Floyd Mayweather Sr.

Those who have had the unique opportunity to sit down with Floyd Mayweather Sr. have instantaneously understood how his last name has become synonymous with boxing royalty. Boxing isn’t a contact sport that Mayweather Sr. dabbled in; boxing is his life form and only history will be able to define his family’s legacy inside and outside the ropes.

Mayweather Sr. was a boxing welterweight contender who began his career in the 1970s. Best known for his esoteric defensive tactics, Mayweather Sr. reveled in much success during his active years as a prizefighter. His first victory came on a cold Michigan night on November 21, 1974 in four rounds against Ron Pettigrew. Three years later in 1977, Mayweather Sr. stepped onto the canvas at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas. He outlasted Miguel Barreto (30-8-5) to win the U.S. Championship Tournament title. Mayweather Sr. soon became heralded as a fighter that was willing to step into the ring with any willing opponent, including the great Sugar Ray Leonard at the Providence, Rhode Island Civic Center in 1978.

The transition from fighter to trainer was a natural one for Mayweather Sr. Much of his strategy and boxing style is personified in his son – the inimitable and pound-for-pound king – Floyd Mayweather Jr. Many contend that one of Mayweather Sr.’s most notable contributions to the sport has been his defensive technique known as the shoulder roll where a fighter uses his front-facing shoulder as a shield against incoming blows.

Even though he continues to battle Sarcoidosis – an inflammatory disease that mostly affects the respiratory system causing fatigue, weight loss, arthritis and shortness of breath – Mayweather Sr. will not be stopped and cannot be shaken. He gets up each morning with the determination to flourish and has a zest for life that is surely contagious.

The entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, has been home to Mayweather Sr. for over a decade. Few things give him the same satisfaction as does continuing to train his celebrated son Floyd in addition to rising stars Andrew Tabiti and Mickey Bey at the Mayweather Boxing Club.He has trained boxing greats like Oscar De La Hoya, Chad Dawson, Joan Guzmán and, Laila Ali among others.

Mayweather Sr. is a father to four children and is also proud to be a grandfather. He is fascinated by current events, politics, and likes to keep up to date with what is going on in the world which may explain why his favorite show is MSNBC’s Politics Nation hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton. When it comes to food, Mayweather Sr. has a palate for turkey, chicken and fish, and has removed pork and beef from his diet for as long as he can remember. Living a life that allows him to pursue his passion is what makes him come alive. He is the first to admit that boxing has afforded him a life of luxury and leisure, however, he is also quick to confess his desire to pay it forward and help those less fortunate as much as possible.

Cornelius "Boza" Edwards

For Cornelius “Boza” Edwards, boxing is a vehicle that has taken him around the world and back again, ultimately planting him in Las Vegas as a trainer and caretaker at the Mayweather Boxing Club (MBC). However, his journey to Las Vegas took a winding path.

As an amateur, Edwards traveled Europe fighting bouts in Germany, France, Denmark, Russia and Hungary. Following his appearance at the Olympics in 1976, Edwards turned professional and tallied his first career win on December 13, 1976 by way of KO against Barry Price in front of a raucous crowd at the Hilton Hotel in Mayfair, London. On March 4, 1979 he pounded Pedro Jimenez for his 19^th victory, handing Jimenez only his second loss in 45 fights. Each victory only spawned the next one and on May 30, 1981, Edwards would experience one of his finest moments in the sport. Matched against veteran fighter Bobby Chacon (45-5-1), Edwards seized his moment and produced an offensive attack that ended in a referee technical decision where Chacon decided not to leave his corner for round 14 of 15. On this night, Edwards became the WBC Super Featherweight Champion as a seven-to-one underdog. When asked about what it meant to win a championship, Edwards exclaimed “Everything! Being on top of the world was like walking on water.” Edwards continued to box as a professional, eventually retiring his gloves next to an overall record of 45-7-1 with 34 KO’s.

Presently, Edwards is far from being the underdog that he once was inside the ring. He is an intelligent man who studied at Harrow College in the United Kingdom and he will assure you that if he didn’t take the path that led to boxing, he would be spending his days as an engineer. His intellect trickled down to his three daughters as well. Each of them graduated from reputable universities and are a topic of great pride for a man who values his family just as much as he does his career. A brother to four siblings, Edwards finds moments of pleasure in reading, running, playing tennis, and swimming when he has a chance to relax. His all-time favorite movie is Remains of the Day.

Rafael Garcia

In professional prizefighting two things supersede everything else: a fighter’s right hand and a fighter’s left hand. This fact is so blatantly obvious that it is often overlooked as to how a boxer keeps his hands healthy enough to continue administering the powerful jabs, uppercuts, and knockouts that ultimately come to define his career.

