The 'treasure' taken on by 'Money' Mayweather

By Ben Wyatt, CNN

Updated 1356 GMT (2156 HKT) April 27, 2015

1 of 9

Ashley "Treasure" Theophane says he knows a different Floyd Mayweather to the persona boxing fans are familiar with. Ben Wyatt

"Caring, compassionate ... and a comedian; he's always joking around in the locker room," Theophane says of the undefeated champ who welcomed him into his stable of fighters. "I lost my first fight under him but Floyd said, 'Don't worry, we'll get you back there.' So I've had four wins in 12 months, now I'm back on the TV. Floyd is a man of his word." Al Bello/Getty Images/file

Coach Eddie Mustafa Muhammad -- former light heavyweight world champion and a veteran of 59 professional fights -- ties Theophane's gloves ahead of a sparring session in Mayweather's Las Vegas gym. Ben Wyatt

"When he hits the body, block then bam, uppercut, bam uppercut!" coach Nate Jones says to the former British light welterweight champion as he maneuvers his opponent into the corner of the ring. Ben Wyatt

Theophane lands a right hook as part of his training session. The 34-year-old spars six consecutive lung-busting six-minute rounds. His opponent is replaced with a fresh fighter around three rounds, so his workout stays at a high level of intensity. Ben Wyatt

With the sparring session over, a brief pause allows time for photos before Theophane moves onto the bags. The grueling workout is a daily occurrence for the pugilist as he prepares for his next bout on April 30. "I need to lose two pounds a week to make my weight for the fight, but I'm on track, everything is good," Theophane tells CNN. Ben Wyatt

After sparring, Theophane moves to the heavy bag. "I'll normally do 20 minutes on the heavy bag without a break," Theophane tells CNN. The moniker "TBE" on the bag reflects Mayweather's self-dubbed nickname of "The Best Ever." Ben Wyatt

Pad work follows bag work, 25 minutes straight, without a break. "When I first came here Roger Mayweather (Floyd's two-time world champion uncle) asked me who I was was. I told him 'Ashley Theophane, British champion.' He said: 'That don't mean shit, that don't mean you can fight.' So he got his mitts and we went to work on the pads -- after a while he said, 'Yeah, he's okay.' " Ben Wyatt

Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s boxing gym in Las Vegas, Nevada -- home to the "Money Team" stable of fighters. Ben Wyatt