By Chris Pittman
Jeff Mayweather is a former IBO super featherweight world champion who is currently training both professional boxers and MMA fighters. Mayweather has trained several champions including “Sultan” Ibragimov and Celestino “Pelenchin” Caballero. On October 14, 2011 he led Caballero down to Argentina where they captured the WBA featherweight title from Jonathon Barros after having previously lost a controversial split decision several months earlier.
I spoke with Jeff about his involvement in MMA training as well as his take on the current status of the heavyweight division in boxing and the sport in general.
CP- How did you get involved with training MMA fighters?
JM- Through Percy Crawford who knew King Mo, who trained with Floyd. King Mo wasn’t as comfortable training with Floyd who was more assertive and was more of a do it my way kind of trainer. King Mo came to me and started training. The fighter is the commodity, and you have to work with the personality. It cant be your way or my way, it has to be “our” way.
CP- What do you think the major differences are between training MMA fighters as opposed to boxers?
Jeff working with Brian Vera
JM- To be honest there is no difference. I ask an MMA fighter up front if they have a certain way they want to be trained since they may use a different stance or have specific strengths. Most just want to be trained as a boxer to enhance or complement what they already do.
CP- What are your thoughts on weight training and heavy lifting for fighters? There still seems to be mixed reviews in this area among trainers.
JM- No good. Lighter weights and more reps are fine but when you get into lifting more weight, and less reps because of the high weight, all that does is make your arms heavy. The heavy lifting does give you more speed, but in a fight that only lasts a couple of rounds, then you are sacrificing endurance. It could hurt conditioning by adding too much mass.
CP- What types of cross training do you prefer for your fighters?
JM- Roadwork. There are a lot of newer training methods for conditioning that were not around when I was a fighter. Almost every fighter now has a strength and conditioning coach. I like a lot of the methods used by the two strength and conditioning coaches that I employ, the methods they use get our fighters prepared to train harder in the ring and fight.
CP- What abilities or attributes do you look for in a fighter that may want you to train them?
JM- Thirst for knowledge, and asked questions. They must be interested in what they are doing and trying to accomplish. They must above all have heart if they want to have a real chance at making it. Not just in boxing or fighting but anything in life.
CP- As far as boxing, why do you think American fighters aren’t as dominant as they have been throughout history?
JM- That has to do with the heavyweight division. Other weight classes we do very well in, but the heavyweight division has been the measuring stick for success in boxing. Its more perception that if you are the heavyweight champion you are the best fighter on the planet, and that in not necessarily true. Because we don’t have the heavyweight champion, it is perceived that we aren’t doing so well in boxing. My nephew is the best fighter in the world and he is an American. We haven’t had a heavyweight in some time, as a matter of fact the last American heavyweight champion, Shannon Briggs, was a fighter I trained.
CP- Who are some young or up and coming boxers that may challenge in the heavyweight division?
JM- Maybe 2 or 3 guys that may have a chance, but that chance won’t come until the Klitchko brothers are no longer boxing. As long as they are fighting and working hard no one will beat them. Malik Scott is a fighter that may be a factor because he is a great pure boxer and he would have a legitimate chance against anyone. He is currently 35-0. Kevin Johnson who has held his own against Vitali. Johnson actually was in the fight and proved he could take those punches. I think he got caught up in that and cost himself the fight because he was showboating. He could be a world champion one day.
Those two would be the top Americans that could be capable of becoming world champion in the heavyweight division. But after the Klitchkos brothers, it’s a pretty wide open division. Right now the best prospect for a championship in this division is actually Robert Helenius, the Nordic Nightmare who is from Finland. He is 17-0 with 11 KO’s
CP- With women competing in both boxing and MMA it seems doors have opened for younger girls with in these sports. Do you see real sustained growth, or do you thing this is a passing fad?
JM- I think it will grow, especially with women having the opportunity to compete at the Olympics, but its going to
Jeff and the Black Kobra Dewey Cooper
take someone with a lot of money and willing to invest in the growth, otherwise its just a sideshow. Without serious investment you will never see a main event match featuring women fighters. Women’s boxing is like the WNBA, marketing is the key, but its for the hardcore fans, the casual fans will not be interested.
CP- As a fighter do you see differences in fighters today compared to fighters from when you competed?
JM- The black eye on boxing caused by performance enhancing drugs. More fighters aren’t depending on their ability as much as they are depending on PEDs to get the results they are looking for. There were fighters in the past that were doing it, but it wasn’t as prominent, and those were not necessarily great fighters. Floyd took a lot of flack and ridicule for wanting Manny tested. Everyone was saying he was scared, but once this testing was implemented fighters were getting busted, and now my nephew looks like a genius. Why would he be scared? He is the best fighter in the world. All he wanted to do was clean up the sport and have a level playing field. I think this will be part of his legacy.
Once in a while you have someone that transcends the sport. Someone like that can make changes and do things on a bigger level. Sugar Ray Leonard was another fighter than transcended the sport. He created the 168 pound weight class. All these catch weights have created too many titles. If you are fighting at a weight then fight at that weight, let’s not create all these titles for everyone because they are too big or too small for a weight class.
CP- What was your all time favorite fight that you were a part of?
JM- When I won the IBO world title. I think the people appreciated it and I put on a good fight. I won almost every single round, and dropped the guy a couple of times. And of course the reward for winning that fight was gratifying. For the future it’s about helping people fulfill their dreams. I want to help the fighters that come to me get better and succeed. The biggest thing for a fighter is heart, a championship heart, and if they have that and the arsenal and everything they need to be a champion, it is my job to bring that out of them. With that kind of person I think I can help them become a world champion. It’s not about me, and I’m not so worried about my legacy as much as I am with helping others fulfill theirs.
This article appeared on our siste site ProMMAInsider.com
