Floyd Mayweather Jr. held a conference call with the media on Thursday to promote his Sept. 13 fight with Marcos Maidana and ended up talking about the subject of his reading.
Mayweather acknowledged he’s not the best reader, but the undefeated boxer emphasized there is a difference between being intelligent and being educated.
The first three questions of the conference call all had to do with 50 Cent’s reading challenge to Floyd that sparked the whole controversy.
Below is a transcription of the questions and answers via Mayweather’s PR team:
Q: Do you think that 50 Cent crossed the line by suggesting that you have trouble reading in that Instagram video that he posted?
Mayweather: My thing is this, I try to focus on Maidana. I don’t really focus on that. I think people can believe whatever they want to believe. Intelligence and education are two different things. I’m happy with my career and I wish 50 Cent nothing but the best; when I’m in training camp I try to focus on my training. You have to realize that the circus is for clowns and my job is just to focus on my job, which is boxing. I know what I can and I can’t do, so I can care less.
Q: Were you surprised that 50 Cent went in that direction and talked about a topic that would be that sensitive?
Mayweather: I don’t even worry about that. Like I said before, that’s not my focus. I know what I can and I can’t do. You guys don’t know when you’re dealing with pay-per-view you have to read at least 60 to 70 teleprompters, and I don’t think they could choose a better person for the job than myself. I go out there and I do it with no problem.
I just feel like basically I’m not judged by a person, I’m judged by God. Reading does not define my place in boxing history. Will God not let me in heaven because I didn’t read like a news anchor? Me, myself, I would be perfect at reading if it was how I made my living and fed my family. Once again, intelligence and education are two different things.
Making fun of a person because they can’t read is not funny. It’s tragic. Second, if I really couldn’t read it would make my accomplishments even that much more amazing. I don’t know if 50 Cent is a boxing promoter, I don’t know if he’s making music; I really don’t know. My focus is on Floyd Mayweather, and I wish 50 Cent nothing but the best.
Mayweather was then asked about the audio from the radio station that showed him struggling to read. Mayweather came up with a bunch of possible explanations for why he struggled to read in the audio clip and then reiterated that reading is not an indication of his intelligence.
Q: Floyd, do you want to just comment on the footage that the radio station played of you reading the drops?
Mayweather: Well, I don’t get paid to read radio drops. I’m capable of having a bad day; I’m not perfect. But you know, as well as I know, they edited the tape how they wanted to do it. I’m a perfectionist; if I go read a teleprompter, I read it six or seven or eight times, because I’m a perfectionist. I could have been up twenty-four hours; I could have just landed in New York City. People find different ways to try to break people down and tear people down.
I’m going strong and I’m happy. We talk about that situation, but there’s plenty of videos out there just showing me reading teleprompters and reading other things. When I was at the ESPY’s I had to read a teleprompter. I’m pretty sure you guys thought I did an okay job. Like I said before, I’m not a news anchor, never claimed to be. What I do for a living, I’m a boxer, but I didn’t get to where I got to not being able to write, read and do arithmetic, and I’m going to say this once again, intelligence and education are two totally different things.
50 Cent wasn’t the only person to comment on Floyd’s inability to read. Rival boxer Manny Pacquiao said that was proof that Mayweather is uneducated. Based on his response, Floyd does not disagree with that criticism; he just has a different interpretation of its importance.
