For a man accustomed to being waited on hand and foot by his bloated entourage, Floyd Mayweather did not enjoy solitary confinement.
And during his two months behind bars in 2012, he repeatedly wrote to prison officials asking to be moved.
“There is [sic] 7 days in a week and I only get five hours out of my cell and that’s unfair.” Mayweather complained. “This is my third time writing asking to be moved.
“My mind is not the same. I’ve lost weight I am stressed out I can’t workout and I need some type of exercise.”
The American had had his punishment delayed so that he could fight Miguel Cotto on the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo.
And prison documents offer a fascinating insight into his sentence.
As well as pleading to be moved, Mayweather complained of a rib injury which the prison doctor told him was not serious.
The boxer threatened to sue the prison and claimed he would have surgery upon his release.
Mayweather was also reported for verbally abusing prison staff when he was told he had been given two hours’ of free time each day instead of just one.
An officer wrote: “When I approached his cell to see what was his problem, he stated to me that he felt that I, for some reason, had it out for him.
“He told me that he felt I disliked him. I explained to him that I didn’t have an opinion of him either way and that I’m trying to ensure that policies are being followed.
“He looked me in the eye and told me that when he gets out of jail, he won’t forget me. I then asked him if that was a threat. He said, ‘I didn’t say I was going to hurt you did I?'”.
Mayweather was stripped of even his hour’s free time but the records showed he quickly got up to speed with the inner workings of prison.
Another report, obtaiined by Sports on Earth , details how the fighter paid two inmates to ‘look out’.
“Last night while inmate Mayweather #1363917 was out for his scheduled free time he yelled up to inmate [Paul] Lopez #1532142 and said, ‘I’m putting $500 on your books, thanks for looking out.”
Further investigations revealed Lopez, who was in prison on gang-related charges, had indeed received $500 from a third party. Another inmate, Nicholas Howard received $200.
When asked about the payment, the report says Howard smiled and said, “It is what it is.”
As an athlete who would go on to retire with a record of 50-0, Mayweather was used to a strict diet.
And it is perhaps no surprise that the prison food was often not to his liking.
“Today Mayweather was offered a tray and juice for lunch but refused, stating he doesn’t eat the food here,” read another report.
Mayweather was so annoyed he asked to be released from prison on account of the low-quality food and water.
A judge dismissed his claims, saying: “It’s jail. Where did he think he was going, The Four Seasons?”
A further report claims Mayweather eschewed prison food in favour of snacks including Snickers bars, noodles and beef jerky.
Ultimately, Mayweather had 30 days shaved from his sentence for good behaviour and was released on August 3.
He was met by his manager Leonard Ellerbe and several family members while rapper 50 Cent was also present.
Mayweather outpointed Robert Guerrero the following May before going on to earn hundreds of millions from fights against the likes of Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao.
Source: Daily Mirror
