Moore with a wicked variety of punches. As the session wound down, Mayweather was still fresh while his sparring partner was wearing down.

The winded Moore’s attempts to clinch Mayweather on the inside were thwarted with, “No holding!” being shouted from the TMT contingency as Mayweather used his forearm to create space and whipped a body shot to the ribs. Moore refused to be embarrassed in front of all the cameras and remained upright while visibly wincing in pain. With about a minute left, Mayweather cranked up the aggression and tore into Moore’s head and body.

After the session, with both sparring partners showing damage on their faces and some hints of exhaustion, Mayweather took a light jog before posing.

“I’m always in control,” Mayweather said. It’s a proclamation that holds true both in and out of the ring as Mayweather dictates everything that surrounds him.

There are a few ways to explain why Mayweather, after all these years, decided to allow his sparring session to be filmed. One of those explanations revolves around the lukewarm response that his upcoming fight with Berto (30-3) has received from fight fans. By demonstrating a more aggressive approach through these filmed sessions, it could be a marketing vehicle to persuade fight fans to purchase the pay per view and see Mayweather score his first knockout since a controversial knockout of Victor Ortiz in 2011.

With Berto having absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain, it makes sense that Mayweather would show fight fans just how serious he is in his approach to handling an aggressive Berto. Yet it also suggests there is really nothing Berto can do inside of the ring to thwart Mayweather’s plans because, quite honestly, he doesn’t present the kind of challenge Manny Pacquiao was supposed to offer. And we all saw how that fight turned out.

With the lingering effect of a relatively boring fight embedded in the minds of viewers, something had to be done to convince fans they won’t be seeing a carbon copy of Mayweather-Pacquiao.

The other train of thought is that Mayweather may actually be serious about retiring from the sport. By doing something that he has never done before, it’s possible that Mayweather is leaving people with something unique before he hangs up his gloves for good. Considering that opposing trainers can use video of his in-ring preparation to devise a game plan, Mayweather’s indifference to filming might be taken as the unbeaten fighter making his last media workout special.

Either way, it will be interesting to see if this has a significant impact on building toward Mayweather’s swan song.