Floyd Mayweather Jr: from Grand Rapids and an Olympic bronze to 50-0 | Ultimate Boxing Reunion

Why fans still care

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR retired on 26 August 2017 with 50 wins and no losses, 27 of them by knockout. He had won world titles in five weight classes, and was lineal champion in four.

Olympedia describes him as almost universally considered the greatest defensive fighter of all time, which is an opinion, but it is one you will hear from many fans. Ask about him and you will hear about the shoulder roll and the pay per view numbers, and then about the night in 2015 when the whole world waited for him to fight Pacquiao.

Early life

He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on 24 February 1977 into a boxing family. Olympedia says he was taught to box by his father and his uncle, and he has named his father as the man who taught him the shoulder roll. He won National Golden Gloves titles in 1993 and 1994.

At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta he fought at featherweight. He beat Bakhtiyar Tyleganov of Kazakhstan when the referee stopped it, Artur Gevorgyan of Armenia on a decision, and Lorenzo Aragón of Cuba 12 to 11. On 2 August 1996 he lost the semi final 10 to 9 to Serafim Todorov of Bulgaria, and the United States team protested, saying the head official had pressured the judges. The protest was dismissed, and he shared the bronze medal.

Career chapters

1. 1993 and 1994National Golden Gloves champion
2. 1996Wins Olympic bronze in Atlanta, then turns professional on 11 October
3. 1998Stops Genaro Hernández in round 8 for the WBC super featherweight title
4. 2001Stops Diego Corrales in round 10 after five knockdowns
5. 2002Beats José Luis Castillo twice
6. 2005Stops Arturo Gatti after round 6
7. 2006Beats Zab Judah, then Carlos Baldomir for the world welterweight championship
8. 2007Beats Oscar De La Hoya, Who’s Who number 10 (story coming soon) on a split decision, then stops Ricky Hatton in round 10
9. 2009Returns after 21 months and beats Juan Manuel Márquez
10. 2010Beats Shane Mosley
11. 2011Knocks out Victor Ortiz in round 4
12. 2012Beats Miguel Cotto
13. 2013Beats Canelo Álvarez, Who’s Who number 8 (story coming soon) on a majority decision
14. 2014Beats Marcos Maidana twice
15. 2015Beats Manny Pacquiao, Who’s Who number 1, then Andre Berto, to reach 49-0
16. 2017Stops Conor McGregor in round 10 and retires at 50-0
17. 2022Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
18. 2026Announces a return to professional boxing

The debut and the first title 1996 to 1998

He turned professional on 11 October 1996 at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas, and stopped Apodaca in round 2. His uncle Jeff Mayweather was there.

On 3 October 1998 he stopped Genaro Hernández in round 8 at the Las Vegas Hilton to win the WBC super featherweight title. It was his 18th professional fight.

Corrales 20 January 2001

He defended the WBC and lineal super featherweight titles against Diego Corrales at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Corrales went down three times in round 7 and twice in round 10, and the fight ended in a TKO in round 10. USA Today reported that Corrales set a CompuBox record for futility, landing just 60 of 205 punches, and CBS News reported that Mayweather landed 220 of 414.

Castillo 2002

On 20 April 2002 he beat José Luis Castillo, the WBC lightweight champion, on a unanimous decision at the MGM Grand. The cards were 115 to 111 twice and 116 to 111. The result was disputed. Promoter Bob Arum later said Castillo won eight rounds to four, but the official cards were unanimous for Mayweather.

On 7 December 2002 he beat Castillo again, on a unanimous decision, 115 to 113 twice and 116 to 113, to defend the WBC lightweight title. There were no knockdowns, and CompuBox had Mayweather landing 162 of 399 punches to Castillo’s 137 of 604.

Gatti 25 June 2005

He fought Arturo Gatti at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City and won Gatti’s junior welterweight title, his third weight class. A left hook dropped Gatti in round 1 as Gatti turned away, expecting a break. Gatti’s corner stopped the fight after round 6, and CompuBox had Mayweather landing 168 of 295 punches (57 per cent) to Gatti’s 41 of 245.

