Mayweather Jr to PAY for funeral of George Floyd after reaching out to family

A representative of Floyd Mayweather Jr says the boxing star will “definitely pay” for the funeral of George Floyd, whose death in police custody triggered a wave of protests currently sweeping the US, after talking to his family.

Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe told ESPN on Monday that the former 5-weight world champion had been in touch with Mr Floyd’s family and intends to pay for funeral costs, but that the former fighter did not want to talk about the gesture publicly.

"He'll probably get mad at me for saying that, but yes, [Mayweather] is definitely paying for the funeral," Ellerbe said, ESPN reported. "Floyd has done these kind[s] of things over the last 20 years.”

Ellerbe went on to confirm Mr Floyd's family had accepted the offer and on Tuesday seemed to further confirm the news reports on his Twitter account.

Despite a flash and prodigal persona, 43-year-old Mayweather has a history of similar selfless acts; in 2011 he fronted the cost of Genaro Hernandez’s funeral when the former world champion died of cancer at age 45.

The Mexican-American had been the first world title opponent for Mayweather, then a young and undefeated prospect, when the two met in 1998 for Hernandez’s WBC super featherweight title.

Reuters / ISSEI KATO

Also in 2011, Mayweather volunteered to pay the funeral costs of the mighty Joe Frazier, the former heavyweight champ who contested a legendary rivalry with the great Muhammad Ali, whom he became the first man to beat.

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Other sports stars who have spoken out about the injustice of the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed in Minnesota as a result of a white police officer kneeling on his neck for eight minutes, include Tiger Woods, Lewis Hamilton, and Michael Jordan.