The most common answer Floyd Mayweather gives when asked about his past as a serial abuser of women is never actually an answer. Usually, it's a question: "Where are the pictures?".
Unlike his guard in the ring, that defense always seems weak and hollow, and Deadspin's Diana Moskovitz has proved it to be so.
In a lengthy report that details her unsuccessful yet perfectly legal, done-by-the-book efforts to obtain photos from official record holders in Nevada, Moskovitz came to one conclusion: Las Vegas officials protect Floyd Mayweather from being exposed.
She didn't arrive at that conclusion, though, without making a mockery of Mayweather's favorite excuse.
In one case against Mayweather, for instance, six photos were submitted to the court.
From Deadspin's Moskovitz,
What was on the photos isn't said, but they're from the case brought by prosecutors after Josie Harris told police Mayweather kicked and punched her inside his Bentley, then dragged her out by her hair. By the time the trial came around, Harris told a different story, saying she lied in her police report, and Mayweather was acquitted.
It'd be irresponsible, however, to not mention that Harris has publicly stated she has lied for Floyd Mayweather, and even held on to pictures of her abuse at his hands to "protect" him.
In any event, Mayweather was soon able to have these photos destroyed by applying for an order for the exhibits to be disposed by the state of Nevada.
Then, there's another case brought against Mayweather by Harris, regarding a September 2010 incident during which the boxer visited her in the early hours of the morning and beat her in front of their son after learning she was dating NBA player C.J. Watson.
In that case, Moskovitz found photos were taken that night as well. According to Moskovitz, the police report for that incident noted,
Schmidt also took digital photographs of Harris' injuries and downloaded them into the LVMPD on-base system.
There's also the account of his own son, who submitted a written testimony about what happened that night. This is page one of two:
The problem with all of this is, because of different rules and regulations in Nevada that deem certain pieces of evidence disposable or non-public information, the photos in question are hard to get a hold of.
How those rules work in Mayweather's favor is all detailed in Moskovitz' article. But there's one thing she (and many others in the lead up to the big fight) made clear.
Floyd Mayweather's favorite defense against questions of his character, particularly when it comes to domestic violence, is a boldface lie.
Citations: This Is How Las Vegas Protects Floyd Mayweather (Deadspin)
