Floyd Mayweather Jr. softens comments on Ray Rice incident

Floyd Mayweather Jr. retreated Wednesday from his Tuesday comments that the NFL shouldn’t have indefinitely suspended running back Ray Rice for his videotaped beating of his then fiancee.

“If I offended anyone, I apologize,” Mayweather told reporters at the news conference at MGM Grand before his Saturday night weterweight title defense against Marcos Maidana. “I apologize to the NFL.

“I strive to be a perfectionist, but no one is perfect. I don’t condone what happened, of course not.”

Mayweather said he hadn’t seen the video of Rice striking his now-wife until Wednesday.

In a Tuesday gathering with reporters, Mayweather said the league’s decision to alter its prior two-game suspension of Rice after a new inside-the-elevator video surfaced showing Rice punching the woman didn’t seem right.

“They had said that they had suspended him for two games,” Mayweather said Tuesday. “Whether they saw the tape or not, I truly believe a person should stick to their word. If you tell me you’re going to do something, do what you say you’re going to do.”

He added, “I think there’s a lot worse things that go on in other people’s households, also. It’s just not caught on video.”

The comments drew attention because Mayweather has been previously jailed on a domestic violence case in which the mother of three of his children said she was physically abused by the boxer. Last week, Mayweather’s former fiancee sued him for assault and battery.

Mayweather repeated Tuesday his statement about the incident that led to his jail term, noting there were “no pictures.”

Gloria Allred, the attorney for Mayweather’s ex-fiancee, Shantel Jackson, told The Times in a Wednesday email that the fighter’s opinions were insulting.

“It’s disturbing and appalling to think that Mr. Mayweather believes that the absence of a video makes it less likely that domestic violence occurred,” Allred said. “Furthermore, his statement that suggests that domestic violence which does not result in visible bruises is not that serious demonstrates his total lack of understanding of the emotional trauma and the pain and suffering domestic abuse inflicts on the victim.”

Leonard Ellerbe, the chief executive of Mayweather Promotions, scolded reporters to stop criticizing the boxer’s comments about domestic violence and focus on the fight.

“A lot of times things are asked and things are taken out of context,” Ellerbe said Wednesday of Mayweather’s Tuesday comments. “It can be part of the message, or the messenger. He’s got other things on his mind. Floyd is focused on the fight.

The bottom line is we don’t need any more questions about it. He’s been very clear and direct he doesn’t condone this kind of behavior and it’s none of his business.”

Contined Mayweather: “… And no one else’s either.

“If this isn’t about me and Maidana, you all shouldn’t even ask me about it. I’m not even an NFL player, I’m a boxer. You all are worried about some female … that shouldn’t even be your focus if it’s not my focus.”