What do most fighters do backstage before a massive comeback fight—after a two-year layoff, with their undefeated record and a $25 million purse on the line? Probably pacing… mostly just that! Well, if you’re Floyd Mayweather, apparently, you just chill out and watch other pro athletes make you some money.
According to future WWE Hall of Famer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, Floyd wasn’t stressing at all. In fact, he was so relaxed that he was casually watching an NBA game he had bet money on!
Triple H, who appeared on a podcast with Andrew Schulz, promoting Wrestlemania 41, recalled a story where he attended Mayweather’s triumphant return on September 19, 2009, against Juan Manuel Márquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Levesque had backstage privilege and was able to meet with the 50-0 fighter. Worried that he might be causing a distraction, he told ‘Money’ he was going to get out of his way and let him prepare. Notably, as Triple H recalls it, the then five-division world champion already was.
“I go out to the back and he is laying on the couch watching a basketball game… And then I was like, ‘Alright man, I’m going to get out of your hair’ and he is like ‘nah man you ain’t in my hair I’m just watching the game, I got money on this’”, Levesque said, still surprised.
Despite the long layoff, Mayweather’s return to the ring was marked by signature defensive prowess and speed, dominating the fight from start to finish.
He even scored a knockdown in the second round, setting the tone for the rest of the bout. The judges scored the fight decisively in Mayweather’s favor: 120–107, 119–108, and 118–109.
However, what surprised Triple H was how calm and composed Mayweather was before the fight.
“I sit down for a few minutes, we talk for a bit,” he recalled. “And as soon as there’s a break in the conversation, I’m like, ‘Alright man, I’m going to get out of your way and let you do your thing, I know it’s game day.’”
But, Floyd wasn’t sweating it at all. “If I haven’t done all the s**t I need to do before today, I’ve already lost. I’ve done everything there is to do. Ain’t nothing going to change now”, he told Triple H.
Needless to say, Mayweather’s approach to fighting is not seen commonly amongst his peers, but that also applies to his training regimen and nutrition.
Mayweather’s unorthodox training and nutrition
Mayweather’s training and nutrition habits were as unconventional as they were effective. He was known to train at all hours, often sparring at 3 AM in gyms heated to 83°F, pushing his body in ways most fighters wouldn’t dare.
His workouts included chopping wood for core strength and performing neck exercises with weights to enhance durability.
He would be at his most intense while shadowboxing and hitting the mitts. He would also run five to eight miles each day, often at 1 AM at night.
Perhaps it was due to this intense training that Mayweather’s diet was surprisingly relaxed. He was frequently seen enjoying fast food, sipping soda during workouts, and even indulging in Burger King meals during fight weeks .
Yet, he also employed a personal chef who prepared meals from scratch and was available to cook for him at any hour.
