As fight approaches, Mayweather Jr. remains calm, collected, confident

The wind began blowing something fierce, and a light rain fell and the tent that protected Floyd Mayweather Jr. and assembled media flapped back and forth.

A bolt of lightening flashed outside.

It was then that one of the beefy enablers suggested it might be safer if Mayweather end his news conference and head for cover inside the boxing gym, or at least to an area where the undefeated champion might exchange music preferences with David Hasselhoff.

How do you say cheesy in German?

Mayweather laughed off the dangerous weather in a way you figure he does most comments from the enablers.

“We’re fine,” he said. “Let’s go. Keep asking questions.”

This was during an official media day to promote his fight against Manny Pacquiao on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden, and yet Mayweather’s comfortable demeanor and candid temperament haven’t wavered much since it was announced he had agreed to the matchup that would make him rich enough to officially change his name to Money Bugatti.

There is more trash-talking over a shovel and pail in a kindergarten sandbox than what Mayweather has offered this entire promotion, a theme that continued throughout Wednesday’s final news conference.

What once was an entertaining spectacle of comedic nonsense and projectile verbosity around any such Mayweather gathering (translation: back in the good ol’ days when they let Uncle Roger talk) has transformed into something short of a monthly corporate workshop.

The only noteworthy tidbits Wednesday were when it appeared Floyd Mayweather Sr. wanted to make his way onto the stage for comment and those in his camp acted as the Queen’s Guard might when protecting a royal residence from an intruder. That, and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum spun a story about Pacquiao writing a letter to the president of Indonesia on behalf of a Filipino woman who was set to be executed for drug trafficking. She was spared, her seven accomplices weren’t, and maybe we should all encourage Pacquiao to begin a correspondence with ISIS.

All the while, Mayweather Jr. again said the right things.

He hasn’t allowed any impending storm, be it one he is warned about when chatting with reporters or that of controversial nature, to tempt him into engaging much at all.

One possible reason: He has grown up some.

A more believable one: He seems to conclude, with all his heart and soul, with every fiber of his being, there is absolutely no chance he can lose.

“I’m more calculated,” Mayweather said. “I truly believe I’m the smarter fighter. (Pacquiao) would be a better fighter if he wasn’t so reckless. It’s a gift, and it’s a curse. It’s a gift because he’s won a lot of fights by being reckless. But also you can be reckless and get knocked out, and getting knocked out in a harsh way can affect you in the long run, as far as longevity when your career is over.

“I was at home (Tuesday night) sitting with my mother and my daughter, and I thought to myself: ‘You know what, I’m proud of myself.’ To be in this sport for 19 years, the main thing is I’m going to be able to get out of this sport and still be sharp and have a sharp mind. I wasn’t involved in a lot of wars.”

He has praised his team often the past few months, and it’s true those closest to the fighter prepared him well for every conceivable storyline. The media — print and television, national and local, sports and entertainment, gossip outlets and hard news — have descended upon Las Vegas this week, all with questions about the guy with a 47-0 record and more money than some small countries.

Mayweather wasn’t going to avoid inquiries into his unlawful past, during which he’s been charged with domestic violence six times and served two months in jail three years ago for beating the mother of three of his children. What the legal system did in incarcerating him, the Nevada Athletic Commission has taken a pass on in never disciplining Mayweather, essentially not wanting the golden goose to migrate to another state.

He has been asked about all of it leading into this fight, about the charges he has beaten multiple women, about how his new strength coach, Alex Ariza, has trained fighters who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, about how corporate America has kept its distance with the sort of endorsement deals an athlete of his stature should be swimming in, about his feelings in regards to the rioting in Baltimore, and promptly deflected all nonboxing issues as he might a Pacquiao straight left come Saturday.

He has made every scheduled appearance and was even on time for a few.

Well, let’s just say Mayweather hasn’t been a few hours late to everything.

The other side sees it differently. Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach wonders if Mayweather wants to fight at all, saying again Wednesday he believes there was pressure to finally take the fight and not “handpick” an opponent, as Mayweather has done for some time now.

“What Freddie means is that he doesn’t think Floyd will show up once inside the ring,” Arum said. “Of course he’s going to show up to the fight, for Christ’s sake. He wants to get the pay per views. They’re getting a little nervous over there. (Mayweather) is getting really nervous. He’s thinking about this hard.”

If so, he has a hell of a way showing it.

Mayweather has never appeared so calm, so collected, so confident.

He doesn’t believe there is a chance he can lose and has acted like it the entire promotion.

Nothing has fazed him.

Not even an enabler warning him about a storm.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. His new show, “Seat and Ed,” debuts May 4 on KRLV 1340 and will be heard from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.