Ensuring the safety and comfort of a boxer’s most prized possessions is the responsibility of a hand specialist, namely Rafael Garcia. It just so happens that Garcia – now in his 80s – has been a cutman wrapping hands for the better part of 60 years. He took up boxing in his hometown of Puebla, Mexico at the age 15 not by passion but practicality – he was the victim of bullying in school. However, Garcia would only enter the ring seven times as a bantamweight pro boxer before acquiescing to his mother’s behest for him to stop fighting for fear of possible injury. When a young Garcia finally laid down his gloves he would find his true calling in the corner of the ring.

His odyssey to joining the team at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas has taken him through Germany, England, China, Korea, and his native Mexico, wrapping the hands of some of the most prolific fighters of his era. Garcia’s résumé boasts over 35 world champions including Roberto Duran, Alexis Arguello, Wilfredo Gomez, Chad Dawson, and last but not least, the pound-for-pound king, Floyd “Money” Mayweather.

Garcia – affectionately referred to as “Granddaddy” by Mayweather – auditioned for the role of hand specialist in Los Angeles in late 2000. By January 20, 2001 Garcia could be spotted for the first time, donning his now trademark Kangol cap, in Mayweather’s corner where he witnessed the champ drop Diego Corrales five times en route to a TKO victory at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Mayweather knew he had found his man and has since credited Garcia with healing the pain his hands have suffered from years in the sport. In fact, the undefeated champion has gone as far as to say that Garcia’s exemplary hand wrapping techniques have without a doubt prolonged his boxing career.

While Garcia has his hands full as cutman for Floyd Mayweather, Badou Jack, Mickey Bey, and Andrew Tabiti, he enjoys unwinding at his house in Las Vegas watching movies and listening to good music during his free time. Exercise, and swimming in particular, have become staples in his daily life even as he has aged. Garcia is a brother to five siblings and delights in taking care of his four parakeets. His Mexican roots expose themselves upon opening his refrigerator where one may find his favorite chicken dishes and enchiladas. Garcia also has a fondness for poker and will concede that the game often takes his mind to a place of unadulterated relaxation.

The unassuming fighter turned cutman and hand specialist has clearly forged a niche for himself within the world of boxing. “He’s a guy I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world,” says Mayweather and with Garcia in his corner, he is literally in the best of hands!

Chris Ben-Tchavtchavadze

A boxing phenomenon is only as adept as his body and health allow him to be. In this regard, Chris Ben, strength and conditioning trainer for the rising stars of Mayweather Promotions plays an integral role in the success of every fighter he works with.

At the age of four, Chris moved to Las Vegas from Ottawa, Canada with his family and has called the city home for over 37 years. It was this move that led Chris to meet a young Floyd Mayweather at a Nevada gym back in the 1990s. He watched the future pound-for-pound king train as an amateur and has enjoyed witnessing his meteoric rise to boxing’s ivory tower. Chris trained Julio Garcia when he was one of Floyd’s main sparring partners and would often stop by the Mayweather Boxing Club (MBC) to watch Floyd train when he had free time. In August 2013, Mayweather Promotions CEO, Leonard Ellerbe, would eventually invite Chris to join the team full-time after learning more about the unique skills he possessed as a veteran strength and conditioning coach.

For over 19 years and counting, Chris has dedicated himself to the science of elite athlete conditioning. Moreover, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and has been a certified member in good standing of the National Academy of Sports Medicine since 1995.

After training boxers specifically for 16 years, Chris maintains that a proper strength and conditioning regimen is requisite in a championship fighter’s training routine. “Any guy at the gym can give you an exercise that is tough, or that can make you sore, but a true professional has a short-term goal and long-term goal with every exercise choice and program adaptation,” he explains. Following much planning and deliberation, a fighter-centric guide is developed and rigorously implemented in an effort to take a boxer from good enough to exceptionally great.

And greatness is the final product that Chris strives to fabricate with every plan he develops and every fighter he coaches. The price tag on excellence isn’t cheap and requires much sacrifice. Fourteen-hour days are routine in advance of any Money Team fight card and Chris almost always can be found holding mitts, helping coach, and assisting with exercises at the MBC daily.

Moments to himself are rare but when he has them, Chris enjoys deep sea fishing, hiking, and prospecting for gold! Sushi, pizza, and Korean BBQ are a few of his favorite foods. He looks forward to having kids one day but for now is the proud parent of two dogs, Blue and Tapia.

Otis Pimpleton

Otis Pimpleton always knew he belonged in the sport of boxing. Pimpleton was a fighter even in the years of his childhood.  It was a skill and passion that came naturally to him. This 4-time state champion from Grand Rapids, Michigan sought to pass down his knowledge to the next generation after deciding to hang up his gloves for good.  Unable to leave the sport behind, Pimpleton chose to step into a different role within the boxing industry. He now trains fighters at the Mayweather Boxing Club.

