Floyd Mayweather tweets message of support for Yolanda victims

The horrifying destruction in the Visayas caused by super typhoon Yolanda has caught the attention of boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

The boxing icon, who has taken potshots at Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao many times in the past, set aside his tough guy image and sent out a tweet early Sunday morning (Manila time) for all the victims of Yolanda.

"My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the Philippines," was the tweet posted on his official Twitter account, which included a link to a CNN article on the typhoon's death toll.

Mayweather wasn't the first international sports icon to send out his thoughts to Yolanda victims. As early as the wee hours of Friday, just before Yolanda struck Leyte, Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade posted a message of support in his Facebook account for his fans in Asia, urging them to "stay safe as Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda's international code name) approaches. You are in my toughest and prayers!"

Last August, Wade posted a similar message for victims of Typhoon Maring, which enhanced the Habagat and caused widespread flooding in Metro Manila.

Wade's coach, Erik Spoelstra, who is half-Filipino, also offered a message of support on behalf of the defending champion Heat that was published on the NBA's official website.  The statement read:

"On behalf of the Miami HEAT organization, we would like to extend our condolences to the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. We value the many fans that we have over there, and we will keep them in our thoughts and prayers."