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LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. was sitting on a sofa on the 24th floor of the MGM Grand hotel-casino, killing time before an appearance with Oscar De La Hoya, when a member of his entourage handed him a phone.
A video camera was rolling because Mayweather and De La Hoya are going to be the stars of a reality series on HBO in the weeks leading up to their May 5 megafight.
Good thing, because reality doesn't get any better than this.
"Tell my Pops to come on up," Mayweather told the caller.
Pops, for those not familiar with the first family of boxing, is Floyd Mayweather Sr., father of a fighter many regard as the best in the world today. He's an ex-con who was once a fighter himself and, until a couple of weeks ago, served as the main man in De La Hoya's corner.
He also writes poetry, a sample of which you'll see later.
"A former fighter turned poetry writer," is how he describes himself.
If not for a dispute over money, the elder Mayweather might have been in another room going over notes with De La Hoya on how to beat up his son. He wanted $2 million to do the job, but De La Hoya offered only $500,000 plus another $500,000 should he pull off an upset win.
Nothing personal. Just business.
"If you want me to help you destroy my son, you're going to pay me," Mayweather said. "And pay me well."
Mayweather used to train his own son to beat up others. But father and son had an acrimonious split six years ago and have barely spoken two words to each other since.
Before the invitation came on Tuesday, that is. Floyd Sr. knocked on the door, walked over to his son, and the two hugged. He sat down in a chair and soon both were talking about the thing they know best -- boxing.
It wasn't long before they were talking about how to beat De La Hoya.
Nothing personal. Just business. Like the previous six years never happened.
"You need to talk to him in the ring," Floyd Sr. told Floyd Jr. "He can't deal with that. That will get him distracted. His mind can't handle that."
No wonder HBO will be running this, beginning April 15, in a coveted time slot just after The Sopranos and Entourage. The network might want to start thinking about ordering some extra episodes for after the fight.
Don't bother including De La Hoya. His life is too perfect for reality television. The only drama in it comes when he steps into the ring.
The Mayweathers give you reality 24 hours a day. Best of all, they don't need a script.
Dad introduced little Floyd to a boxing gym a few days after he was born. In no time, he put baby gloves on him, and his son was throwing punches before he could walk.
When junior was fighting in the 1996 Olympics, his father sent him letters offering advice on how to win. He had to write because he was serving a prison term on drug charges.
When the two split six years ago, Floyd turned to his dad's brother to train him. Roger Mayweather was also a fighter, a former world champion. Now he's in jail on domestic abuse charges, though he's expected to be released before the fight that will earn Floyd Jr. $20-million-to-$30 million or so.
The Mayweathers aren't exactly Ozzie and Harriet material. But family ties do run deep.
"Someday my father will have to bury me or I will have to bury him," Floyd Jr. said. "One thing I can say is he's still my father. If it comes down to us going to war, I'm going to ride with my father."
On this day, the ride was just down the elevator to the hotel lobby where hundreds of fans had gathered for a raucous rally in the 10th stop of an 11-city tour to promote the fight. The two Mayweathers took it together, then made a grand entrance before taking seats side-by-side on the dais.
They were chatting as though they were catching up on the lost years when De La Hoya arrived, looking surprised to see his future opponent with an arm around his former trainer.
That wasn't the only surprise. Floyd Sr. had a poem to read, something he always did when he was working for De La Hoya.
The poems were always about De La Hoya's opponents, but this one was about his new trainer, Freddie Roach. Doesn't make much sense, after all, to criticize the former boss when you might want to work for him again.
"Freddie "The Joke" Roach wouldn't dare to approach," Mayweather said.
"He's a roach blowing smoke with no hope.
"Oscar just moved from first class to the dope with the roach.
"Now the roach will be sprayed with Raid and turn the page."
Not exactly Walt Whitman, but Floyd Jr. thought it was pretty funny. He laughed, and whispered something in his father's ear.
It was a father-son moment made for reality TV.
Even De La Hoya had to smile.
"I'm really glad I can bring family together like it's supposed to be," he said.
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