He is referred to as one of the best defensive boxers in history: since the existence ofCompuBox, Mayweather is the most accurate puncher among professional boxers, having the highest plus–minus ratio in recorded boxing history.[9][10][11] He has a tied record withJoe Louis of 26 consecutive wins in world title fights.[12] He also holds 24 wins (7 KOs) against former or current world titlists, and 8 wins (3 KOs) againstInternational Boxing Hall of Fame inductees. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the class of 2021.[13]
Mayweather is one of the most lucrativepay-per-view attractions of all time, in any sport. He topped theForbes andSports Illustrated lists of the 50 highest-paid athletes of 2012 and 2013, and theForbes list again in both 2014 and 2015,[14][15] as the highest-paid athlete in the world.[16][17] In 2006, he founded his own boxing promotional firm,Mayweather Promotions, after leavingBob Arum'sTop Rank.[18] He has generated approximately 24 million PPV buys and $1.67 billion in revenue throughout his career.[19] In 2018, he was the highest-paid athlete in the world, with total earnings, including endorsements, of $285 million, according toForbes.[20] In November, 2021, Sportico released an all-time athlete earnings list, in which Mayweather ranked no. 6 all time, totaling an inflation-adjusted $1.2 billion in his career.[21]
Boxing has been a part of Mayweather's life since his childhood and he never seriously considered any other profession. "I think my grandmother saw my potential first," he said. "When I was young, I told her, 'I think I should get a job.' She said, 'No, just keep boxing.'"[26] During the 1980s, Mayweather lived in the Hiram Square neighborhood ofNew Brunswick, New Jersey, where his mother had relatives.[27] He later said, "When I was about eight or nine, I lived inNew Jersey with my mother and we were seven deep in one bedroom and sometimes we didn't have electricity. When people see what I have now, they have no idea of where I came from and how I didn't have anything growing up."[28]
It was common for the young Mayweather to come home from school and find usedheroin needles in his front yard.[29] His mother wasaddicted to drugs, and he had an aunt who died fromAIDS because of her drug use. "People don't know the hell I've been through," he says. The most time that his father spent with him was taking him to the gym to train and work on his boxing, according to Mayweather.[30] "I don't remember him ever taking me anywhere or doing anything that a father would do with a son, going to the park or to the movies or to get ice cream," he says. "I always thought that he liked his daughter [Floyd's older sister] better than he liked me because she never got whippings and I got whippings all the time."[28]
Mayweather's father contends that Floyd is not telling the truth about their early relationship. "Even though his daddy did sell drugs, I didn't deprive my son," the elder Mayweather says. "The drugs I sold, he was a part of it. He had plenty of food. He had the best clothes and I gave him money. He didn't want for anything. Anybody in Grand Rapids can tell you that I took care of my kids".[31] Floyd Sr. says he did all of his hustling at night and spent his days with his son, taking him to the gym and training him to be a boxer. "If it wasn't for me he wouldn't be where he is today," he maintains.[28]
"I basically raised myself," Mayweather says. "My grandmother did what she could. When she got mad at me I'd go to my mom's house. My life was ups and downs." His father says he knows how much pain hisincarceration caused his son, but insists he did the best he could. "I sent him to live with his grandmother," he says. "It wasn't like I left him with strangers." In the absence of his father, boxing became an outlet for Mayweather.[31] As the elder Mayweather served his time, his son put all of his energy into boxing and dropped out of high school. "I knew that I was going to have to try to take care of my mom and I made the decision that school wasn't that important at the time and I was going to have to box to earn a living," he said.[31]
Amateur career
Mayweather had an amateur record of 84 wins and 8 losses,[32] and won nationalGolden Gloves championships in 1993 (at 106 lb), 1994 (at 114 lb), and 1996 (at 125 lb).[33] He was nicknamed "Pretty Boy" by his amateur teammates because he had relatively few scars, a result of thedefensive techniques that his father and uncle (Roger Mayweather) had taught him.[34] In his orthodox defensive stance Mayweather often utilizes a variation ofcrab style,[35][36][37] with theshoulder roll, an old-school boxing technique in which the right hand is held normally (or slightly higher than normal), the left hand is down around themidsection and the leadshoulder is raised high on thecheek in order to cover thechin and block punches. The right hand (as in theorthodox stance) is used as it normally would be: to block punches coming from the other side, such as lefthooks. From this stance Mayweather blocks, slips and deflects most of his opponents' punches (even when cornered) by twisting left and right to the rhythm of their punches.[38]
In the first fight, Mayweather led 10–1 on points overBakhtiyar Tileganov ofKazakhstan, before winning when the fight was stopped. In the second fight, Mayweather outpointedArtur Gevorgyan ofArmenia 16–3. In the quarterfinals, the 19-year-old Mayweather narrowly defeated 22-year-oldLorenzo Aragon ofCuba in an all-action bout to win 12–11, becoming the first U.S. boxer to defeat a Cuban in 20 years.[40] The last time this occurred was the1976 Summer Olympics, when the U.S. Olympic boxing team captured five gold medals; among the recipients was Sugar Ray Leonard. In his semifinal bout against eventualsilver medalistSerafim Todorov ofBulgaria, Mayweather lost by a controversial decision (similar toRoy Jones Jr.'s highly controversialdecision loss toPark Si-hun at the1988 Summer Olympics).[41]Referee Hamad Hafaz Shouman ofEgypt mistakenly raised Mayweather's hand (thinking he had won), while the decision was announced giving the bout to the Bulgarian.[42]
The U.S. team filed a protest over the Mayweather bout, claiming thejudges were intimidated by Bulgaria's Emil Jetchev (head of the boxing officials) into favoring the Bulgarian Todorov by a 10–9 decision in the 125-pound semifinal bout. Three of Jetchev's countrymen were ingold medal bouts. Judge Bill Waeckerle (one of the fourU.S. judges working the games for theInternational Amateur Boxing Federation) resigned asOlympic Games and federation judge after Mayweather lost the decision, which was loudly booed by the crowd at theAlexander Memorial Coliseum.[43][44] "I refuse to be part of an organization that continues to conduct its officiating in this manner", Waeckerle wrote in his letter of resignation to federation presidentAnwar Chowdhry.[45]
In the official protest U.S. team manager Gerald Smith said Mayweather landed punches that were not counted, while Todorov was awarded points without landing apunch.[46] "The judging was totally incompetent," Waeckerle said. The judges failed to impose a mandatory two-point deduction against Todorov after he was warned five times by the referee forslapping.[42]"Everybody knows Floyd Mayweather is the gold-medal favorite at 57 kilograms," Mayweather said afterward. "In America, it's known as 125 pounds. You know and I know I wasn't getting hit. They say he's the world champion. Now you all know who the real world champion is."[46]
Mayweather won his first professional bout on October 11, 1996, when he knocked out fellow newcomer Roberto Apodaca in Round 2. Mayweather's trainer at the time was his uncle, Roger Mayweather; his father was still imprisoned after his conviction forillegal drug trafficking in 1993. The latter took over as his son's trainer when he was released from prison (after Mayweather Jr.'s 14th fight—a second-round knockout of Sam Girard).[47] From 1996 to early 1998, Mayweather won most of his fights by knockout or TKO.
