Floyd Mayweather Jr. Reveals His Humble Side, Thanks God Following Cotto Victory
Floyd Mayweather Jr, who maintained his unbeaten status following a points victory over Miguel Cotto Saturday, has appeared more humble in post-fight interviews than most are used to seeing him. The champ gave thanks to God, and acknowledged his opponent saying Cotto was "the toughest guy I fought."
After Mayweather, 34, defeated 31-year-old Cotto for the WBA Junior Middleweight/Super Welterweight belt on Saturday, the champion said in a post-fight press conference: "First of all I gotta thank God. Without God all of this wouldn't be possible. Tough fight. Cotto is a very tough competitor. He won some rounds, it was tough."
Mayweather, who is gearing up to serve a June 1 prison sentence, also told Cotto he was "the toughest guy I fought," leading some fans to recognize a form of humility that they had never seen in the flamboyant fighter.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"(I've) never seen Mayweather that humble after a fight," one fan wrote on twitter.
"Mayweather was impressive in and out of the ring tonight," tweeted Huge Show, a radio station from the fighter's home state of Michigan. "First time I've ever heard him humble."
The fighter also seemed to show a change of heart towards 80-year-old HBO interviewer Larry Merchant, who he spoke with after the fight. In interviews prior to the bout, Mayweather said he would walk straight to his locker room after facing Cotto. However, instead the five-division world champion apologized to Merchant before participating in a post-fight interview with him.
In the post-fight press conference Mayweather explained the change of heart, only months after calling for the interviewer to be fired.
"Me being the bigger man, I apologized and said, hopefully we can have a better relationship in the future," Mayweather explained. "I apologized for what I said, but sometimes anyone can get pushed to the limit and I felt like I got pushed to the limit, and the only thing I wanted was my just due."
Some questioned whether the fighter's acts of humility have anything to do with his upcoming 90-day prison sentence that stems from a domestic dispute with the mother of his children.
"Everybody knows my situation. June 1st is just an obstacle that's in my way," Mayweather said. "When I go away, the only thing it can do is make me stronger as a person. And say to myself, 'Next time you're faced with that situation, approach it in a different way.' When it's all said and done, man can't judge. Only God can judge."
Whether the fighter's humble demeanor are a result of being wounded by Cotto for the first notable time in his career, his possible plans to retire, or his upcoming prison sentence--the boxer insists he is blessed.
"I'm blessed" Mayweather told Merchant after the fight. "What else can I say but i'm blessed."
