Floyd Mayweather is an American athlete, boxing legend, who has not lost a single fight in the professional ring. Over a long sports career, he earned over a billion dollars and is rightfully considered the richest boxer of our time. After a scandalous fight with Conor McGregor in August 2017, Mayweather announced the end of his boxing career. However, this does not prevent him from taking part in exhibition fights and trying his hand at related sports, for example, in mixed martial arts.
Biography: childhood, family, studies
The athlete's full name is Floyd Mayweather Jr. He is the full namesake of his father, who also played in the boxing ring at one time. The future champion was born on February 24, 1977 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In addition to his father, his uncles, Roger and Jeff Mayweather, were associated with boxing, they both had championship titles.
Floyd has been 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 my father was convicted of trafficking in illegal substances. Prior to his arrest, Mayweather grew up in an environment of constant abuse and fights. Later, he will try this pattern of behavior in his relationships with women.
The focus on sports and training prompted Floyd to drop out of school. He wanted to earn a living by boxing, so he got rid of the study that interfered with him without regret.
Sports career
In amateur boxing, Mayweather played in the period 1993-1996. He had 90 fights and won 84 of them. Three times (in 1993, 1994 and 1996) he won the annual Golden Gloves amateur boxing tournament. In his debut time he performed in the first flyweight and every year moved to a heavier weight category.
Speed, technicality, combined with defensive tactics helped Floyd to 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 amateur boxer's career was a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games 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 newcomer Roberto Apodaca from Mexico. The American knocked out his 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. In December, he defeated boxer Angelo Manfredi. Mayweather was recognized as the best athlete of 1998 by authoritative publications writing about boxing.
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 Juco;
- Carlos Herena;
- Grigorio Vargas;
- Emanuel Augustus;
- Diego Corrales;
- Carlos Hernandez;
- Jesus Chavez.
Floyd Mayweather was originally a lightweight champion. His parameters in 1996: height 173 cm with a body weight of 60 kg. Since 2002, he has transitioned to lightweight and has twice defeated 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 into silence.
Then Mayweather moved to the second lightweight division. The fight with WBC champion Arturo Gatti, held in June 2005, turned out to be scandalous. Floyd rudely broke the rules when he pinned his opponent down with his elbow. However, his advantage in the ring was so overwhelming that Gatti ended the fight ahead of schedule.
In welterweight (up to 66 kg), Mayweather performed for exactly one year, until November 2006. He defeated three titled boxers - Sharmba Mitchell, Zab Judah, Carlos Baldomir.
One of the most intense fights in Mayweather's career can be called a meeting with the famous compatriot Oscar De La Hoya. And although the opponent held himself very dignified, in May 2007 Floyd won the champion title in the fifth weight category. Boxing fans also noted that for the first time in his career, a winner missed so many punches.
Continuing his performance in the first middleweight champion, in December 2007 he outplayed the British boxer Ricky Hatton, who was considered invincible until that moment.
Then Mayweather took a break in his career for two years. He returned in September 2009, dealing confidently with Juan Manuel Marquez. The American's career has already reached transcendental heights, so from now on his rivals are only the best professional boxers. Shane Mosley, Victor Ortiz, Miguel Cotto, Robert Guerrero, Saul Alvarez, Marcos Maidana joined the list of losers to Floyd.
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 were eagerly awaiting how the two greatest boxers will prove themselves in this confrontation. The fight took place in an equal fight and turned out to be not very spectacular. Mayweather still had a slight advantage. 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 victory over Mayweather. As expected, the American won by TKO in the 10th round.
Floyd Mayweather's champion titles in different weight categories:
- 2nd WBC Featherweight - October 3, 1998;
- lightweight according to WBC - April 20, 2002;
- 1st WBC Welterweight - June 25, 2005;
- IBF Welterweight - April 8, 2006;
- 1st WBC Average - May 5, 2007.
Personal life
Floyd Mayweather has never been married. He has four children from two women. With Josie Harris - one of his lovers - the athlete lived for 10 years. She gave him two sons and a daughter. Unfortunately, Floyd Mayweather carried his traumatic childhood experience into adulthood. In 2012, Harris accused him of domestic violence. The boxer was sentenced to 90 days in prison and a heavy fine.
Another scandal ended Mayweather's love affair with actress Chantelle Jackson. They were going to get married, but the failed bride broke off the engagement. She accused her ex-fiancé of beatings, persecution, slander and infliction of moral suffering.
No matter how his relationship with women develops, Floyd Mayweather gives his children everything that he himself was deprived of in childhood. For example, on the 16th birthday of his daughter, he invited famous rappers Futcher and Drake. Judging by his Instagram profile, the athlete loves luxury, spares no money on exclusive cars, jewelry, designer accessories. "I have enough money, and I will not be able to spend it, even if I live a million more lives," - said the boxer when he left professional sports.
Perhaps in the not too distant future, loyal fans will still see the king of boxing in action. After defeating Conor McGregor, Russian fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov challenged Mayweather. The final decision has not yet been made, but a new generation of young fighters still hopes to defeat the indestructible Floyd.