Early in his pro career, Mayweather received praise from all corners of the boxing world and was touted as a pugilistic prodigy.[48] During his fight with Tony Duran[49] theESPN commentator remarked, "Emmanuel Steward was quoted as saying there have been very few who have been more talented than this kid. He will probably win two or three world championships; I think he will go on to be the best ever".[50] IBHOF trainer and commentatorGil Clancy commented before Mayweather's ninth professional fight (against Jesus Chavez), "I thought that Floyd Mayweather was the outstanding pro prospect in the entireOlympic games".[51]
In 1998, within two years of enteringprofessional boxing, Mayweather decisively won his first world title (theWBCsuper featherweight (130 lb) championship) with an eighth-roundtechnical knockout ofThe Ring world #1-ranked super featherweightGenaro Hernández after his opponent'scornerman stopped the fight. It was Hernández' first defeat in that weight class; he said after the fight, "He defeated me, he is quick, smart and I always knew he had the speed. I give him respect. He is a true champ".[52]
With Mayweather's win he became lineal champion of the division; Genaro Hernández had previously beatenAzumah Nelson, whose dominance of the super-featherweight division had prompted boxing publications to give him the vacant lineal championship.[53][54]
Mayweather became the first 1996 U.S. Olympian to win a world title.[55] Following his victory Mayweather's promoterBob Arum said, "We believe in our heart of hearts that Floyd Mayweather is the successor in a line that starts withRay Robinson, goes toMuhammad Ali, then Sugar Ray Leonard...We believe that he epitomizes that style of fighting".[56]
After capturing the title Mayweather defended it against contenderAngel Manfredy with a TKO in round two, giving Manfredy his first defeat in four years.[57]
By the end of 1998 Mayweather was ranked byThe Ring as the #8-ranked pound-for-pound best boxer in the world,[58] and became one of the youngest recipients ofThe Ring'sFighter of the Year award (21, the same age Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali were when winning their first awards).[59][60]
In 1999, Mayweather continued his domination of the super featherweight division by defending his title three more times. The second defense of his title was against theArgentine Carlos Rios, which he won in aunanimous decision. Mayweather, fighting past the eighth round for only the third time in his career, won on the judges' scoring 120–110, 119–108, and 120–109.[61]
Mayweather's third title defense was againstJustin Juuko, which he won viaknockout in the ninth round. Juuko could not beat the count of 10 by refereeMitch Halpern, and the fight ended in Mayweather's favor 80 seconds into that (the ninth) round.[62] His final title defense in 1999 was againstCarlos Gerena, with Mayweather winning in a seventh-roundreferee technical decision (RTD). Mayweather said after the fight, "I want to show the world that along withOscar De La Hoya andRoy Jones Jr., I'm the best fighter in the world".[63] This dominance did not go unnoticed in the boxing world; by the end of the year, the 22-year-old Mayweather was rankedThe Ring's #2 pound-for-pound best boxer in the world (behind Roy Jones Jr.).[58]
Before making the fifth successful defense of his title against former WBC Featherweight ChampionGregorio Vargas in early 2000, Mayweather fired his father as his manager and replaced him withJames Prince. A few months after the fight, the rift between father and son grew when Mayweather also fired the elder Mayweather as his trainer.[64] In a 2004 interview Mayweather said that although he loves his father, he had a better chemistry with Roger because his father had put too much pressure on him to be perfect.[65] Mayweather, in his fifth title defense, won a near-shutout over "Goyo" Vargas inLas Vegas. During the 10th round, when Mayweather overheardHBO announcerJim Lampley say that the champ had switched to asouthpaw stance for the second time in the bout he leaned ringside and said "It was the third time". After a six-month layoff, Mayweather was still elusive. During the sixth round, Mayweather dropped Vargas with a hook to theribs[66] and cruised to a unanimous decision.
Roger Mayweather returned to his role as his nephew's trainer for his next bout; a non-titlelightweight fight againstEmanuel Augustus (then known as Emanuel Burton), which Mayweather won by ninth-round technical knockout.[67] Years later, in an interview in 2012, Mayweather would name his fight against Augustus as the toughest of his career, and said, "If I was rating certain fighters out of every guy that I fought, I'm going to rate Emanuel Augustus first compared to all the guys that I've faced."[68][69]
In one of the more definitive and memorable fights of his career Mayweather fought the hard-hitting, formerIBF super-featherweight championDiego Corrales (33–0, with 27 KOs). Coming into the bout Mayweather and Corrales were undefeated, and neither fighter had touched the canvas. Mayweather wasThe Ring's #2-ranked super featherweight in the world (and #7 pound-for-pound), while Corrales was the #1-ranked super featherweight in the world and #5 pound-for-pound.[58][70] Before the fight was announced Mayweather had stated he wanted to fight Corrales, who was facing jail time for allegedly beating his pregnant wife. "I want Diego because I'm doing it for all the battered women acrossAmerica", Mayweather said. "Just like he beat that woman, I'm going to beat him".[71]
While both fighters were the same age (23), Corrales had several physical advantages over Mayweather: two inches in height, an inch in reach and (despite both arriving at the official weight-in at the 130-lb super-featherweight limit) unofficially 146 lbs, versus Mayweather's 1361/2 lbs.[72] In the bout, Mayweather won every round and knocked down Corrales five times (three times in round 7 and twice in round 10). After the fifth knockdown, Corrales' cornermen climbed onto the apron and stopped the fight, thereby establishing Mayweather as a claimant to boxing's mythical pound-for-pound title. At the time of the stoppage, Mayweather was ahead on the scorecards, leading by 89–79, 90–79, and 90–78.[73] Throughout the fight, HBO commentators analyzed Mayweather.Larry Merchant stated, "Mayweather fights in a tradition ofboxing and quick handedness that goes back inMichigan, all the way to fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson".Harold Lederman remarked,
Jim (Lampley), I gotta tell ya, I'm terribly impressed, I don't think I've seen an exhibition of boxing like this sinceWillie Pep, this kid is unbelievable, great legs, great speed, unbelievable ring-generalship. I mean he's got tremendous presence in that ring, Floyd Mayweather knows where he is, every minute of this fight...
Corrales landed 60 of 205 punches, and landed no more than nine punches in a single round. Mayweather landed 220 of 414 punches.[74] Corrales was unable to land any clean shots, as he stalked Mayweather through the early rounds. He landed an average of six punches a round, according toCompuBox stats—the first time that a fighter registered single digits on CompuBox, 20 years after it had been tracking punch statistics.[75]
After the fight, Mayweather remarked, "I would like to fightPrince Naseem (Hamed), hopefully we can meet at 128 (lbs) or he can come up to 130 (lbs), we can fight or I can fight the winner ofCasamayor..." "Prince Naseem isn't going to fight you," intervened HBO commentator Larry Merchant; who then chuckled and added: "after he saw this, it ain't gonna happen"."I really want to fight Prince Naseem..." Mayweather continued, "but hopefully I can face the winner of Casamayor (vs.)Freitas".[76] Although neither fight materialized, Mayweather's opponent Diego Corrales would later hand Freitas (the winner of the Casamayor vs. Freitas fight) his first professional defeat and defeat Casamayor via controversial decision in a rematch of their first bout. Afterwards, Bob Arum was ecstatic about his new star. "Better thanSugar Ray Leonard", he asserted. "And did you see him at those press conferences...?"[77]
The fight was met with acclaim in the boxing world and sports in general.CBS said, "Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s speed was dazzling. His power was unexpected"[74] and theBBC reported on "... a near flawless performance...".[78] TheNew York Daily News reported that "Floyd Mayweather Jr., displaying blazing speed and punishing power..."[75] andSports Illustrated reported "... a fistic masterpiece".[79]
On October 10, 2001, boxing trainerEddie Futch died at age 90. Tim Smith of the New YorkDaily News remembered an encounter with the trainer in an article.
One of the last times I saw Futch was before the Floyd Mayweather Jr.–Diego Corralesjunior lightweight title bout in Vegas. Futch was talking about how much he admired Mayweather's style, how Mayweather was such a beautiful boxer, able to slip along the ropes and avoid punches. Corrales said he was going to neutralize Mayweather's hand speed by hitting Mayweather on the arms. "I guess he thinks he's going to stand there and let him hit him on the arms all night," said Futch, who correctly predicted that Mayweather would completely dismantle Corrales in a defensive masterpiece. Futch had a way of cutting to the heart of a matter. I don't know anyone in boxing who won't miss him. I don't know anyone in boxing that can take his place.[80]
On May 26, 2001, Mayweather, fighting in his hometown of Grand Rapids, pounded out a 12-round unanimous decision over future IBF super featherweight titleholderCarlos Hernández to retain his WBC super-featherweight title. Calling it "one of the toughest nights of my career", the 130-pound champion overcame injuries in both hands to improve his record to 26–0. "He is a very, very tough fighter," Mayweather said of the challenger, whose record fell to 33–3–1. "I'm disappointed in my performance." Mayweather suffered the first knockdown of his career when he hit Hernández with a left hook in round six, which caused him sufficient pain that he dropped his injured left hand to the canvas. He wasn't hit, but was given a standing eight-count by the referee.[81]
Mayweather's last fight in the super-featherweight division was against future super featherweight and lightweight titleholderJesús Chávez. Chávez was the WBC's top-ranked contender[82] and came into the fight with a 31-bout winning streak. This was Mayweather's eighth defense of the WBC super-featherweight title, which he had held for more than three years. He won when Chávez's corner stopped the fight after round nine. Mayweather had such difficulty making weight for this fight that he did not eat for four days before the weigh-in.[83] Chávez stated after the fight, "He's [Mayweather] the champ! And now I become his number-one fan".[84]
Mayweather commented after the fight, "Although it will take some time to make the match, I want to fightKostya Tszyu".[85] Tszyu, anAustralian-basedRussian, by then had established himself as the bestlight welterweight in the world. Mayweather did not get a chance to fight Tszyu, but went on to fightRicky Hatton (who defeated Tszyu and won hisRing light welterweight championship). By the end of 2001, Mayweather was still rankedThe Ring #1 super featherweight and #5 best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.[86]
In his first fight as a lightweight, Mayweather took on World Boxing Council (WBC) champion andThe Ring #1-ranked lightweightJosé Luis Castillo. Despite both fighters officially meeting the 135-lb lightweight limit, Mayweather came to the ring weighing unofficially 1381/2 lbs to Castillo's 1471/2 lbs. He defeated Castillo, winning the WBC and vacantThe Ring lightweight titles with a 12-round unanimous decision at theMGM Grand Garden Arena before a crowd of 6,920. With Mayweather's win, he became the first lineal lightweight champion since Pernell Whitaker. Judges Jerry Roth and John Keane scored it 115–111 and judge Anek Hongtongkam scored it 116–111, a decision that was loudly booed by the pro-Castillo crowd. TheAssociated Press had Mayweather winning, 115–111;[87] the New YorkDaily News scorecard also had Mayweather winning, 116–112.[88]
Castillo (45–5–1, 41 KOs) could not touch Mayweather in the first round, with Castillo throwing 27 punches and landing only three. After round one Larry Merchant pointed out, "Mayweather made a comment in the corner about his left shoulder. We'll see if something's wrong with it, he seems to be rotating it, trying to keep it loose".George Foreman noted likewise, adding "'Massage my left shoulder', he (Mayweather) said, that's not a good sign".[89]
In the first minute of the second round, Castillo went down on a shot by Mayweather, which was ruled a slip by the referee. Later in the fight Harold Lederman alluded to it, saying "By the way, that knockdown in the second round [is] extremely questionable, I thought Floyd did throw a left hook and this guy [Castillo] went down at the end of the hook but what you going to do, it's a judgement call by the referee, so it doesn't go as a 10–8 round..."[89] Drakulich took a point from Castillo for hitting on the break in the eighth round after several warnings throughout the fight. With Castillo repeatedly hitting on the break, this led to a large number of his punches landing. George Foreman agreed with the decision ("That's what you want a referee to do"), although his counterpart Larry Merchant had an alternative view: "I think this referee has been altogether too involved in the fight. Too officious".[90] Drakulich struck again in the ninth round, this time taking a point away from Mayweather for using his elbows. Mayweather won the fight by using hisjab effectively and staying away from Castillo for much of the fight.[91] Having injured his left shoulder on the last day of training, he changed to a southpaw stance on several occasions to throw more right-handed punches.
