Floyd Mayweather discusses Manny Pacquiao, jail stint in lengthy interview

Floyd Mayweather visited New York hip-hop station Hot 97 on Wednesday morning for a lengthy in-studio interview on the Cipha Sounds & Rosenberg show, addressing a wide range of topics including a prospective megafight with Manny Pacquiao. (Video of the entire interview appears below, with transcripts of the Pacquiao portions at the bottom.)

"I don’t have any hate toward Manny Pacquiao," Mayweather said.

It wasn't Meet The Press -- host and hardcore boxing fan Peter Rosenberg offered a mostly fawning line of questioning, accepting Floyd's long-debunked premise that Pacquiao won't agree to random blood and urine testing -- yet Mayweather spoke at length about his recent jail stint (including his weight loss).

Mayweather also discussed the controversial outcome of the Victor Ortiz fight, his gambling habits, the Chad Ochocinco situation, his "number" and his love of hip-hop -- which included attending a Run-D.M.C. and LL Cool J concerts as a youngster.

MAYWEATHER: Everybody always asks me about the Pacquiao fight. And I'm not saying that I never wanted the fight to happen. Only thing I wanted the fight to do is just be on an even playing field. Since I'm the face of boxing, of course, we wanted an even playing field. Random blood and urine testing. No different from Lance Armstrong, who just went through the same thing. Once USADA got involved in, you know …

ROSENBERG: OK, so here's the question: Don't you find it interesting that -- and I think some of it's because of your personality and the fact that you like playing the bad guy -- but how did you become the bad guy when you wanted drug testing? It is a very ironic situation.

MAYWEATHER: People has to realize, I don't have any hate toward Manny Pacquiao.

ROSENBERG: You respect him, right?

MAYWEATHER: Yeah, I respect him, but I'm just saying. It's not a crime. I'm also saying that I'm going to do random blood and urine testing, just so I can be in a clean sport. That's all I'm asking.

ROSENBERG: But what about the [purse] split? There's always debate about what really the split is.

MAYWEATHER: Well actually we don't do the same type of numbers, so how can we split …

CIPHA SOUNDS: … maybe like draw in the same type of money?

ROSENBERG: So why don't you man up and just say winner gets more? 'Cause you know you're going to win. Why not just say 70/30 for the winner?

MAYWEATHER: For starters, we got to get past the random blood and urine testing.

CIPHA SOUNDS: Why don't you just shoot up steroids and then y'all be even?

MAYWEATHER: Naw.

CIPHA SOUNDS: Or whatever drug you think he's taking?

MAYWEATHER: No, I don't feel you have to cheat. I don't believe in cheating. I believe in doing it the honest way.

ROSENBERG: So is there a chance that if he was to agree to the blood and urine testing, which doesn't seem like it's ever going to happen …

MAYWEATHER: It's not even that. He has a … He's with Bob Arum, he's with a whole 'nother company. And I have Mayweather Promotions, I have my own company.

ROSENBERG: But you and Arum will be willing to … you guys both want money.

MAYWEATHER: Arum wants money. But the thing is about putting the fighters in a good position. It's about Pacquiao and Mayweather. It's about putting both fighters in a good position. Of course I'm going to put myself in a good position.

Floyd went on to waffle about the drug-testing controversy.

CIPHA SOUNDS: So why won't he do the drug, the urine testing?

MAYWEATHER: I can't really say why he won't do the random blood and urine testing. I can't really say why he won't do it. Every other fighter that I face, that I've been facing …

CIPHA SOUNDS: Does it?

MAYWEATHER: Of course. And I have to do it too. They can just come at any time just to test you. And at this particular I don't know if he want to do it or not.

CIPHA SOUNDS: But what did he say? Did he say it was something religious or … ?

ROSENBERG: There was a whole bunch of weird reasons.

MAYWEATHER: It was just different things from the past that were said. I don't know exactly word for word but that was in the past. Only thing I can continue to do, if I do fight again, I'll fight whoever they put in front of me.

ROSENBERG: It's a bummer. If the fight was somehow to happen now, I've always said that it's gotten to the point that it would be a little bit like [Lennox] Lewis-[Mike] Tyson. If it happens now, to me, it's going to be too late. That fight would have been amazing two years ago. Now everyone's getting older. I think he's aging at a faster rate than you are …

MAYWEATHER: But I'm older than he is.

ROSENBERG: No, I know. But in Manny's defense, Manny does a lot of stuff. Boxing is almost … I think at this point boxing is kind of secondary to Manny almost, in a different way than you are. I think you're a little bit more of a pure … I think that's one of the things that makes you a special athlete.

MAYWEATHER: Well, I just dedicated myself to my craft. I've been in boxing, now, I've been a professional for 16 years. I've been world champion for 15 years. I just dedicated myself to my craft.

-- SI.com staff