Rolling out spoke exclusively with Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe on the eve of the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor face off about his humble beginnings, the intelligence and business savvy of Mayweather, and future boxing star Gervonta Davis. Below are excerpts from the interview.
What makes Floyd Mayweather an intelligent man?
Floyd is a genius. He has an incredible vision to understand what he wants and how things should work.
What makes Gervonta “Tank” Davis a boxing superstar?
Tank is must-see TV. Tank looks to knock your head off every time he steps into the ring. He has that scowl about him. He has that look. It’s like he turns into a different person when he enters the ring. He has this mean streak that’s something I’ve never seen before. He’s a bad dude.
Do you see any similarities between Gervonta and a young Floyd?
I really don’t see those similarities. Floyd used to clip guys all the time too, but it was more about breaking them down. Floyd is a very special fighter. We definitely won’t see anything like him this generation where a guy can do it all. He can take it, he can give it. He’s got a great defense, he has a tremendous offense. He’s had some up and downs in his career with hand problems. If Floyd didn’t have hand problems, especially early on in his career, Floyd would have been a billionaire. Trust me on that.
Describe the experience of the MayMac World Tour that took you to four cities in three countries in three days.
It was the most incredible experience I think that I’ve witnessed [during] my involvement in boxing. It was a great feeling to be able to go to each of these cities and see the enormous amount of fan support this fight has and the excitement that it’s generated thus far.”
Did Floyd or Conor cross the line with comments leading up to the fight?
No. [There] was a lot of speculation about a lot of comments that were being made back and forth. Conor McGregor is not a racist and Floyd Mayweather is not a racist. Period. End of discussion.
Talk about your beginnings and your journey from aspiring boxer to a personal trainer to assistant trainer for Floyd Mayweather and CEO of Mayweather Promotions.
It’s been an incredible journey and it’s not finished yet. God has truly blessed me and my team to be in this position. I couldn’t have done any of this without my team. A lot of [it] had to do with how I was raised by my parents who both are deceased now. I grind the way that I grind now for my daughter.
For the rest of our interview with Ellerbe, including his experience at Wrestlemania 24 when Floyd Mayweather fought Big Show, the roster of Mayweather Promotions, click below.