At the end of the fight, Harold Lederman had Castillo winning 115–111. ESPN'sMax Kellerman disputed Lederman's scoring, writing in his boxing column: "Harold Lederman, the (HBO) unofficial ringside television judge, gave the third round to Castillo, which I think demonstrates that Mayweather suffers from the same scoring syndrome that afflicted Pernell Whitaker. Mayweather is so seldom hit cleanly in his face, that when a clean shot is landed against him it registers all out of proportion in the observer's mind. Meanwhile, the three clean shots Mayweather just landed against his opponent do not make the same kind of impression".[92]
CompuBox statistics indicated that Castillo landed more overall punches and significantly more power shots over the course of the fight. Mayweather outscored Castillo in jabs thrown and landed. Lederman's scoring for this fight may be seen as inconsistent[by whom? – Discuss]; in bothBernard Hopkins vs.Jermain Taylor fights Lederman had Taylor winning 115–113, despite Hopkins landing more overall punches and significantly more power shots during both fights.[93][94] Taylor threw and landed more jabs, however.
In the post-fight interview, Mayweather said, "My last training day, I hurt myrotator cuff in my left shoulder, so I couldn't use my jab the way I want to. My left wasn't as strong as I wanted it to be, but I didn't want to have no excuses, you know, like other champions, you know, when they get hurt they won't even show up to the fight. I get hurt I keep fighting, you know, I want to bring the fans a victory".
Due to the closeness of their first bout, Mayweather accepted an immediate rematch with José Luis Castillo which took place on December 7, 2002. Before the rematch, Mayweather reiterated that he had torn his left rotator cuff two days before the first fight and could not throw a jab or a left hook. He had surgery following the controversial decision over Castillo, and said his shoulder had fully healed.[95]
The smaller Mayweather was again outweighed by Castillo on the night of the fight; Castillo weighed 147 lbs, to Mayweather's 138.[96] In the rematch Mayweather used his footwork, combinations and jab to earn another unanimous decision. There were no knockdowns or notable exchanges in the fight; the judgment was close, with Mayweather winning 115–113 on two scorecards and 116–113 on a third. The Associated Press had Mayweather winning 116–112;[96] HBO unofficial scorer Harold Lederman and fellow analyst Larry Merchant both scored it 115–113 for Mayweather.[97]
On April 19, 2003, Mayweather defended his WBC lightweight title in a unanimous decision overDominicanVictoriano Sosa. Mayweather (30–0) fought a tactically sound 12-round bout against an aggressive Sosa (35–3–2).
His next fight (on November 1 of the same year) was in his hometown of Grand Rapids against WBC #1-ranked contenderPhillip N'dou, whose record was 31–1 with 30 KOs. During the run-up to the fightNelson Mandela invited N'dou to his office for a pep talk before his departure for the U.S., advising him to "keep Mayweather on the outside with the jab, work the body and the head will become available". South African presidentThabo Mbeki, in a note, said he had "full confidence" N'dou would put on a performance to make all South Africans proud and would return home with the WBC belt. When told of his opponent's high-level support Mayweather responded, "Nelson Mandela's a great man, he's big in America, but Mandela can't get in there and fight for him".[98]
In the fifth round, Mayweather connected with a series ofstraight rights and lefts; when N'dou would not go down, Mayweather gave a little smile and continued the barrage. He dominated his opponent, before flooring him with a series of rights in the seventh round. N'dou got up on shaky legs, forcing a stoppage at 1:50. At times during the fight, Mayweather (in black trunks outlined with fur) seemed to toy with N'dou.[99] By the end of 2003, Mayweather was stillThe Ring's lightweight champion and the #5-ranked best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.[86]
Mayweather, at 27, made his 140-pound debut by defeating former titlistDeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley, knocking him down twice officially in rounds eight and ten, and scoring a unanimous decision of 119–107, 119–108, and 118–108. The fight was billed as a WBC elimination bout, with the winner earning a shot at 140-pound championArturo Gatti.[100] "Mayweather can flat-out fight", Corley's trainerDon Turner said. "He's like magic. He makes you move into the punches."[100] Shortly after this fight Mayweather would reach #1 on theUSA Today pound-for-pound rankings, withmiddleweight champion Bernard Hopkins at #2.[101]
On January 22, 2005, Mayweather foughtHenry Bruseles in another WBC elimination bout, outclassing Bruseles throughout the first seven rounds. In round eight, Mayweather knocked Bruseles down twice and the fight was stopped. Mayweather's victory made him themandatory challenger for Gatti's WBC light welterweight championship.
Thepay-per-view fight between Mayweather andThe Ring #1-ranked contender Arturo Gatti took place June 25, 2005, inAtlantic City, New Jersey, where fans heavily supported Gatti. Before the fight Mayweather was confident, describing Gatti as "a C+ fighter," "a fake" and "a blown-upclub fighter".[102] Mayweather entered the ring being carried on a chariot to the song "Another One Bites the Dust".[103] Gatti entered the ring accompanied by the song "Thunderstruck" and was momentarily frightened by the pyrotechnics exploding. Near the end of round one, Mayweather pushed Gatti's head down in close; Gatti broke, leaving himself vulnerable while Mayweather continued landing punches. Gatti turned to the referee to complain; Mayweather capitalised, sending Gatti to the canvas with more shots for what was scored a knockdown.[104] Throughout the next five rounds, the quicker Mayweather landed nearly every shot against Gatti, who had no offense with which to return fire. Gatti's corner stopped the fight after round six, giving Mayweather his third world title.
In the post-fight interview, Mayweather praised Gatti, claiming that his pre-fight comments "were just to sell tickets". To many boxing experts, Mayweather's dominance of Gatti solidified his position as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.[105] CompuBox had Mayweather out-landing Gatti 168–41,[106] with Gatti landing only 10 power punches (anything other than a jab).[107] Mayweather's fight with Gatti would be his last in the light-welterweight division; he would leave asThe Ring #1-ranked contender, with Ricky Hatton as light-welterweight champion.
After his fight with Gatti, Mayweather moved up to thewelterweight division. On November 19, 2005, Mayweather fought a non-title bout at 147 lb (67 kg) against welterweightSharmba Mitchell. In round three, Mayweather knocked Mitchell down with a straight right hand to the head. In round six another straight right hand—this one to Mitchell's body—dropped Mitchell again, ending the fight.
