Floyd Mayweather is at Rio 2016 to find 'future champions'
Friday 1 November 2019 15:28, UK
Floyd Mayweather was ringside on the hunt for future champions as Joe Joyce made his Olympic debut.
The former world number one was keeping a close eye on a busy eighth day in the Rio 2016 boxing events, that saw the Team GB super-heavyweight finish Davilson Dos Santos Morais in the first round.
Mayweather, who had to settle for a bronze medal at featherweight at Atlanta 1996, made it clear he was there on business on a night when none of the 12 fights involved Americans.
"At the Olympics scouting future boxing champions," he said on social media.
"Taking in some of the art & culture in the city of Rio De Janeiro."
'Money', who retired unbeaten at 49-0 in September, is now a promoter but is yet to sign any heavyweights under the Mayweather Promotions banner.
Rio 2016 is the first games since 1984 that America hasn't had a representative in any of the three heaviest divisions - light-heavyweight (81kg), heavyweight (91kg) and super-heavyweight (91kg+), with Joyce one of the stars of the night.
The 30-year-old, 6ft 6in fighter blew away Dos Santos Morais of Cape Verde and admitted the occasion almost got to him, even without spotting Mayweather as he made his way to the ring for the penultimate fight of the day.
"The nerves got to me a bit in the athletes' village because I was thinking about the whole thing, but I soon settled down," said Joyce.
"It is good to get the first one done. He was a bit of an unorthodox opponent and got a bit messy inside, but it was good to land some powerful shots and get him out of there quickly."
Mayweather was still there to see Joyce show he is ready to follow in Anthony Joshua's footsteps and win Olympic gold, with 'Money' likely to appear at more boxing sessions in Rio.
He was not the only American superstar in the crowd either, with basketball superstars DeAndre Jordan, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan also there, taking a day off before they resume their bid for Olympic gold.
Team USA won their first boxing medal since Deontay Wilder's bronze back in 2008, with light-flyweight Nico Hernández picking up a light-flyweight bronze.
Mayweather Promotions already have a number of prospects with Swedish WBC super-middleweight world champion Badou Jack is his best-known fighter.
