IF FLOYD Mayweather Jr. had the chance to sit down with any Filipino rags-to-riches athlete, he'd say he knows exactly how he feels.
Easily the highest paid boxer in history, this lavish lifestyle is far from what 'Money' had growing up. He only had a supportive father, Mayweather Sr.
As the American champion faced the media during a visit to the Philippines, he took his time to be vulnerable, much different from his tough image when inside the ring.
Floyd Mayweather happy to be back in the Philippines
Floyd was happy to be back in the country. He said it is one of his favorite countries to go to, considering the atmosphere, the weather, and the warmth of Filipinos.
And this appreciation actually goes deeper. It's almost personal for him.
"That is why the people in the Philippines connects so much with me," he said told SPIN.ph on Wednesday, during Frontrow's branch launch in Quezon City. "Because [of] my story. I come from nothing."
The 45-year-old bared he didn't have it easy too due to poverty and lack of resources. An experience that's familiar to a lot of Pinoy fighters like Manny Pacquiao, Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio, among others.
"People in the PH, people of all walks of life and all around the world that have crazy rags-to-riches stories, I'm one of those stories. I didn't have anything, but I had a dream. I had an ambition. I have certain goals I wanted to reach."
More than the drive and motivation to succeed, Floyd was lucky to have a support system from his dad.
He continued: "The main thing I have that a lot of people don't have is the best trainer in the world, which is my dad. I had a person that would push me, tell me I was great."
Then, he shared how he approached life itself: with flexibility and adaptability.
"My approach is I can do anything in the best ability I can. If you teach me, I can go over it enough times then I can master it," he said.
Mayweather Jr. also took the time to air his appreciation of his former rival in Pac-Man.
"Manny Pacquiao, he's a great person," he said, remembering how they spent time together in Japan earlier in the week. "In my exhibition in Japan, we saw two legends together. Amazing."
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