On April 8, 2006, Mayweather defeatedZab Judah for the IBF welterweight title in a unanimous decision. Plans for the fight had been jeopardized after Judah lost theWBA, WBC andThe Ring Welterweight titles toCarlos Baldomir on January 7, 2006; however, Mayweather's and Judah's camps reworked the contract and decided that the fight would go on.[108] Judah started bright and caused lots of problems for Mayweather, and even managed to knock down Mayweather, however it was not ruled a knockdown. But Mayweather began to dominate Judah in round five, and the latter eventually bled. Late in the tenth round, Judah hit Mayweather with a left hand that was clearlybelow the belt, following with a right-handedrabbit punch. RefereeRichard Steele called time out with five seconds remaining in the round. Roger Mayweather entered the ring and approached Judah, but Steele restrained him; Judah's father (and trainer),Yoel Judah, entered the ring as well. Mayweather remained in the neutral corner while the Judahs scuffled with Roger (and others who had entered the ring), until police and security restored order. Roger was ejected, and the fight continued for the scheduled 12 rounds. Mayweather won a unanimous decision by official scores of 116–112, 117–111, and 119–109. CompuBox statistics showed him landing 188 punches, compared with 82 for Judah.[109]
Five days after the fight, theNevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) decided not to overturn the result of the bout; however, Roger Mayweather was fined $200,000 and suspended for one year.[110] The suspension stipulated that Roger could train Mayweather in the gym, but could not work the corner during fights.[111] On April 17, 2006, the IBF ordered a rematch between Mayweather and Judah; however, the NSAC suspended Judah for one year on May 8[112] and Mayweather vacated the IBF title on June 20.
After his fight with Judah, it was reported that Mayweather rejected an $8 million offer to fightAntonio Margarito, citing his split with promoter Bob Arum as the reason.[113] However, Oscar De la Hoya postponed his decision until 2007, leaving Mayweather to obtainMayweather Promotions and choose his next opponent.[114] Mayweather considered moving up in weight again to fightlight middleweight championCory Spinks, but because of negative publicity and Spinks' impending mandatory defense of his title, he decided to face WBC andThe Ring welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir on November 4, 2006, in Las Vegas.[115]
Despite having not lost in over eight years, Baldomir was an underdog in the fight. Mayweather defeated him for both titles in a unanimous decision. Ringside punch statistics showed Mayweather landing 199 of 458 punches, while Baldomir landed 79 of 670. Mayweather earned $8 million for the fight; Baldomir was paid $1.6 million, career earnings highs for each fighter at the time.
During the fight Baldomir chased Mayweather, unable to land any meaningful shots but trying to be the busier fighter; Mayweather picked away with sharp jabs and hooks, cutting Baldomir over his left eye in the first round. This pattern continued throughout the fight; the defensive-minded Mayweather put on what many witnesses (and Mayweather himself) called a "boxing clinic" to take Baldomir's WBC andThe Ring welterweight titles in a lopsided 12-round decision by scores of 120–108, 120–108, and 118–110. After the fight, Mayweather proposed a match with Oscar De La Hoya.
With Mayweather's win, he became the first fighter sinceRoberto Durán to have capturedThe Ring titles in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions.[citation needed]
Mayweather's next match was the long-anticipated fight against six-division champion and WBC light-middleweight titleholder Oscar De La Hoya on May 5, 2007. De La Hoya's belt was on the line, which required Mayweather to move up in weight from 147 pounds to 154. However, Mayweather was outweighed by more than 10 pounds the night of the fight, coming in at only 150 pounds. Despite De La Hoya's insistence that money was not a factor, the Mayweather-De La Hoya bout set the record for most PPV buys for a boxing match with 2.4 million households, breaking the previous record of 1.95 million forEvander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II. About $120 million in revenue was generated by the PPV, another record. Including percentages De La Hoya earned $58 million for the bout, the highest purse ever for a fighter; the previous record was $35 million, held by Tyson and Holyfield. Mayweather earned about $25 million for the fight.[116]
At one time, Floyd Mayweather Sr. negotiated to train Oscar De La Hoya and be in his corner during the fight, but De La Hoya decided to train withFreddie Roach. Mayweather won the fight by a split decision in 12 rounds, capturing the WBC title. However, many analysts and ringside observers felt Mayweather should have received a unanimous decision. During the early rounds De La Hoya had some success cutting off the ring, attempting to pound Mayweather on the inside. Despite his activity on the inside, however, many of De La Hoya's punches were ineffective and landed on Mayweather's arms or shoulders. By the middle of the fight, it was seen as an even bout by the announcers. Mayweather turned the tide in the middle and late rounds, often hitting De La Hoya at will. Official scorecards read 116–112 (Mayweather), 115–113 (Mayweather), and 115–113 (De La Hoya). CompuBox had Mayweather out-landing De La Hoya 207–122 in total punches and 134–82 in power punches, with better accuracy throughout the fight. After the bout Mayweather contemplated retirement, saying he had nothing left to prove in the boxing world.
Mayweather andRicky Hatton at a press conference, 2007
After his fight with De La Hoya, Mayweather decided to relinquish his WBC light-middleweight championship,[117] retaining his welterweight title. On July 28, 2007, it was announced that Mayweather would come out of his brief retirement to fightThe Ring light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton; the bout was promoted by De La Hoya's promotion company (Golden Boy Promotions) and Mayweather's Mayweather Promotions. The fight was entitled "Undefeated"; it took place December 8, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena,Las Vegas, Nevada, the biggest welterweight showdown between two undefeated fighters since De La Hoya metFélix Trinidad in 1999. During the run-up to their fight Mayweather claimed he was the greatest boxer ever: "I respect what Robinson and Ali did for the sport. But I am the greatest and this is my time."
Mayweather controlled the fight from the beginning, knocking Hatton out in the 10th round to retain the welterweight championship.[118] Hatton suffered a cut over his right eye in round three; from that point, his pace and movement began to slow. In round six, Hatton lost a point for punching the back of Mayweather's head as he was draped over the ropes. During the tenth round, Hatton was caught by a checked left hook thrown from Mayweather's hip; after falling headfirst into the turnbuckle, he hit the floor. Hatton made it to his feet, but was dazed. Two more lefts in quick succession knocked Hatton down again, and referee Cortez stopped the fight at 1:35 of round ten.[119] Official scorecards read 88–82, 89–81, and 89–81 at the time of stoppage, all in favor of Mayweather.
