IBF light-heavyweight champion and Golden Boy East representative Bernard Hopkins was forced to shadow Mayweather Sr. as he and Ruben Guerrero exchanged verbal jabs in what could have become a nasty encounter.
Floyd Sr. was not present on stage from the outset, but was clearly targeted by both Guerrero’s at the head-to-head in his position at the front row of the media section and then made his presence felt as the two were being interviewed.
Earlier, Guerrero Sr. had stoked the already flickering fire after taking to the podium for the sole purpose of declaring Mayweather Jr. a wife-beater after his recent jail time and Floyd Sr. then leapt to his son’s defence at the tail end of the formalities.
From the first announcement this whole event has an edge to it unrivalled at a Mayweather fight in the past few years as the needle between both sides, especially the fathers, threatens to boil over.
Mayweather, 36, was decidedly calm considering the torrent of abuse that the elder Guerrero slung his way in front of the aghast media, and to his credit, never let anything sway him from an all-round cool demeanour.
The two will eventually clash in the ring in two days’ time, although there could be more drama to come when the Mayweather’s and Guerrero’s come face-to-face again in the build-up to the WBC welterweight title clash this weekend.
