Professional Career...
Floyd “Money” Mayweather is without question the best and most talented fighter in boxing today. Mayweather displays an unprecedented mix of speed, power and natural instinct every time he steps into the ring - a combination that has translated to 43 wins without a loss and 26 knockouts. He has been named Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America, Ring Magazine, BET and ESPN (which earned him a coveted ESPY Award).
Turning pro in the super featherweight division on October 11, 1996, Mayweather blitzed Roberto Apodaca in just two rounds, and his journey to greatness was underway. After one more win in 1996, Mayweather went 10-0 with 9 knockouts in 1997, and added five more wins to his ledger in the first half of 1998. Fight fans were chomping at the bit to see the ultra-talented Mayweather in with the elite at 130 pounds, and on October 3, 1998, they got their chance when the 21-year old faced off against Genaro Hernandez for ‘Chicanito’s WBC world championship.
It was no contest as Mayweather battered the veteran with blinding combinations, pitching a near shutout before the fight was stopped after the eighth round. Floyd Mayweather was a world champion.
But any great champion will tell you that winning a title is one thing – defending it is another, and Mayweather, despite his physical gifts, showed his desire for greatness by outworking his opponents in the gym and gaining a reputation as one of the hardest workers in the sport.
This work paid off as Mayweather defended his super featherweight title eight times from 1998 to 2001, defeating Angel Manfredy (TKO2), Carlos Rios (W12), Justin Juuko (KO9), Carlos Gerena (TKO7), Gregorio Vargas (W12), Diego Corrales (TKO10), Carlos Hernandez (W12), and Jesus Chavez (TKO9). Corrales, Hernandez, and Chvez would all go on to win world titles after their one-sided losses to Mayweather.
With 130 pounds cleaned out, Mayweather sought new challenges at 135 pounds, and he got it in his WBC lightweight championship match against Mexico’s tough Jose Luis Castillo on April 20, 2002. But after 12 hard-fought rounds, Mayweather had won his second world crown.
Fight fans clamored for a rematch though, and “Pretty Boy” Floyd answered their call in his very next fight less than eight months later, repeated his 12 round decision win over Castillo. He went on to defend the lightweight title twice more, over Victoriano Sosa (W12) and Phillip N’dou (TKO7), before testing the waters at 140 pounds.
In the junior welterweight division, Mayweather immediately made his presence known with a dominating 12 round decision win over former world champion DeMarcus Corley on May 22, 2004, and after an eighth round stoppage of Henry Bruseles to kick off 2005, Mayweather made his debut as a pay-per-view headliner on June 25, 2005, and he walked through rugged Arturo Gatti in just six rounds to win the WBC 140-pound championship.
Mayweather didn’t spend much time at junior welterweight though, as he immediately jumped up to the welterweight division to take on the best in yet another weight class. Floyd kicked off his 147-pound campaign with a sixth round TKO of former world champion Sharmba Mitchell on November 19, 2005, and on April 8, 2006, he would face former friend Zab Judah in a highly-anticipated grudge match where he cruised to an easy 12 round decision win to earn the IBF welterweight title. Not satisfied with just one belt, Mayweather finished off a stellar 2006 campaign with a 12 round near-shutout over Carlos Baldomir to add the WBC welterweight crown to his resume.
On May 5, 2007, Mayweather, then recognized as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, took on Oscar De La Hoya in an incredible light middleweight bout destined for history books. He reached the pinnacle of his career with a split decision victory, a battle which broke all-time pay-per-view and gate records. His victory over the Golden Boy earned Mayweather a whopping $25 million from his share of the revenue generated from the 2.4 million households that purchased the fight (a gross of over $120 million)
Later that year on December 8, Mayweather fought the popular and undefeated British World Champion Ricky Hatton, scoring a 10th round knockout and again earning over $25 million. Mayweather collected over $14,500 per second for his less than 28 minutes of work. Not only did he put on another breathtaking performance in the ring, but he also attracted a huge number of A-list celebrities to ringside that night, including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, as well as a plethora of sports personalities and superstars.
As he prepared for his matchup against Hatton, Mayweather appeared on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars, which not only contributed the bout’s incredible success, but introduced a completely new audience to the sport’s biggest star. Mayweather continued to expand his fan base and cross over appeal in February 2008, when he appeared at WWE WrestleMania XXIV, and took on the Big Show in pay-per-view telecast’s main event.
Mayweather stunned the entire sports world in June of 2008 when he announced that he was retiring from boxing after competing in the sport for nearly 20 years.
During his hiatus from the sport, Mayweather found much needed rest by spending the majority of his time with his family while regaining his lost spirit and love for the sport, allowing him to comeback better than ever.
“My goal has always been to be one of the best fighters who ever lived, but I am only willing to do that if I am physically and mentally prepared every time I step in the ring,” Mayweather said. “The break from the sport was good for me, but I returned to boxing to fight the best, and that’s what I intend to do.”
Mayweather learned a great deal from his semi-retirement and although he is once again back atop the boxing world; his goal to live a rich, full life outside the ring is just as important as success in the ring. He is actively involved with the lives of his four children and regularly visits with his father and mother who live near him in Las Vegas. In addition to the joy he gets from being around his family, Mayweather regularly gives back to the homeless in his community in Las Vegas, feeding homeless adults on a weekly basis and volunteering his time at the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY). Mayweather is the Director of The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation which was founded in 2007 with the goals of empowering and encouraging community alliances, impacting youth leadership and strengthening family foundations in the Las Vegas community.
“My desire to give is as strong as my desire to win,” Mayweather said. “I know how important it is to help those who are less fortunate than myself. I hope if I continue to work as hard outside of the ring as I do inside of it, I can inspire others to do the same and help out in their communities as well.”
Mayweather returned to the ring after a 21-month layoff-on September 19, 2009 and thoroughly out-boxed one of his quickest opponents in Juan Manuel Marquez, earning a unanimous decision victory.
He subsequently won a 12 round unanimous decision victory against "Sugar" Shane Mosley on May 1, 2010. “We have to really respect what we have just witnessed,” said Mayweather’s former opponent and President of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar de la Hoya following the Mosley fight. “The best boxer on the planet is Mayweather…in my mind, in Mosley’s mind, in everybody’s mind. He is the best. I am a firm believer Mayweather is the best.”
On September 17, 2011, Mayweather won the WBC welterweight title by a 4th round knockout against Victor Ortiz.
On May 5, 2012, Mayweather won a 12-round unanimous decision against Miguel Cotto in a WBA Super World Light Middleweight title fight. Mayweather once again used his speed, power and accuracy in this exciting fight, bringing his unbeaten record to 43 wins with 26-knockouts.