After the fight, Mayweather said that Hatton was one of his toughest, most tenacious opponents. Mayweather announced his retirement from boxing to concentrate on his promotional company, saying he wanted Hatton to be his first client.[120]
On May 2, 2009, it was confirmed that Mayweather was coming out of a 21-month retirement to fightThe Ring lightweight champion and #2 pound-for-poundJuan Manuel Márquez, at acatch weight of 144 lb on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on HBO PPV.[121] The fight was postponed due to a rib injury Mayweather received during training. HBO's sports series24/7 was also rescheduled for August 29. The fight took place on September 19 in conjunction withMexican Independence Day, traditionally a big boxing weekend. During the official weigh-in for their 144 lb bout, Mayweather failed to meet the weight limit at 146 lb and was fined as a result.[122] However, it was later revealed that the contract was changed so that Mayweather could make weight within the welterweight limit of 140–147 lb as long as Marquez received a large guarantee.[123] Mayweather won a unanimous decision after 12 rounds in a lopsided fight; scorecards read 120–107, 119–108, and 118–109. Marquez landed 12 percent of his total 583 punches, while Mayweather landed 59 percent of his 490 total punches.[124] This fight marked only the fifth time in boxing history that a non-heavyweight fight sold more than 1 million pay-per-view households, with HBO generating a revenue of approximately $52 million. Four of the other fights featured Oscar De La Hoya as the main event, making this fight the one of two events where a non-heavyweight fight sold over 1 million PPVs without Oscar De La Hoya. The other fight wasManny Pacquiao versusMiguel Cotto, which sold 1.25 million PPVs.[125]
Negotiations for a proposed match between Mayweather andThe Ring #3 pound-for-poundShane Mosley began right afterAndre Berto pulled out of his scheduled January 30unification bout with Mosley due to the2010 Haiti earthquake.[126] Both sides eventually agreed to fight on May 1, 2010, for Mosley's WBA super-welterweight title. It was later revealed that Mayweather refused to pay sanctioning fees required by the WBA, saying "All belts do is collect dust". However, the belt was only on the line for Mosley to defend against Mayweather.[127] Both Mayweather and Mosley agreed to Olympic-style testing for this bout.[128][129]
Mosley started the fight well, landing two solid right hands in round two which caused Mayweather's knees to buckle. Mayweather recovered well and went on to dominate the remainder of the fight, out-boxing Mosley and showing more aggression than in his previous recent fights. Mayweather eventually won a unanimous decision, with the judges scoring the fight 119–109, 119–109, and 118–110. In round four CompuBox found Mosley throwing seven power punches without landing any, making Mayweather the second boxer (after Roy Jones Jr.) to go an entire round without being hit by a power punch. After the fight, president of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya stated that he believed Mayweather was the best in the game.[130]
The fight was the second-bestselling non-heavyweight pay-per-view bout in boxing history, with 1.4 million purchases. HBO reported that the fight generated $78.3 million in revenue. After the bout Mayweather expressed interest in moving up in weight to capture a world title in six different weight classes, and to challenge newly crowned middleweight championSergio Martínez.[131]
On December 5, 2009, ESPN reported thateight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao had allegedly signed a contract to fight Floyd Mayweather on March 13, 2010. However, Pacquiao denied this, stating that negotiations were still ongoing, tellingFanHouse, "There are still some things that need to be negotiated."[132]
On December 11, 2009, an eight-page contract was sent by Golden Boy Promotions on behalf of Mayweather to Top Rank, representing Pacquiao, proposing a 50–50 financial split between the sides for a fight on March 13, 2010. The contract was so detailed that it indicated who would step onto the scale first at the weigh-in (Pacquiao), who would walk to the ring first (Pacquiao), who would be introduced first (Mayweather), and who had first choice of the locker room (Mayweather). It specified that the bout would be on HBO Pay-Per-View at a cost of $59.95. The contract also called for both fighters to submit to Olympic-style drug testing.[133]
The fight was expected to be the largest-grossing bout in history, with total revenues projected to reach $300 million, and experts predicted it would sell between 2.5 million and 3 million pay-per-views in the U.S.[134]
On December 11, 2009, in a video titled "Boxing Legend Freddie Roach Updates Us On Pacquiao" uploaded to YouTube, Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, mentioned the first hint about Mayweather's request for Olympic-style drug testing. He indicated that while they had agreed to this request, Mayweather's camp appeared to be backing away again.[135]
On December 13, 2009, Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, dismissed Mayweather's request for Olympic-style drug testing as inconsequential, stating, "Our reaction is, 'So what?' We know Manny doesn't take any illegal drugs or anything."[132]
After reports surfaced that both parties had agreed to all terms, Golden Boy Promotions released a press release on December 22, 2009, revealing that Pacquiao was unwilling to comply with the Olympic-style drug testing requested by Team Mayweather. The next day, Bob Arum, Top Rank founder and CEO, declared the fight was off, citing Mayweather's insistence on drug testing as a tactic to derail the fight. Arum later set a 24-hour deadline for Mayweather to accept their terms, which included three blood tests—one in January, one 30 days before the fight, and one immediately after the fight. Arum claimed that the USADA's procedures were too invasive and insisted on using another independent agency.[132]
Both sides eventually agreed to enter mediation on January 7, 2010, with retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein acting as mediator. However, negotiations broke down two days later when Mayweather refused to compromise on the 24-day cut-off date for blood testing. Mayweather subsequently announced that all his future fights would include random drug testing.[132]
After the failed negotiations, Pacquiao went on to defeat Joshua Clottey on March 13, 2010, while Mayweather beat Shane Mosley on May 1, 2010. The fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather remained elusive for several more years, with disputes over drug testing and financial splits continuing to be a major obstacle.[136][132][137]
Mayweather photographed at the Mayweather–Ortiz press conference on June 28, 2011
On June 7, 2011, Mayweather announced viaTwitter that he was set to fight WBC welterweight champion andThe Ring #2-ranked welterweightVictor Ortiz on September 17. Ortiz was Mayweather's first challenger in 16 months.[138] The fight took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. From round one, Mayweather used his speed, skills and accurate right hand to tag Ortiz repeatedly. Mayweather seemed in control through the first three rounds, judges' scores were 30–27, 30–27, and 29–28 for Mayweather, in the fourth round Ortiz had some success, landing a few shots and stinging Mayweather before bulling him into the corner. He then rammed Mayweather in the face with an intentionalheadbutt, opening acut on the inside and outside of Mayweather's mouth. RefereeJoe Cortez immediately called time out and docked Ortiz a point for the blatantfoul. Ortiz, apparently acknowledging his wrongdoing, hugged Mayweather in the corner and even appeared to kiss him.
Cortez motioned the fighters back together to resume the fight, without putting them in a neutral corner. Both fighters touched gloves, and Ortiz gave Mayweather another hug. At that moment, Cortez was not looking at the fighters. As Ortiz let go, Mayweather took advantage of Ortiz not having his hands up and unloaded a left hook which wobbled Ortiz. Ortiz then looked at the referee, and Mayweather connected with a flush right hand to Ortiz's face. Ortiz fell to the canvas, and was unable to beat Cortez's count as the crowd of 14,687 jeered Mayweather.[139][140][141] After the fight Ortiz claimed that he was merely obeying the referee's instructions when he was "blindsided" by Mayweather, who defended his actions by saying that "In the ring, you have to protect yourself at all times".[142]
Mayweather vs. Ortiz was purchased by 1.25 million homes with a value of $78,440,000 in pay-per-view revenue. These numbers make the event the second-highest-grossing non-heavyweight pay-per-view event of all time. Mayweather has appeared in the three biggest non-heavyweight pay-per-view events in the sport's history:Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya ($136,853,700), Mayweather vs. Ortiz ($78,440,000), andMayweather vs. Shane Mosley ($78,330,000).[143]
Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, announced on November 2, 2011, that Mayweather would return to the ring on May 5, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. After negotiations with Manny Pacquiao failed again, on February 1, 2012, it was confirmed that Mayweather would be moving up in weight to fight WBA super welterweight champion andThe Ring #1-ranked light middleweight Miguel Cotto. The WBC put theirsuper welterweight diamond belt at stake.[144]
On the evening of Saturday, May 5, Mayweather defeated Cotto in 12 rounds by a unanimous decision, improving his record to 43–0.[145] Mayweather used movement and outboxed Cotto in the middle of the ring for the first few rounds. Beginning in rounds three and four Cotto cut the ring off from Mayweather, forcing the latter to fight from the ropes. However, Mayweather seemed to outfight Cotto from the ropes with his combinations and by rolling with most of Cotto's punches. Cotto had more success in the middle rounds, landing his jab and body shots on Mayweather and effectively trapping him on the ropes. The later rounds were controlled by Mayweather, who boxed more in the center of the ring late in the fight. In the 12th round Mayweather's uppercut stunned and hurt Cotto, but Cotto was able to fight until the end. The judges scored the fight a unanimous decision for Mayweather by scores of 118–110, 117–111, and 117–111. After the fight, Mayweather said Cotto was the toughest fighter he ever faced.
