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Forbes fires Floyd's uncle in family row

  • Story Highlights
  • Steve Forbes fires Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s uncle ahead of Oscar de la Hoya bout
  • WBC welterweight champion angry that Roger Mayweather was training Forbes
  • If Forbes wins, Mayweather's own scheduled rematch with De la Hoya in doubt
  • Forbes hires another Mayweather, Floyd's uncle Jeff, as his new trainer
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LONDON, England -- Steve Forbes has fired Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s uncle ahead of his May 3 clash with Oscar de la Hoya -- and replaced him as trainer with another member of the flamboyant World Boxing Council welterweight champion's family.

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. was furious that his uncle was training his former sparring partner Steve Forbes.

Mayweather was furious that his father Roger was training Forbes for a fight which could scupper his own hopes of a lucrative rematch with De La Hoya, who he beat by a split decision last May in the richest fight in boxing history.

Forbes moved quickly to hire Jeff Mayweather, Roger's younger brother, after hearing Floyd air his grievances in the media.

"I asked Roger not to train Forbes," Mayweather said during a conference call to promote his foray into wrestling at WWE's Wrestlemania 24 on March 30.

"I'm upset with my Uncle Roger. I disapprove of Roger. If he continues to train Forbes, I have to get another trainer.

"It's taking money out of my pocket. I told him on numerous occasions not to train Steve Forbes and he's training him at my gym.

"He's taking money out his own mouth. Forbes is making $1 million, so he's jeopardizing (the trainer's share of) $80,000 for millions. I could get him that a ton of times over again. Hopefully it will be worth it."

Forbes had been working with Mayweather for only three weeks.

"I thought it was funny. Trainers should be able to train anyone they want. But it didn't really surprise me. I just wondered why it didn't happen three or four weeks ago when my fight with Oscar was announced."

"Steve's a pro, and it doesn't bother him," Jeff Wald, Forbes' promoter, told The Associated Press. "He respects the Mayweather family, and he's trained with all three brothers, so it's not going to be a problem."

Forbes has previously been trained by Roger, Jeff and Floyd Mayweather Sr, who has been estranged from his world champion son for years, and sparred with Mayweather Jr.

"It's more (a problem) with Floyd because he is Roger's boss. He pays him a nice salary," Forbes said. "I'm not upset with Roger. This is just another little story to my story. It doesn't affect me one bit. But it's just bizarre."

Floyd Sr. has trained De la Hoya for all of his recent fights -- except the bout against his son last year -- but has said he might cross that line for the rematch.

"I may have to pay my dad more than Oscar is paying him," Floyd Jr. said.

The 31-year-old Mayweather, considered pound for pound the best boxer in the world, has not fought since knocking out Britain's previously unbeaten Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas in December. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

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