Leading Off
FIVE PHOTOS
PHOTOGRAPHS BY SIMON BRUTY FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Ready to Rumble You could say that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been training for his showdown with Manny Pacquiao since he was a toddler, when his dad and uncle—pro boxers both—immersed little Floyd in the fight life in dingy gyms in Grand Rapids, Mich. But good luck finding many similarities between those sweaty dens and the champ's glitzy pre-Pacquiao camp at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas. There Money did what he does best—played to the cameras [1]—while inspiring another generation of fight fans [2]. And the extremes of Mayweather's life were fully intertwined: Even as the likes of David Hasselhoff [3] turned his home base into a celebrity circus, Mayweather focused on the weight of the moment that awaits him [5].
NINE PHOTOS
PHOTOGRAPHS BY SIMON BRUTY FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Money's Many Men Every fighter has an entourage, but Mayweather, believe it or not, has taken the idea to more bombastic and lucrative extremes. The Money Team describes more than his coterie of trainers, bodyguards, relatives, advisers and hangers-on—all outfitted in an endless array of TMT-branded hats and hoodies. The Money Team is also a lifestyle brand and an informal club of Mayweather supporters, ranging from Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas to rapper Lil' Kim to überinvestor Warren Buffett. But those connections are for show. It's the members of the champ's inner circle, pictured here, who help Mayweather earn his dough. 1 RAY VINCI SADEGHI BODYGUARD 2 ROGER MAYWEATHER UNCLE, ASSISTANT TRAINER 3 RAFAEL GARCIA CUT MAN 4 BOB WARE TAPE MAN 5 RICKI BRAZIL CHILDHOOD FRIEND 6 NATE JONES ASSISTANT TRAINER 7 FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR. TRAINER 8 DEJUAN BLAKE CAMP COORDINATOR 9 BOZA EDWARDS ASSISTANT TRAINER