CompuBox had Mayweather outlanding and outworking Cotto in the fight by a significant margin. Mayweather landed 26 percent of his total punches (179 out of 687), compared with 21 percent (105 out of 506) for Cotto. In power punches, Mayweather landed 128 of 382 (34 percent), compared with 75 of 329 (23 percent) for Cotto.[146] Mayweather earned the biggest guaranteed purse in boxing history ($32 million) when he fought Cotto, according to contracts filed with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.[147] The Mayweather-Cotto fight generated $94 million in PPV revenue from 1.5 million purchases, making it the second-biggest non-heavyweight fight in history (after Mayweather's fight with Oscar De La Hoya).[148]
Mayweather returned to the ring on May 4, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to face the WBC interim welterweight champion,Ring No. 3 ranked welterweight, and the WBC's mandatory challengerRobert Guerrero. This was Mayweather's first fight since being released from jail, and was the first time Mayweather has fought on Showtime PPV after a long relationship with HBO. Mayweather was guaranteed $32 million for the fight.[152]
The fight took place in front of 15,880 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Prior to the fight, Guerrero had not lost in 8 years. The first couple rounds were fairly even, with Mayweather attempting to counter and time Guerrero, while Guerrero was attempting to drive Mayweather to the ropes and make it a rough fight. After the first couple rounds, Mayweather was in complete control, almost hitting Guerrero at will with right hand leads, counters, hooks, and effectively timing Guerrero the rest of the fight. Mayweather won the fight on all three scorecards 117–111. Mayweather outlanded Guerrero 195 punches to 113, which included a rare 60% connect on his power shots.[153]
Although no official tallies are reported, according to Showtime Sports executiveStephen Espinoza, the fight had exceeded 1 million purchases in PPV.[154]
Mayweather confirmed via Twitter that a deal was reached to faceRing No. 10 ranked pound for pound, WBC and WBA Super welterweight championSaúl "Canelo" Álvarez in a championship bout on September 14, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.[155] A catchweight of 152 pounds was established for the fight.[156] Mayweather received a boxing record $41.5 million for the Alvarez fight, according to Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's confidant.[157] In front of a sold-out crowd of 16,746 at the MGM Garden, Mayweather defeated Álvarez by majority twelve-round decision. In a fight that many thought was going to be Mayweather's toughest, he outclassed the younger Álvarez. Many observers at ringside thought Mayweather won all twelve rounds. JudgeC. J. Ross scored the fight 114–114, a draw. Judge Dave Moretti had it 116–112, and Craig Metcalfe scored it 117–111. Judge Ross retired after this fight. Speaking of the controversial scorecard, Mayweather said, "I can't control what the judges do." Compubox stats showed Mayweather's dominance in the fight, landed 232 of 505 punches (46%) and 117 connected of 526 thrown (22%) for Álvarez, who earned a base purse of $5 million.[158][159][160][161]
Despite interest in a bout withAmir Khan, Mayweather announced that he would fight 30-year-oldMarcos Maidana (35–3, 31 KOs) on May 3, 2014, in a unification bout at MGM Grand Garden Arena, with Mayweather's WBC andThe Ring welterweight titles at stake, as well as Maidana's WBA welterweight title.[162] Maidana won the WBA title inDecember 2013 against Mayweather's friend,Adrien Broner. Mayweather tweeted the news the day after his 37th birthday. TheBarclays Center in Brooklyn also made a case to showcase the fight. Mayweather explained why he chose Maidana, "Marcos Maidana's last performance immediately brought him to my attention. He is an extremely skilled fighter who brings knockout danger to the ring. I think this is a great fight for me and he deserves the opportunity to see if he can do what 45 others have tried to do before him – beat me." Maidana was a 12-to-1 underdog going into the fight.[163]
In front of a sold-out crowd of 16,268, in what was one of his toughest fights, Mayweather won the bout via majority decision, with scores of 114–114, 117–111, and 116–112. Maidana came out aggressive and maintained that stance throughout the fight forcing Mayweather to engage. CompuBox revealed that Mayweather was hit more times than any of his previous 38 bouts that have been covered by them. Mayweather landed 230 of his 426 punches thrown (54%) while Maidana landed 221 of 858 (26%). Many times in the fight Maidana threw shots at different angles, forcing Mayweather against the ropes. According to Mayweather in the post-fight interview, Maidana's aggressive approach made him change his style of fighting.[164]
Maidana was guaranteed a purse of $1.5 million, which would also include TV revenue from his native Argentina and PPV share. Mayweather earned a minimum $32 million. There were calls for an immediate rematch. Mayweather said, "He put pressure on me and that's when I decided to fight differently," Mayweather said. "I stood there and fought him. He's a good fighter, I take nothing away from him [...] This was a tough, competitive fight. This is what fans want to see. "I want to give fans an exciting fight. Normally, I box and move. Tonight, I gave fans an exciting fight." Maidana felt he won the fight, believing he gave Mayweather his toughest fight ever. Speaking through a translator, he said, "I definitely think I won. Floyd had never been hit by a man before. I had to change the gloves [after a last-minute problem with his original gloves on Friday] and I still gave him a great fight. He did dominate some rounds but the majority, I dominated them."[165]
The fight generated around 900,000 PPV buys, although exact figures were not released by Showtime. The revenue of PPV sale amounted to $58 million.[166]
On July 10, 2014, Mayweather made the announcement that a rematch with Maidana (35–4, 31 KOs) was confirmed. The fight was to take place on September 13, 2014, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, with Mayweather's WBA (Super), WBC andThe Ring welterweight titles at stake, as well as Mayweather's WBC light middleweight title. The fight was billed as "Mayhem".[167][168][169]
In front of 16,144 at the MGM Grand, Mayweather defeated Maidana via unanimous decision. Unlike the first fight, Mayweather came out better prepared for Maidana's style. The final judges' scores were 115–112, 116–111, and 116–111. ESPN scored it wider for Mayweather at 119–108. Mayweather did not allow Maidana to land any overhand right, with the punch stats showing Maidana connecting 128 of 572 shots (22%). Mayweather had 51% connect rate landing 166 of 326.[170]
A bizarre moment occurred in round 8, whilst in a headlock, Maidana appeared to have bitten Mayweather's left hand. Mayweather explained this in the post fight, "I didn't know what it was. Something happened and then my fingers were numb. After the eighth round my fingers were numb. I could only use my other hand. He bit me. I realized he bit me. We were tangled in the middle of the ring and all of a sudden I felt something on my left hand." Maidana denied the bite, "Maybe he thinks I'm a dog, but I never bit him. He was rubbing my eyes that round. He may have had his glove in my mouth, but I never bit him." After round 9, Maidana appeared to be confused as he started walking towards the wrong corner. Mayweather immediately ran towards him to point to his corner, much to the amusement of the crowd. Maidana was unhappy with the final verdict and thought he won the fight, "If the judges want to give the fight to fighters that run, they can give it to him. I was attacking all the time. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought that I was the aggressor. I kept my plan to be aggressive but he kept holding and pushing. I don't want to waste my time with a third fight. I trained with all my heart to get this type of result. This is not fair. There's not reason for another fight." For the sequel, Mayweather earned a minimum of $32 million and Maidana earned a career high $3 million.[171][172][173]
The fight did well on PPV, a reported 925,000 households bought the fight, generating $60 million. The live gate grossed nearly $15 million, putting it at number 5 in the top 35 boxing gates.[174]
Mayweather foughtManny Pacquiao on May 2, 2015, atMGM Grand Garden Arena inLas Vegas, after several negotiations spread over years.[175] Mayweather dictated the pace early, controlling range with the jab. His deft movement and pivoting made Pacquiao consistently miss, landing only 19% of his punches. Mayweather was able to counter Pacquiao with his right hand throughout the fight and won via unanimous decision with the scorecards reading 118–110, 116–112, and 116–112.[176] The vast majority of media outlets (16/18) scored the bout in his favor.[177][178] In the days following the fight, many observers felt the match failed to live up to expectations. Pacquiao told the media after the match that he was limited in the fight due to an injured right arm.Sports Illustrated reported that Pacquiao fought through a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, which will require surgery.[179]Bob Arum revealed Pacquiao's injury to have been a persistent one dating back to 2008.[180] Mayweather, who originally had no plans for a rematch with Pacquiao, told ESPN'sStephen A. Smith in a text that he would be open to a rematch after Pacquiao recovers from shoulder surgery, however as of May 9, 2015[update], Mayweather stated "Did I text Stephen A. Smith and say I will fight him again? Yeah, but I change my mind. At this particular time, no, because he's a sore loser and he's a coward."[181][182] On July 6, 2015, theWorld Boxing Organization (WBO) stripped Mayweather of his welterweight championship because he was not permitted to hold titles in multiple weight classes, and because he failed to pay a sanctioning fee.[183]
Mayweather confirmed through Instagram that he would defend the WBC, WBA (Super), and The Ring welterweight titles against WBA interim championAndre Berto on September 12, 2015, at theMGM Grand Garden Arena. The announcement received some backlash due to Berto being (3–3) in his last 6 fights. Many felt he wasn't a credible opponent. Welterweight contender Amir Khan was said to be disappointed with the selection.[184] Berto believed Mayweather chose him as his final opponent for personal reasons, which could date back to when he won theNational Golden Gloves tournament.[185] Showtimes,Stephen Espinoza revealed the reason why Mayweather never chose Amir Khan, was because Khan would have been observingRamadan before the fight and therefore wouldn't be "at the top of his game". The reason to why he decided not to fight then IBF titleholderKell Brook was a business decision, with Brook not being known in the US compared to Berto.[186][187][188]
