The Ring of Bling

Floyd Mayweather Jr. celebrates his birthday like most people: a party, a trip, good friends and (of course) cake. Unlike most, however, Floyd flew to his 37th festivities via private jet flanked by a security team, sat courtside in VIP seats at the Lakers/Nets game in Los Angeles and made an announcement that’s guaranteed to put multi-millions in his pocket.

The undefeated boxing champion went big that day with a tweet officially naming the opponent in his upcoming 46th professional fight. On May 3, Mayweather will defend his World Boxing Council welterweight title on Showtime pay-per-view against Marcos Maidana at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. And, given his prior 45 wins, he’s confident he’ll come out the victor.

“Maidana earned this opportunity to fight me. He gained my attention from his last fight, where he showed that he is a true champion, and is getting better with each fight of his career. He is a great champion, and so am I. When you put that combination together, you get a fight for the fans, a fight they want to see, which is my goal every time I fight,” Mayweather explains. “I’m an entertainer, and everything I do when it comes to my career is with the fans in mind. This is the best fight for them, and I’m confident that fighting Maidana was the right decision.”

He adds, “As I always say, 45 have tried, and 45 have failed, but Maidana is a special case, coming off that big win against [Adrien Broner]. He is a special fighter who can knock you out with one punch. I have to fight strategically against a guy like Maidana, someone I cannot overlook. I will sit down with my Uncle Roger and father [Floyd Sr.] and come up with a gameplan that will make Maidana the 46th fighter to try and fail.”

Part of his winning strategy is a highly regimented fitness and health regime that went into effect on March 3. Floyd’s birthday sweets were his last for two months: His personal chef has put him on a champion’s diet of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and seafood. He’s also amped up his fitness routine with workouts that sometimes begin as early as 3 a.m. Through May 3, he has his eye on the prize, and refuses to lose focus.

It’s one of Mayweather’s best assets that he can be so single-minded, especially when millions are at stake. “I started camp on March 3, exactly two months to the day of my next fight. It’s business as usual,” he maintains. “I always stay in shape, but it is an adjustment to make that transition to being in camp day in and day out. I wake up around 3 a.m., have a light breakfast and then to go the boxing gym. Before training, I start with a massage to get my muscles warmed up, followed by some shadow boxing. Then I hit the pads and mitts with my Uncle Roger and move on to the heavy bag and speed bag. Then, I’ll do somewhere between 300 to 500 sit-ups and about 100 push-ups. I jump rope for a good 15 to 20 minutes and then do several dozen pull-ups. I also spar three times a week and go at least 15 rounds.

“That’s just the boxing training,” he continues. “After we finish there, we go for a run, usually five to eight miles, but the length varies from day to day and time of day. Sometimes I will run at three in the morning. I like to get my exercise through other sports too. I love to play basketball; it’s my favorite sport outside of boxing and one of my favorite workouts.”

Mayweather has the luxury of doing something he loves, and he knows it, which is why he’ll give the upcoming fight everything he’s got. “[The word champion means] being the best. I call myself TBE, which stands for ‘The Best Ever,’ and I fight to keep that legacy going and make sure that is what I’m known as after I’m done with the sport of boxing,” he declares.

His self-given nickname may sound like a boast, but in reality, it’s simply a fact. As the son of welterweight contender Floyd Mayweather Sr. and the nephew of professional boxers Jeff and Roger Mayweather, Floyd Jr. was groomed to become a boxer. The sport has been a part of his life since childhood and he has never seriously considered another profession. He’s a born fighter, a five-division world champion who’s won 10 world titles and the lineal championship in two different weight classes. His last fight, a bout against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at the MGM Grand, shattered the record for the highest-grossing pay-per-view fight of all time: It generated $150 million for Showtime and guaranteed a $41.5 million payout for Mayweather, who earned nearly double that amount when all was said and done.

It’s no wonder he was named the highest-paid athlete of 2012, which coincides nicely with his affinity for designer clothing, flashy cars, and high-end accessories. (They don’t call him “Money May” for nothing.)

“I love nice things and can afford to buy them,” he says simply. “I treat myself all the time, and why not? I enjoy life and having my home, cars, jewelry…and nice clothes represent that lifestyle, and that is okay by me.”

