ALL ABOARD THE MONEY TRAIN
Mayweather brings his tight-knit team along for adventure
LAS VEGAS — The Money Team took up four rows of the KA Theater at the MGM Grand on Wednesday wait- ing for the final press conference before Floyd Mayweather takes on Conor McGregor on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena. There were about 50 people in all, not counting the huge bodyguards backstage with May weather. Men, women and children of different races and colors sat quietly, with most of them wearing some sort of TMT apparel. When Mayweather finally appeared, they cheered loud ly for their champion. But The Money Team is far more than just a cheerleading squad. “It’s a family; it’s a phi l os ophy; it’s a movement,” said Kitchie Laurico, who serves as Mayweather’s personal assistant. “It’s a lifestyle. It’s a mentality. We all move as a unit.”
The most visible part of The Money Team is the cluster of huge bodyguards that surround him whenever the unbeaten boxer is in public. But the rest are mostly longtime friends and family members. Among those in attendance on Wednesday was his barber, Jackie Starr; James Dayap, his videographer; Melissia Brim, the mother of his oldest daughter Iyanna; Macc Tyler, a childhood friend; Rod Brasswell, another longtime friend; David Levi, a former intern; Nate Jones, a co-trainer; and his personal pilots, A.J. Ramey and Dan Booth.
Ask them what The Money Team is and you hear the word “family” over and over again.
“It’s a family, 100 percent,” said Ramey, who has been Mayweather’s pilot for three years. “From Day 1 you’re brought into a family that you embrace and you become part of it. Everybody works hard and everybody works together. It’s 100 percent a team atmosphere. It’s about taking care of each other.”
Many members of the Money Team have their own business interests that are supported by Mayweather, who is projected to earn hundreds of millions from the McGregor fight, bringing his career total to nearly $1 billion. Levi is the CEO of SubZero Recovery, a full-body cryotherapy business. Sta r r owns two barber shops. Brim has a fashion boutique; and Mayweather friend Ricki Brazil
has a clothing line.
“People think everybody freeloads off Floyd,” Brim said. “But people around him actually work hard for their earnings.”
Brasswell, who has known Mayweather since 1 9 8 7, described The Money Team this way: “It’s a collaboration of entrepreneurial minded people that are highly-educated with good common sense. Floyd looks out for everybody and gives them an opportunity to go forward. Everybody is not meant to go forward, but he at least tries to put you in position to go forward.”
Jones used the word family again.
“People think its all about the money,” he said. “But it’s about togetherness and hard work and getting yourself established so you can take care of your family.”
Dayap was the videographer for Manny Pacquiao before he joined The Money Team. His first assignment with The Money Team was to travel with Mayweather on a private plane to France.
“I’ve f inally settled with a team that works,” Dayap said. “It’s the greatest experience I’ve had being part of this.”
Jones has known Mayweather since both were amateur boxers. He knows when someone is just along for ride.
“We mark those guys out and we get rid of them,” Jones said. “We’re not going to let anyone come in and just play, because that’s our family. We’ve been his friends for a long time, so being a part of The Money Team is everything to us. When they write the history books, they have to mention our names. We’re part of his road to greatness.”
Tyler used a philosophical approach to describe the importance of The Money Team.
“I was always taught growing up that it takes a village,” he said. “I don’t just look at it just for kids. I look at it for adults also. You need people that are going to tell you when you’re wrong and people to support you when you’re doing right. People here fit those roles.”
Tyl e r knew Mayweat he r when he was living in a onebedroom apartment. Mayweather told him then, “I’m going to make over $100 million in boxing one day.”
Now Mayweather not only has money. He has The Money Team.