"If I had to do it all over again, I would" - Floyd Mayweather's bodyguard 'Juicehead Turkey' Greg La Rosa recalls the time he took a bullet for the boxing legend
Greg La Rosa's job is simple yet complicated. All he has to do is protect someone who's worth over $1 billion. And that someone is undefeated boxing icon Floyd Mayweather Jr.
And Greg La Rosa? You might know him better as 'Juicehead Turkey.'
La Rosa got the unique monicker straight from the colorful vocabulary of UFC superstar Conor McGregor. 'The Notorious' Irishman gave him the nickname when they engaged in a heated verbal exchange during the Mayweather-McGregor world tour in 2017. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA, here's how La Rosa recalled the infamous incident:
"Conor came up to me and said that I was a juicehead (steroid user). In all the videos you can see me shaking my head. As I mentioned, I challenged him to a $100,000 bet and said we can go in the back and take a USADA test. I was serious. He kept denying that I'm natural. I said let's both do the test and see what’s up. He kept avoiding it and wouldn’t take the bet."
Four years later, La Rosa is still known to many fight fans as 'Juicehead Turkey'. But instead of being offended, La Rosa decided to have fun with it. And so he heeded the advice of Game of Thrones protagonist Tyrion Lannister to "wear it like armor."
"It’s not my official name, but I embrace it," La Rosa told Sportskeeda MMA. "If the whole world was saying it, why not embrace it? It’s fun. It also signified a fun time in combat sports. It was one of the highlights of my time working for Floyd Mayweather."
The unglamorous side of working for Floyd Mayweather
La Rosa is a key member of Floyd Mayweather's personal protection detail. Standing at six foot one and built like a pro-wrestler, he is one of the intimidating gentlemen clad in TMT merch you see moving around with Mayweather wherever he goes.
So, if messing with Floyd Mayweather is something you'd want to do for laughs or maybe to gain street cred, just one glance at the TMT Security Team will definitely have you thinking twice. If you insist, well... just ask Jake Paul what might happen.
Due to the nature of his profession, La Rosa enjoys the glitz and glamor of being in Floyd Mayweather's inner circle. As a combat sports fan, La Rosa understands that he gets to see historic moments in sports in a view that's not available to most.
But becoming Floyd Mayweather's bodyguard isn't just about private jet rides, cashing in on giant salary checks, hanging out with boxing legends and keeping pranksters and hecklers at bay. This role involves protecting Floyd Mayweather and that means protecting him at all costs.
In 2018, La Rosa was shot on the job while traveling in a convoy to a hotel in Atlanta with the retired boxer. The TMT security member was hit on his the leg when a gunman sprayed bullets at Floyd Mayweather's motorcade. Thankfully, La Rosa was able to recover and return to his post.
After the incident, La Rosa said he grew closer and closer to Floyd Mayweather as the years went by. And while his relationship with the boxing icon didn't immediately change shortly thereafter, he believes there's an unspoken connection between the two of them.
"In terms of overall, [our relationship] hasn’t changed. You know, we obviously both know what took place. As the years go by, we get closer. There’s always that smaller underlying effect, even without us having to verbalize it, that I took a bullet for him. It’s so hard to explain.
"But it didn't make us better or less friends. Floyd is like family to me. It shows when the heat rises I'll be there every step of the way. I’ll always have his back no matter what. No situation is too hard and I’ll be there for him. If I had to do it all over again, I would," La Rosa told Sportskeeda MMA.
Floyd Mayweather's private life
Floyd Mayweather is one of the most polarizing figures in sports. His fans love him for his sky-high confidence, his brash way of talking, his flashy fashion taste and, of course, his in-ring dominance. While his haters despise him for the very same reasons.
![Greg La Rosa and Floyd Mayweather [Photo credit: greg_tmt on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/07/47d48-16261824620300-800.jpg)
But there's a side of Mayweather that only a few people, including La Rosa, have the privilege of seeing. Away from the cameras, La Rosa revealed that the legendary boxer is just a fun person to be around.
"Floyd is like a big kid and comedian!" La Rosa shared. "He really makes his team feel like family and not employees although we work for him. He loves to play dominoes and have fun together as a team. He’s very funny and a jokester. He’s truly a pleasure to be around and he’s very hands on with everyone.
"He’s never talked down nor yelled at me in the seven plus years I’ve worked for him. He definitely shows respect to his team and he’s great and loyal to me as I am to him. Floyd’s also very encouraging and motivating to those around him. He’s very genuine, extremely loyal and one of my very best friends I can always count on. But, when it’s time for business. It’s game time!"
Love him or hate him, it's undeniable that Mayweather knows how to take care of the people that are closest to him. It's no surprise why La Rosa and the other members of the TMT Security Team remain committed and loyal to their iconic boss through thick and thin.