Floyd Mayweather Jr. often works out at 2am, believing that it gives him a psychological edge to train while his opponent is probably sleeping. He has been known to leave dinner or a movie, abandon friends and family in a parking lot and jog several miles in street clothes to his home here.
"He's done that on numerous occasions," Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser, said Wednesday, before Mayweather went through a vigorous workout at Top Rank Gym. "He'll jog in jeans and tennis shoes. One night, he did it in the rain.
"He's not normal. He doesn't train normal. He doesn't fight normal. He doesn't do anything normal."
Already a world champion at 130, 135 and 140 pounds, the 29-year-old Mayweather (35-0-0, with 24 knockouts) will risk his growing legacy tonight at Thomas & Mack Center, attempting to win the International Boxing Federation's 147-pound world welterweight championship from the 28-year-old Zab Judah of Brooklyn.
Although Judah (34-3-0, 25 knockouts) looked lackluster in his last bout -- losing a 12-round decision to Carlos Baldomir on Jan. 7 at Madison Square Garden, his hand speed, punching power and dislike for Mayweather have made this encounter more compelling. At the weigh-in Friday, Mayweather was 146 pounds, Judah was 145 1/2, and the two fighters yelled insults at each other.
The rift between Mayweather and Judah stems from their only sparring session, about 18 months ago, when Mayweather said he outclassed Judah badly. Saturday is Judah's chance for revenge, but Mayweather sees it as another opportunity to solidify his claim of being the best pound-for-pound fighter.
"I'm going to my fourth weight class, and trying to win four titles in under eight years," said Mayweather, who won a bronze medal at 125 pounds at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. "I'm always focused. This is what I love. This isn't about the money. It's about being a legend, about leaving your mark."
Boxing has been a part of Mayweather's life since he was in diapers. His father, Floyd Sr.; his uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather; and his uncle Jeff Mayweather were all professional boxers. When other children were throwing baseballs or footballs while Mayweather was growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he was throwing punches. He never seriously considered any other profession.
"I think my grandmother saw my potential first," Mayweather said, smiling. "When I was young, I told her, `I think I should get a job.' She said, `No, just keep boxing.'"
Engaging and outspoken, Mayweather will tell you how good he is, but so will others. At a news conference this week in New York, the undefeated middleweight champion Jermain Taylor was asked to name the world's best pound-for-pound fighter.
"Right now, I'd say it's Mayweather," Taylor said. "Even the way he moves, the way he throws punches, is cool. Now, I wouldn't say that to his face. But he's a heck of a fighter. I wouldn't discount Zab, because he can punch, but I'd have to go with Floyd."
One of Mayweather's goals remains unfulfilled: He wants to become a star who transcends boxing, the way Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard did during their careers. That is a difficult proposition, with boxing struggling for a niche in the increasingly crowded sports and entertainment market.
"Leonard and Ali made their mark on network television, the Olympics -- Ali on `Wide World of Sports,' Sugar Ray on ABC and so forth," said Bob Arum, Mayweather's promoter. "By the time they were ready to go for the big bucks, they were household names. In this environment, it's much tougher."
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