His style of training is straightforward, he believes hard work and dedication is the vehicle to get you farthest in life. This is something he instills into each of the fighters he trains. Pimpleton doesn’t allow, “the easy way out” as an option. He looks for desire, hunger, and dedication before taking on the role as trainer to a fighter, which he believes is vital.

Thirty-two years later, Pimpleton remains active in the gym, training the likes of undefeated Mayweather Promotions fighter Juan Heraldez, seasoned fighter Lanell “KO” Bellows, and recently began training cruiserweight Michael Hunter, Keith Hunter, and rising talent Thomas Hill. Pimpleton also runs the amateur boxing program at Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, NV, where he teaches young fighters the basics of boxing. His love for giving back to the youth inspires the amateur fighters he currently trains. He notes, the difference between training amateurs vs. training pro’s is the time and eye for teaching them from the ground up. Teaching the basics of how to duck, roll, be busier, sharpen up their technical skills, how to step, move their heads, basics that professional fighters already have instilled when they come to him.

Pimpleton maintains that Roger Mayweather had a huge influence on his career and inspired him to shift his focus on helping mold future fighters in the sport. Training gives a certain value that can’t be bought by money. The best part for him is that he’s making a difference in someone’s life, and getting them closer to fulfilling their dreams of success. Seeing the transformations and developing them to the best fighters they can become is warranted as success for Pimpleton as a trainer.

Pimpleton’s mostly quiet demeanor conceals a lot of other passions the trainer has. In his younger years, Pimpleton received several scholarships for Mechanical Engineering. He states he would have become an Architect or Mechanical Engineer, however his real passion-the love for the sport of boxing directed him to training fighters.

Bob Ware

Bob Ware has spent the last 10 years working corners and wrapping hands. Ware works at the Mayweather Boxing Club where he assists with day-to-day duties around the gym. Ware grew up in Indiana, where he was a very shy kid who was interested in several sports including: baseball, football, basketball, football, track, boxing, karate, and jiu jitsu, admitting his favorite was baseball. As he got older he realized that due to his quiet nature, the best job would be working behind the scenes and helping fighters as being the go-to guy to wrap their hands and work their corners as their cutman. Understanding that excessive bleeding or injured hands can easily end a fight for any fighter, he learned the craft of wrapping hands and stopping cuts on his own. Self-taught, his strategy, which he keeps under wraps is what helps a lot of fighters remain injury free during their fights.

Ware’s early work with amateur fighters gave him a start in the boxing industry. He understood “everyone starts somewhere,” so he used this as a vehicle to make more connections and eventually people around him started to take notice to his technique, gaining the trust of other fighters, leading to more jobs, which transitioned him to working with professional fighters. Ware’s biggest accomplishment was landing a spot in Floyd Mayweather’s corner. He recalls wrapping Floyd’s hands when he was training for his first fight against Maidana. By the time the second fight came around, he was already wrapping The Champ’s hands on a regular basis. It was a smooth transition for Ware. Floyd naturally felt comfortable bringing Ware into his corner for the second matchup against Maidana, marking Ware’s debut in The Champ’s corner. From there, Ware worked the in the corner for Mayweather’s next two fights.

What makes him unique is his quiet demeanor and ability to block out the chaos, he doesn’t let the crazy crowd get into his head. Mentally he remains focused on what he must do for the fighters. There are times where 8 or 9 fighters are lining up to get their hands wrapped on fight night, Ware just does his job as fast and efficiently as he can. Ware found something that he can call his own, a job where he doesn’t have to answer to anyone, and he does it with great pride. Ten years from now, Ware still sees himself in the fight game wrapping hands and helping fighters.

John Sinclair

John Sinclair, the uncle of Floyd Mayweather, has lived in Las Vegas for 10 years. Not only was he part of the opening ceremonies of the Mayweather Boxing Club in 2007, but also has been active in every aspect of operations in the gym to this day. Each day the doors to the gym open, John plays a variety of roles from the opening to the closing of it. However, his main focus is making sure the fighters are doing their daily workout regimens properly, putting the proper timing into their training, and being a counselor/mentor to the fighters.

Working at Mayweather Boxing Club is something John Sinclair really finds pleasure and gratification in doing. Over the years, he has assembled a respectable reputation as a trainer and mentor along the way. Some of that comes from an athletic background that spans over the course of his life. John has been active in sports all of his life. He is able to bring his outside experience and incorporate it into his daily routine, and instill that same foundation into the fighters he works with. “Working at the Mayweather Boxing Club was an opportunity for me to try something different, which I have succeeded, in helping others especially younger folks, I’ve been active all my life with youth,” says John.