Mayweather was able to pinpoint holes in Berto's guard and find a home for the jab early. He landed sharp counters and feint hooks while controlling range for the vast majority of the bout. Berto pushed the pace, but his aggressiveness fell short as Mayweather was highly mobile and closed the distance consistently.[189] Mayweather hurt his left hand at the end of the ninth round but remained comfortable throughout the rest of the fight, winning via unanimous decision 117–111, 118–110, and 120–108. Mayweather dominated the fight, landing an impressive 56% [232/410] punches thrown, compared to Berto's underwhelming number of 17% [83/495] punches landed. Mayweather earned a purse of $32 million and Berto earned a career-high $4 million.[190][191]
Early industry sources reported the fight drew 550,000 buys.[192] Later sources indicated the number could have been as low as 400,000 buys, generating $28 million. This was the lowest number of buys Floyd had generated in over 10 years. The fight also gathered a crowd of 13,395, also a decreased figure compared to Mayweather previous fights.[193]
Keith Thurman noted, "Amazing speed ... he showed tremendous skill and talent."[189] Mayweather announced his retirement in the ring after defeating Berto, walking away from the sport with an undefeated record of 49–0.[194] The WBC declared his welterweight and super welterweight titles vacant in November 2015.[195]
The idea of a Mayweather comeback floated around April 2016, as rumors of Mayweather Promotions filing for trademarks of "TBE 50" and "TMT 50" hinted that Mayweather might have been targeting that 50th win. This was confirmed by posts from the U.S. Patent and Trademark website.[196]
Around May 2016, another rumor started that a crossover fight between Mayweather and MMA starConor McGregor was in the works. On May 7, 2016, Mayweather confirmed that he was the one who started the rumors regarding the potential clash.[197] Mayweather followed it through with an Instagram post of an unofficial teaser poster showcasing both fighters.Dana White dismissed all the rumors and stated that Mayweather had yet to contact him in case he wanted the fight to push through, since McGregor was in contract with theUFC.[198] On January 13, 2017, White continued his stance against a Mayweather-McGregor boxing matchup and insisted that, because of McGregor's contract, it would never happen and even went as far as offering Mayweather to box McGregor in the UFC for $25 million.[199]
On March 7, 2017, Mayweather urged McGregor to sign the contract, hinting that a fight was really in the works.[200] On March 10, 2017, Mayweather stated that only a fight with McGregor would make him come out of retirement.[201] On March 16, 2017, Dana White backpedaled on his stance against Mayweather fighting McGregor and said that he would not deprive McGregor of making a massive payday.[202][203] On May 18, 2017, McGregor reportedly agreed to all of Mayweather's updated terms and signed the contract.[204]
On June 14, 2017, after months of negotiations, both fighters announced via their Twitter accounts that they would fight on August 26, 2017, at theT-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.[205] On August 24, 2017, it was announced that Mayweather and McGregor would be facing off for theWBC Money Belt, specifically made for the fight.[206] According to theNevada State Athletic Commission, Mayweather would earn a guaranteed purse of $100 million and McGregor was guaranteed $30 million.[207]
In front of a crowd of 14,623, Mayweather won via TKO in the 10th round, surpassingRocky Marciano and setting the record for the longest active unbeaten streak in a professional career at 50–0. In the opening round, Mayweather, as per previous fights, started slow to work out McGregor's tactics. In his post-fight interview, he revealed it was part of the game plan to let McGregor punch himself out in the early rounds. McGregor won the first round on all three judges' scorecards; the same case could have been made for the opening three rounds. McGregor was warned a few times through the fight for hitting behind the head, but no points were deducted by referee Robert Byrd. By the fourth round, McGregor began to tire and breathe heavily with his mouth open. Mayweather started to take control and landed with his right hands. For the next few rounds, McGregor came out throwing shots in the opening 30 seconds, but immediately tired, giving Mayweather enough time to carry on landing clean shots and winning the rounds. By round 9, McGregor had almost nothing left. Although he didn't look hurt, he was very fatigued and his face started showing redness. Two of the judges scored the round 10–8 for Mayweather. In round 10, McGregor staggered across the ring and was in a bad way against the ropes as Mayweather landed some hard shots. With McGregor barely on his feet after a few unanswered punches, the referee waved the fight off. The time of stoppage was 1 minute and 5 seconds of round 10.[208]
At the time of stoppage, the scorecards read 87–83, 89–82, and 89–81, all in favor of Mayweather. McGregor was praised by Dana White at the post-fight press conference for landing 111 punches of 430 thrown (26%) on Mayweather, more than what Pacquiao or any of Mayweather's previous nine opponents had landed. Mayweather was more than twice as accurate, however, landing 170 of 320 punches thrown (53%).[209]
Mayweather said of the fight, "This was my last fight. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, for sure I chose the right dance partner to dance with. Conor McGregor, you are a hell of a champion." He added, "He's a tough competitor and I think we gave the fans what they wanted to see. I owed them for the Pacquiao fight. I must come straight ahead and give the fans a show, and that's what I gave them." McGregor felt the fight was stopped prematurely, but nevertheless respected the decision and admitted he was tired.[210] Mayweather agreed with the stoppage, and explained that he avoided inflicting more damage on McGregor to protect him from brain damage, saying "He has a career. You know, he still has a career. ...(It could've been) very damaging."[211]
Nevada State Athletic Commission announced the live gate for the event was $55,414,865.79 from 13,094 tickets sold and 137 complimentary tickets given out. It was the second-largest gate ever for a combat sporting event, behind only theMayweather vs. Pacquiao fight, which grossed just over $72 million from a paid attendance of 16,219 in 2015.[212]Sky Sports announced the fight garnered over a million PPV buys in the UK and grossed in excess of £20 million, surpassing the record set in April 2017 whenAnthony Joshua defeated Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 at theWembley Stadium. This also meant the fight generated more buys in the UK thanMayweather-Pacquiao which took place in 2015.[213]
Mayweather reportedly earned over $300 million from the fight, while McGregor earned around $100 million.[214][215][216][217]
Exhibition bouts
Mayweather vs. Nasukawa
In September 2018, during the electronic music festivalUltra Japan, both Mayweather and Pacquiao posted videos of encounters at the festival, which implicated the possibility of a rematch. It is unknown if any formal negotiations occurred.[218][219][220][221][222]
On September 19, 2018, Mayweather stated in an interview that, despite references to "this year" in the videos, he planned to hold a fight in Japan before any possible rematch with Pacquiao.[223] On October 18, 2018, Pacquiao told theDaily Mirror that a rumoured rematch with Mayweather would occur in 2019, as Mayweather was planning to fight an unnamed opponent on December 31, 2018.[224][225] On November 5, 2018, the Japanese MMA promotionRizin Fighting Federation announced that Mayweather would face undefeated kickboxerTenshin Nasukawa atRizin 14 on December 31, 2018, under unspecified rules. Of the bout, Mayweather stated in a press conference that "it wasn't easy to make this happen, but we told the people anything is possible, so now we're here and we wanna make sure that we give the people inTokyo what they wanna see — blood, sweat and tears."[226]
However, two days later, Mayweather denied that he would be fighting Nasukawa. He explained that he had been booked for a non-televised exhibition for "a small group of wealthy spectators" during the event, but that he was caught off-guard by the announcement that he would face Nasukawa—claiming that he was unaware of the fighter until the press conference, and stating that "for the sake of the several fans and attendees that flew in from all parts of the world to attend this past press conference, I was hesitant to create a huge disturbance by combating what was being said and for that I am truly sorry."[227]
On November 16, 2018, Mayweather confirmed that a three-roundexhibition boxing match against Nasukawa would indeed happen after the initial misunderstanding had been resolved.[228][229]
The fight took place at theSaitama Super Arena inJapan on December 31 and ended on a TKO in the first round, when Nasukawa's corner waved off the fight after he had been knocked down three times.[230] After the fight, Mayweather clarified that he is still retired and only did the fight to entertain fans.[231] The match and its ending, however, were controversial, and drew condemnation and accusations of match-fixing.[232][233] Mayweather reportedly earned $9 million for the fight.[234]
On December 6, 2020, it was announced that Mayweather would faceinternet personalityLogan Paul in an exhibition bout on February 20, 2021.[235][236] The fight was postponed, and took place on June 6, 2021, atHard Rock Stadium inMiami Gardens, Florida.[237] On May 6, 2021, Mayweather and Paul met for the first time at a press conference at Hard Rock Stadium, where the latter's brother,Jake Paul, became involved in an angry brawl with Mayweather when he removed Mayweather's hat from his head.[238] A visibly irate Mayweather was captured on video saying, "I'll kill you motherfucker! Are you crazy? I'll fuck you up, motherfucker. I don't play motherfucking games. I'll fuck you up."[239]
