Floyd Mayweather says he is helping “behind closed doors” during the coronavirus crisis while opening up on the recent double tragedy to hit his family through the deaths of his uncle and the mother of three of his children.
Mayweather suffered the loss of uncle and former trainer Roger in March, just weeks after the passing of his girlfriend and mother of three of his children, Josie Harris, who was found dead at her California home.
Compounding Mayweather’s family pain was the arrest of his daughter Iyanna – known as Yaya – earlier in April over an alleged stabbing incident.
The former five-weight world champion, 43, has now spoken of his pain at losing Roger Mayweather and former partner Harris.
“I haven’t had a chance to come out and really talk,” said Mayweather in video shared with his 23 million Instagram followers.
“I’ve been dealing with a lot. As far as dealing with the loss of the mother of my children, she was a significant other. A great woman, a great person,” Mayweather said.
“Dealing with [the loss of] a great trainer, my uncle, a father figure, Roger Mayweather.”
The unbeaten former fight king known as ‘Money’ then turned his thoughts to the broader Covid-19 suffering around the world, suggesting he would be dipping into his vast wealth – estimated to be well in excess of $500 million – to help those in need.
“I’m affected by this, it hurts to see what the world is going through,” Mayweather said.
“No one is perfect… I make mistakes all the time. The only thing I can do is try to become better.
“I’m here to help this world become a better place..
“With everything that’s going on, I’m going to continue to do my part.
“I don’t have to show the world what I’m doing, I can do something behind closed doors.”
“It’s not about the money, and the money that I will be giving up will be to feed the people and help the people that don’t have a lot because of this situation.
“I will continue to give back and I will never talk about it. As long as God knows that I’m doing a good deed, that what’s important to me.
“To everyone in the world, from Floyd Mayweather and The Money Team, we love you all and we will always be there for this country as well as this world,” Mayweather said, concluding his message.
The ostentatious Mayweather has engaged in spontaneous acts of charity in the past, including giving a homeless man a wad of cash on a Las Vegas street in 2018, although on that occasion he was criticized for being “irresponsible” and merely using the gesture for self-publicity.
‘Irresponsible’: Floyd Mayweather condemned for giving homeless man $1,000 (VIDEO)
This time Mayweather has vowed to be less conspicuous with his charity efforts, which comes in contrast to the man he last faced in a boxing ring, Conor McGregor.
McGregor has been a high-profile campaigner during the coronavirus efforts in his homeland, donating more than $1 million to the cause and sharing frequent posts of deliveries of masks and medical equipment on his social media pages.
Mayweather retired with an unblemished 50-0 record when he stopped McGregor in the 10th round of their Las Vegas superfight in 2017, although the American has frequently flirted with the idea of making a ring return in the years since, potentially to face McGregor again or even Russian UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The recent death of Mayweather’s uncle makes that less likely, however, and the boxing legend himself has hinted that he may have ambitions as a trainer.