When asked what is it like to work alongside of Floyd, John states it is an unbelievable feeling for him to think that he is able to have the opportunity to work with arguably the best fighter ever. “It’s a blessing being around my coworkers. We’re all one big family here and it’s just a great feeling to be able to get together, be peaceful, and have a positive environment.” John looks forward to seeing the continued progress amongst the fighters that train out of the Mayweather Boxing Club, and takes pride in knowing that he plays a role in their rise to victory.

Gerald Sinclair

Gerald Sinclair was born on April 23^rd in Hudson, New York. He is the younger brother to Floyd Mayweather’s mother, and uncle to the legendary boxer. Growing up in upstate New York Gerald was a forklift driver prior to making his big move to the boxing capital of the world.

In 2006 Gerald came to Las Vegas to watch his nephew box, he would then come out for little trips here and there. It wasn’t until 2007 when the Mayweather Boxing Club opened that Gerald finally made the move, which was encouraged by his sister, Floyd’s mother. Gerald is instrumental in keeping the gym running day-to-day. He holds a managerial position along with his brother John and cousin Steven. It’s more than just a job for him, as he humbly notes that Floyd is his boss #1 and family 2^nd. A normal day in the gym for  consists of opening and closing the facility, to wrapping fighter’s hands, and making sure they have what they need to train and prepare..

For over nine years he has been at the Mayweather Boxing Club wearing many hats. The most important task is maintaining the gym to an immaculate standard, to uphold the gym’s legendary status as a Las Vegas landmark. The Mayweather Boxing Club has transformed in many ways from when it first opened in 2007 and Gerald has been able to see it all with great pleasure! His greatest take away is the opportunity Floyd has given him to expose his talents with the fighters. He’s seen legends walk through the gym and rising stars train at MBC. Gerald hopes to elevate his talents to one day becoming a great cornerman to the fighters who train the gym. He credits Floyd for trusting him with such a great responsibility, giving his nephew the comfort that everything is taken care of.

You will find upon meeting Gerald he is very quiet and serious, but in fact he is quite the opposite. When he is in the gym he is in business mode, he “handles his business” and the gym his priority. One of the biggest, most valuable lessons Floyd has left on Gerald is to “be respectful, be humble, and handle your business.” Managing the gym is by far one the best accomplishments for Gerald Sinclair.

Steven Cartledge

Steven Cartledge currently resides in Las Vegas, but is originally from North New Jersey. He was introduced to boxing as a kid through a local community center that only taught them two things, karate and boxing. Although Cartledge participated in various sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and track/field, he grew up watching boxers like Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, and Larry Holmes, which drew him closer to  boxing. As time progressed, his pursuit of a career in boxing gravitated toward the training aspect of the sport..

Despite training taking up a lot of Cartledge’s time, one thing that remains an intricate part of his life is family. Coming from an athletic background, there are several family members whose experiences helped shape who he is, including some of his uncles. “I look up to my uncle M.H. Cartledge who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the Negro Baseball League as a pitcher – he, like a lot of my family, participated in a variety of sports. Our cousin Eddie Andrews was the first African-American to put on a Yankees uniform,” say’s Cartledge. He draws the connection of the athletic gene stemming from generation to generation, with Floyd being one to carry on the torch as well. Cartledge says that watching Floyd and being a apart of the Mayweather Promotions team is an absolute honor and privilege.

Being a trainer at the Mayweather Boxing Club comes with the perk of getting to know all the fighters. Cartledge admits, “It has been an amazing experience to see what Floyd has done for these young fighters. He created a place where they can come train and learn from some of the greatest trainers and fighters in the sport, he also created a place that I enjoy coming to every day.” He feels that the gym has afforded him the opportunity to build relationships and trust with the fighters. “Some of the fighters come to me for advice outside of boxing, they value what I have to say, because they understand that I have quite a bit of life experiences from which I have grown from, and I only want to encourage them to be their best,” Cartledge notes. I always say, come to the gym, work hard, train hard, and go home!” He understands that he has a role in the gym and part of that role is to help keep the fighters focused on their craft.

Cartledge focuses on basic fundamentals as a trainer because he finds that is what will keep a fighter going as far as conditioning goes—knowing how to tone the body up. He focuses on the physical aspect of the boxer’s training, and teaches them the importance of being healthy and and staying in shape. He instills a mental factor; your body will only go as far as you have trained it to go.

All in all, he enjoys working at the Mayweather Boxing Club, and assures it is something he looks forward to on a daily basis. Cartledge believes that being able to pass his acquired knowledge onto the younger generations is something you cannot put a price on.