The bout consisted of constantclinching initiated by Paul and went the full distance to the sound of boos from the crowd, with no winner being announced.[240] Mayweather had started tentatively and defensively, reluctant to throw often and avoiding most of Paul's shots. Toward the end of the first round, Paul unleashed a wild flurry, but most of his punches were blocked by Mayweather's guard. The second round was similar to the first, with Mayweather content with the slow pace of the fight. He finally turned up the offense in the third, opening up with some clean left hooks that rocked Paul's head back, as well as mixing in his trademark pull counter with the right hand.[241] From the fourth round onward, Paul was visibly fatigued and took every opportunity to utilize his weight advantage by tying the smaller Mayweather up in the clinch after every exchange. Despite Paul's constant attempts at neutering Mayweather's offense, the latter continued to dictate the pace of the fight and land the cleaner, more effective punches. Toward the end of the eighth and final round, Paul showboated when it became clear that he had done enough to avoid being stopped as most had predicted would be the case,[242] and that he would survive to hear the final bell. Mayweather's superior boxing was reflected by theCompuBox punch stats, with Mayweather having landed 43 punches of 107 thrown (40.2%), compared to Paul's 28 landed of 217 thrown (12.9%).[243]
In his post-fight interview, Mayweather praised his opponent, saying "He's better than I thought he was... he's a tough, rough competitor." Paul appeared to harbor some doubt about how seriously Mayweather had taken the fight, saying "I'm going to go home thinking, 'Did Floyd let me survive?'"[241] When asked about the prospect of making a return to professional boxing, Mayweather replied, "I'm not coming back to the sport of boxing, absolutely not." He did not completely rule out participating in exhibition bouts in the future, saying "As far as me doing another exhibition, probably not".[244]
On May 21, 2022, Mayweather fought an eight-round exhibition boxing bout with one of his former sparring partners, Don Moore, in Abu Dhabi. Mayweather was in full control of the fight including scoring a knockdown to Moore with a punch to the body in the eighth round. Moore survived the knockdown and would go the full distance, but there was no scoring and it ended without an official verdict.[245]
Mayweather vs. Asakura
On June 13, 2022, Mayweather announced he would be returning for another exhibition bout. The fight would be at theRizin event scheduled on September 25, 2022, at theSaitama Super Arena. His opponent was confirmed to be Japanese mixed martial artist and YouTuberMikuru Asakura.[246] Mayweather won by TKO in the 2nd round.[247]
On September 25, 2022, Mayweather announced he would be facing YouTuber Deji Olatunji, the younger brother ofKSI. The fight was scheduled for November 13, 2022, at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.[248] Mayweather defeated Deji via technical knockout in the 6th round.[249]
Mayweather vs. Chalmers
In January 2023, it was announced that Mayweather would be fighting another exhibition bout against formerBellator MMA fighter and television personalityAaron Chalmers, after his original opponent for the fight,ONE Championship Muay Thai fighter Liam Harrison, pulled out due to a knee injury.[250] The bout took place on February 25, 2023, atThe O2 Arena inLondon,England, marking it as Mayweather's first exhibition bout in theUnited Kingdom. The bout went the full 8 rounds, there was no scoring and it ended without an official verdict.[251]
Mayweather vs. Gotti III
On April 26, 2023, it was announced that Mayweather would be facing professional mixed martial artist and boxer John Gotti III – the grandson and son ofmafiosiJohn Gotti andJohn A. Gotti, respectively – in an exhibition boxing match on June 11, 2023.[252] The bout – held at theFLA Live Arena inSunrise, Florida – was stopped by refereeKenny Bayless in the sixth round, prompting a ring invasion by members of each boxer's teams. A number of fights subsequently broke out in the crowd and backstage.[253]
Mayweather vs. Gotti III II
On June 21, 2024, a rematch between Floyd Mayweather Jr and John Gotti III was confirmed for August 24, 2024 at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico. The bout went the full eight rounds and no winner was declared.[254]
Mayweather vs. Tyson
On September 4, 2025, it was announced that Mayweather andMike Tyson have agreed to fight each other in an exhibition bout some time in Spring 2026.[255]
Mayweather appeared atWWE'sNo Way Out pay-per-view event on February 17, 2008, inLas Vegas, Nevada. He was involved in astoryline altercation withBig Show when Mayweather jumped a security barricade and attacked Big Show to helpRey Mysterio, whom Show had threatened tochokeslam. Mayweather originally assumed ababyface role in the storylines, which met with some resistance from fans.[256] The attack resulted in Big Show receiving a broken nose. The following night onRaw, Big Show challenged Mayweather to a one-on-oneNo Disqualification match atWrestleMania XXIV, which Mayweather accepted. At WrestleMania, Mayweather defeated Big Show in a knockout withbrass knuckles to maintain his unbeaten record.[257] Mayweather was reportedly paid $20 million for the fight.[258] 1 million PPV buys were reported for WrestleMania XXIV, grossing $23.8 million in revenue.
Mayweather was guest host forRaw in Las Vegas on August 24, 2009.[259] He interfered with a tag-team match, which resulted in a loss for the Big Show (again aheel) and his partnerChris Jericho as Mayweather gaveMVP brass knuckles to knock Jericho out, giving MVP and his new tag-team partnerMark Henry the win and a shot at theUnified WWE Tag Team Titles atWWE Breaking Point againstJeri-Show. He then celebrated with Henry and MVP, turning face. Later that night, he was involved in a backstage segment withVince McMahon,D-Generation X, andCarlito, helping McMahon prepare for his six-man tag team match againstThe Legacy and DX. During the segment, McMahon knocked out Carlito.[260]
Dancing with the Stars
Mayweather appeared on thefifth season ofDancing with the Stars; his partner was Ukrainian-American professional ballroom dancerKarina Smirnoff. On October 16, 2007, Smirnoff and Mayweather were the fourth couple to be eliminated from the competition, finishing in ninth place.[261]
Personal life
Mayweather resides in a 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2), five-bedroom, seven-bath, custom-built mansion inLas Vegas.[262] He owns the Mayweather Boxing Club, a boxing gym inChinatown Plaza in Las Vegas.[263]
Mayweather has been convicted on multiple occasions of domestic violence and battery.[267][268]
In 2002, Mayweather was charged with two counts of domestic violence and one count of misdemeanor battery. He received a six-month suspended sentence and two days of house arrest and was ordered to perform 48 hours of community service.[269]
In 2004, Mayweather was given a one-year suspended jail sentence, ordered to undergo counseling for "impulse control" and pay a $1,000 fine (or perform 100 hours of community service) after being convicted of two counts of misdemeanor battery against two women.[270]
In 2005, Mayweather pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge after hitting and kicking a bouncer, receiving a 90-day suspended jail sentence.[271][272]
On September 9, 2010, it was reported that Mayweather was being sought by police for questioning after his former girlfriend, Josie Harris, filed a domestic battery report against him. Harris accused Mayweather of battery in the past, but those charges were dropped in July 2005 after Harris testified that she had lied and that Mayweather had not battered her.[272] Mayweather was taken into custody September 10, 2010, but was released after posting $3,000 bail. Mayweather was initially charged with felony theft (stemming from the disappearance of Harris's mobile phone); on September 16 two felony coercion charges, one felony robbery charge, one misdemeanor domestic-battery charge and three misdemeanor harassment charges were added.[273]
On December 21, 2011, a judge sentenced Mayweather to serve 90 days in the county jail for battery upon Harris in September 2010. Mayweather reached a deal with prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty tomisdemeanorbattery in exchange for prosecutors dropping the felony battery charge. Mayweather also pleaded no contest to two counts of misdemeanorharassment, stemming from threats to his children. In addition to the 90-day sentence, Mayweather was ordered to complete 100 hours ofcommunity service, a 12-month domestic-violence program and to pay a fine of $2,500.[274] On June 1, Mayweather began serving his county jail sentence,[275] and was released on August 3, 2012.[276]
Sued for defamation
In May 2015, following his bout against Pacquiao, Josie Harris sued Mayweather for $20 million for defamation, claiming that Mayweather lied during an interview with Katie Couric in April. During that interview, he called her a drug abuser while discussing the 2010 domestic-violence incident which ended up with Mayweather going to jail for two months.[277]
2018 SEC settlement
In November 2018, together withDJ Khaled, Mayweather agreed to a total settlement of $750,000 with theSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for failing to disclose payments accepted from issuers ofinitial coin offerings, including a personal $100,000 promotional payment from beleagueredcryptocurrency firm Centra Tech Inc.,[278] whose co-founders were indicted for fraud in May 2018. According to the SEC, "they are its first cases involving charges for violating rules on touting investments in so-called initial coin offerings, or ICOs."[278] As part of the settlement, Mayweather undertook to forgo any endorsement or promotional agreement with a securities participant for three years.[279]
^Spector, Jess and Bowen, Fred (March 11, 2019)."Are Pro Athletes Overpaid?".Junior Scholastic.Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. RetrievedJanuary 1, 2022.
^Rold, Cliff."BoxingScene's Pound for Pound Top Ten".BoxingScene.Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 5, 2011.Floyd Mayweather (41–0, 25 KO) Age: 34 Lineal World Championships: World Jr. Lightweight (1998–2002, 8 Defenses); World Lightweight (2002–2004, 3 Defenses); World Welterweight (2006–08, 1 Defense)
^Rocchio, Christopher (October 17, 2007)."Floyd Mayweather Jr., Karina Smirnoff cut from 'Dancing with the Stars'".Realitytvworld.com.Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. RetrievedMay 20, 2020.What I like about you Floyd, you come out 100% and give it your all," Dancing with the Stars judge Len Goodman said following Floyd and Karina's Paso Doble routine. "Because you do that, you lose a bit of control. I'm not going to go on about technique and all that, but you lose it... But you're great entertainment. That had the most content of any routine you've done. Bloody good job.
