Ex-boxing champion Mayweather to pay for Floyd funeral: Report

Retired ring great Floyd Mayweather will pay for the funeral services for George Floyd, Mayweather Promotions chief executive Leonard Ellerbe told ESPN on Monday.

George Floyd died last week after a Minneapolis policeman knelt on the 46-year-old man’s neck for almost nine minutes. Floyd, who was handcuffed, became unresponsive after almost three minutes.

The death of the unarmed black man while in police custody has ignited violent reactions across America.

Ellerbe confirmed to ESPN that Floyd’s family had accepted Mayweather’s offer to pay for funeral services.

“He’ll probably get mad at me for saying that, but yes, (Mayweather) is definitely paying for the funeral,” Ellerbe said.

Mayweather “has done these kind of things over the last 20 years,” added Ellerbe, who said that the former five-division world champion -- who retired in 2017 with a 50-0 record -- didn’t want to talk about his gesture himself.

The lawyer for Floyd’s family said Monday that a funeral will be held on June 9 in Houston.

Before that, the family will hold a memorial service in Minneapolis on Thursday and a memorial service on Saturday in North Carolina, where Floyd was born.

An official autopsy released Monday found that Floyd died in a homicide involving “neck compression.”

Police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with third degree murder and one count of negligent manslaughter in Floyd’s death.

Tiger Woods urges calm over ‘shocking’ Floyd death

Golf superstar Tiger Woods called Floyd’s death a “shocking tragedy” but said violent protests were not the answer as unrest flared across the US.

Woods said he had the “utmost respect” for police and likened the situation to the Los Angeles riots of 1992, after four police were acquitted over the beating of motorist Rodney King.

America is witnessing its most widespread protests since the 1960s after Floyd, an unarmed black man, died while being arrested in Minneapolis.

“My heart goes out to George Floyd, his loved ones and all of us who are hurting right now,” Woods said in a statement on Twitter.

“I have always had the utmost respect for our law enforcement. They train so diligently to understand how, when and where to use force.

“This shocking tragedy clearly crossed that line.”

Woods’ statement follows strong comments from a number of athletes including NBA legend Michael Jordan, who said he was “plain angry”, and tennis player Coco Gauff, who asked: “Am I next?”

“I remember the LA riots and learned that education is the best path forward,” wrote Woods, the 15-time major-winner. “We can make our points without burning the very neighbourhoods that we live in.

“I hope that through constructive, honest conversations we can build a safer, unified society.”

Agencies