By NICK GIONGCO
On board his spanking new 14-seater private jet, Floyd Mayweather blew into town early Tuesday morning for some rest and recreation, sounding and looking prim and proper and very much unlike the thug that he has regularly been being protrayed.
Air Mayweather, which he pruchased last February to celebrate his 41st birthday, touched down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 2:02 a.m. after a three-hour flght from Bangkok.
Instead of passing through the usual channels, Mayweather and his staff, dubbed The Money Team, got off at a private hangar near the old Domestic Airport.
A young crowd gathered to greet him as he emerged from the jet, all of them holding their cellphones that were on video mode.
Officials of Frontrow, the outfit that brought him over, were on hand to greet the five-division world champion and the hangar was littered with luxury cars, including two Lamborghini Aventador, two Rolls Royce, a BMW I8, full-sized SUVs and a bevy of JDM icons and muscle cars.
“I have heard so many great things about the Philippines from my staff, who are Filipinos,” said Mayweather, best remembered and vilified as well for his megabuck May 2015 clash with Manny Pacquiao.
“I want to embrace the fans and see what the country holds. I am pretty sure there are great things here,” said Mayweather, who hang up his gloves in August last year after outclassing MMA star Conor McGregor to raise his unbeaten slate to 50-0.
Mayweather was asked about boxing but the Michigan native, who bagged the bronze medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, shrugged it off, saying he is on vacation mode.
In fact, Mayweather was in Dubai, Singapore and Bali in Indonesia and Thailand before deciding to come over and check out the Philippines.
“I’m just having fun and enjoy life. Enjoy this great country,” he said as he entertained questions from five reporters who gathered around him.
After the interview, Mayweather got inside a white Lamborghini Aventador en route to Solaire, the official residence of his team, leaving the parking space of the hangar devoid of anything except for the gorgeous winged piece of metal that the celebrated boxer just rode on.
It didn’t take long for Mayweather to get a change oif scenery as he flew to El Nido, Palawan, several hours later.
Just before checking in, Mayweather even joined a song group that welcomed him and his behavior was greeted with cheers and not jeers, something that he usually receives even when on US soil.