Floyd is quite specific, even fussy, about what he likes, from whom he chooses to surround himself with to the opulent things he buys. “I like things that are sleek without being gaudy. You won’t see fancy rims or tinted windows on any of my cars,” he says. “I don’t have any tattoos either. I just like things classy and clean-looking.”

His affinity for the being and having the best has been well documented. He’s the proud owner of a 30-piece watch collection worth more than $10 million which includes a $2 million Jacob & Co. Rainbow Tourbillon, a $1.3 million Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and a $1 million Piaget Galaxy. He has five homes across the States, including residences in Michigan, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Las Vegas. There are 21 cars: like a 2014 Rolls Royce Wraith, a new Bugatti, and a Bentley Flying Spur. He has more than a dozen custom-made super-sized Hermès Birkin bags to his name, as well as a closet full of neatly hung, well-organized luxury clothing from the likes of Versace, Gucci, and Armani. Mayweather is so specific about his things that he even color-coordinates his cars by home: his black collection can be found at his Miami property and the all the whites are at his Las Vegas mansion.

With his kind of wealth and penchant for flamboyant spending, doors open wide when Floyd comes a-calling. He doesn’t have to go to stores to shop unless he wants to because the brands come to him. Burberry brought new meaning to the phrase “retail therapy” last year by bringing its 2013 collection to his Las Vegas home for a very private, completely exclusive and totally VIP experience.

“I have direct contact with reps from all the top lines,” Mayweather says. “If I am looking for something, they will bring the collection to my home and let me shop for what I am looking for. I have a 1000-square foot closet, so they can bring me everything at one time. It makes [the experience] private and personal.” Again, he isn’t boasting: This is simply a fact.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is literally rolling in dough, but in case you’re wondering, he’s never actually slept with it. “I don’t play with money like that,” he swears, admitting, “I have had stacks of money on my bed just to count them, not to sleep with them.”

That he counts his cash is telling, as Mayweather was the opposite of wealthy growing up. Sometimes his New Jersey home didn’t have electricity, and he once slept crammed into one shared bedroom with seven family members. “I think what is crazy is that money has brought me such comfort and having the finer things in life,” Mayweather now admits. “If you know my background and where I come from, to be where I am today and have the money I have is crazy.”

“Honestly, my most important possession is my family, particularly my four beautiful children,” he continues. “Material things don’t mean as much to me as knowing my children are safe, educated, and happy. If I can be a good father and teach them the true qualities of life—love and happiness—the rest takes care of itself.”

Floyd is a man who practices what he preaches, and so he’ll be teaching Jirah, Zion, Iyanna, and Kouran what he learned growing up: His motto is hard work and dedication. “Nothing comes easy, and if you set your mind to goals, work hard and dedicate yourself to those goals, you can achieve anything,” he says, noting, “I have demonstrated that time and time again in my career and throughout my life.”

He does have one big dream, and he’s not ashamed to admit that it is “to become a billionaire.” He’s already halfway there, and to realize that goal, he’ll continue doing what he does best—boxing—but he’ll also be branching out with additional money-making ventures such as merchandise retail, like his his TMT (The Money Team) clothing line. “I am working on expanding my different business interests at this time,” he says. “I want to build my own brands and be successful outside the ring, as an entrepreneur and businessman.”

His heroes include Bill Gates, Steven Wynn, Carlos Slim, and Warren Buffet. But he looks to business magnate, investor, and good friend Mark Cuban as his go-to advisor. “Mark Cuban [and I] did Dancing with the Stars together and instantly had a connection. He gave me good advice about daring to be different and finding ways to have my money make money for me,” Mayweather says.

Still, no matter how much he makes, the undefeated champion is well aware of that fact that no amount of wealth can make him truly happy. “Money cannot buy everything,” he admits. “No amount of money can buy a person happiness. Money is nice and we get comfort from it, but it definitely doesn’t buy you happiness. It’s up to the individual person to find that.”

So what makes Floyd “Money” Mayweather truly happy? You’ll be surprised to find that neither costs a thing, yet both are worth more to him than any dollar sign could possibly convey: his career and, most importantly, his family. He says simply, “Without either one of those, none of this would mean anything.”