Floyd Mayweather is an American athlete, a boxing legend who has not lost a single fight in the professional ring. Over a long sports career, he has earned over a billion dollars and is considered to be the richest boxer of our time. After a scandalous duel with Conor McGregor in August 2017, Mayweather announced the end of his boxing career. However, this does not prevent him from participating in exhibition fights and trying his hand at related sports, for example, in mixed martial arts.
Biography: childhood, family, study
The athlete's full name is Floyd Mayweather Jr. He is the complete namesake of his father, who also played at one time in the boxing ring. The future champion was born on February 24, 1977 in the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. In addition to his father, his uncles, Roger and Jeff Mayweather, were associated with boxing, both of them had champion titles.
Floyd has been engaged in boxing since early childhood. He saw this as a chance to ensure a decent life for himself and his family. The family lived very poorly. Particularly difficult times came when his father was convicted of trafficking in illicit substances. Before his arrest, Mayweather grew up in an environment of constant abuse and fights. Later, he will try on this model of behavior on his relations with women.
A focus on sports and training prompted Floyd to drop out of school. He wanted to earn a living by boxing, so without regret he got rid of the studies that interfered with him in this.
Sports career
In amateur boxing Mayweather performed in the period 1993-1996. He spent 90 fights and won 84 of them. Three times (in 1993, 1994 and 1996) he won the annual Golden Boxing amateur boxing tournament. For the debut time he performed in the first flyweight and every year passed into a heavier weight category.
Speed, technicality, combined with defensive tactics helped Floyd effectively avoid blows from opponents and do without serious damage to his face. For this he received the nickname "Handsome."
The final chord in the boxer's amateur career was a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. In the semifinals, he lost on points to the Bulgarian athlete Serafim Todorov.
Mayweather's professional boxing career began on October 11, 1996. In the ring, he met with the same rookie Roberto Apodaka from Mexico. The American knocked out an opponent in the second round. At first, his fights very often ended in knockouts.
Mayweather became a real boxing star after defeating WBC world champion Genaro Hernandez. The fight took place on October 3, 1998. Already in December, he defeated boxer Angelo Manfredi. Authoritative publications about boxing recognized Mayweather as the best athlete of 1998.
In less than three years, the boxer had 8 fights and looked confident in all, dominated the ring, leaving his opponents no chance to win. His rivals in 1999-2001:
- Carlos Ramon Rios;
- Justin Dzhuko;
- Carlos Jeren;
- Grigorio Vargas;
- Emanuel Augustus;
- Diego Corrales
- Carlos Hernandez;
- Jesus Chavez.
Initially, Floyd Mayweather performed in the first lightweight. Its parameters in 1996: height 173 cm with a body weight of 60 kg. Since 2002, he goes to lightweight and twice defeats WBC champion Jose Luis Castillo. True, the first victory was not very convincing, many experts did not agree with the decision of the judges. But the revenge put everything in its place, forcing the critics to shut up.
Further, Mayweather switched to the second lightweight. The fight with WBC champion Arturo Gatti in June 2005 turned out to be scandalous. Floyd rudely broke the rules when he pressed his opponent with his elbow down. However, his advantage in the ring was so overwhelming that Gatti prematurely finished the fight.
Welterweight (up to 66 kg) Mayweather performed exactly a year, until November 2006. He defeated three titled boxers - Sharmba Mitchell, Zabu Judah, Carlos Baldomir.
One of the most intense battles in Mayweather’s career is the meeting with the famous compatriot Oscar De La Hoya. And although the rival held up with dignity, in May 2007, Floyd won the league title in the fifth weight category. Boxing enthusiasts also noted that for the first time in their career, a winner missed so many hits.
Continuing his first middleweight title, in December 2007 he outplayed British boxer Ricky Hatton, who had been considered invincible until then.
Mayweather then took a career break for two years. He returned in September 2009, confidently cracking down on Juan Manuel Marquez. The American’s career has already reached sky-high heights, so from now on his rivals are only the best professional boxers. The list of losers Floyd joined Shane Mosley, Victor Ortiz, Miguel Cotto, Robert Hererro, Saul Alvarez, Marcos Maidana.
May 2, 2015 Mayweather met in the ring with Manny Pacquiao. His rival is the only champion in the world in eight weight categories at once. Fans eagerly awaited how the two greatest boxers would prove themselves in this confrontation. The fight was held in an equal fight and was not too spectacular. A slight advantage nevertheless remained with Mayweather. For this fight, he received a record fee of $ 300 million.
Floyd decided to leave professional boxing after defeating mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor. Few believed that the debut of the Irish athlete in the boxing ring would bring him a victory over Mayweather. Quite expectedly, the American defeated by technical knockout in the 10th round.
Floyd Mayweather Championship titles in different weight categories:
- WBC 2nd featherweight - October 3, 1998;
- lightweight according to WBC - April 20, 2002;
- WBC 1st Welterweight - June 25, 2005;
- IBF Welterweight - April 8, 2006;
- WBC 1st Medium - May 5, 2007.