Judah and Baldomir 2006

He beat Zab Judah on a unanimous decision on 8 April 2006, with Judah’s IBF welterweight belt at stake.

On 4 November 2006 he fought Carlos Baldomir at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and won the world welterweight championship on a unanimous decision, 120 to 108 twice and 118 to 110. His uncle Roger was not in the corner. Roger was under suspension by Nevada officials and was serving six months in jail for a battery conviction, so Leonard Ellerbe took the corner.

De La Hoya 5 May 2007

He fought Oscar De La Hoya, Who’s Who number 10 (story coming soon) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for De La Hoya’s WBC 154 pound title, and won a split decision. Chuck Giampa scored it 116 to 112 and Jerry Roth 115 to 113 for Mayweather, and Tom Kaczmarek scored it 115 to 113 for De La Hoya. Mayweather went to 38-0. The Associated Press reported 2.48 million pay per view buys, which stood as the record until 2015.

Hatton 8 December 2007

On 8 December 2007 he fought Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand and stopped him in round 10 at 1:35, with the referee Joe Cortez stepping in after two knockdowns. A left hook dropped Hatton in Mayweather’s corner, then a flurry brought the second knockdown. The cards at the stoppage were 89 to 81 twice and 88 to 82.

Márquez and Mosley 2009 and 2010

He came back on 19 September 2009 after 21 months away and beat Juan Manuel Márquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on a unanimous decision, 120 to 107, 119 to 108 and 118 to 109. He put Márquez down in round 2. The agreed weight was 144 pounds, Mayweather missed it and paid a US$600,000 penalty, and Márquez was four pounds lighter at the weigh in.

On 1 May 2010 he beat Shane Mosley at the same arena in a non title welterweight fight, 119 to 109 twice and 118 to 110. Mosley’s knees buckled in round 2, and 15,117 people were there.

Ortiz and Cotto 2011 and 2012

On 17 September 2011 he knocked out Victor Ortiz in round 4 in Las Vegas, at 2:59, to win the WBC welterweight title. Ortiz had head-butted him late in the round and lost a point, and after the restart Mayweather landed and Ortiz was counted out. The referee said Mayweather did nothing illegal.

On 5 May 2012 he beat Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the WBA super welterweight title, on a unanimous decision, 117 to 111 twice and 118 to 110.

Court cases 2002 to 2012

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in 2010 that he pleaded guilty to two domestic battery charges in 2002. In June 2004 he was convicted of two counts of misdemeanor battery for punching two women at a nightclub in the Luxor in August 2003, and received a suspended jail sentence and counselling (Las Vegas Sun, 11 June 2004).

On 21 December 2011 he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery constituting domestic violence and no contest to two counts of harassment, from an incident in September 2010 involving a former partner. He was sentenced to six months with at least 90 days in custody, a US$2,500 fine, 100 hours of community service and a year of domestic violence counselling. Felony charges of coercion, robbery and grand larceny were dismissed in the plea. The sentence was delayed so he could fight Cotto on 5 May 2012. He entered the Clark County jail on 1 June 2012 to serve 87 days, and was released on 3 August 2012 after serving two months.

Canelo and Maidana 2013 and 2014

On 14 September 2013 he fought Canelo Álvarez, Who’s Who number 8 (story coming soon) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, at a 154 pound catchweight for the WBA and WBC light middleweight titles. He won a majority decision, 117 to 111 (Craig Metcalfe), 116 to 112 (Dave Moretti) and 114 to 114 (C.J. Ross). Boxing News said the 114 to 114 card was widely criticised. Boxing News reported about 2.2 million pay per view buys and US$150 million, a record at the time.

He fought Marcos Maidana twice in 2014. On 3 May 2014 he won a majority decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, 117 to 111, 116 to 112 and 114 to 114, in front of 16,268 people. On 13 September 2014 he won the rematch on a unanimous decision, 116 to 111 twice and 115 to 112.

Pacquiao 2 May 2015

He fought Manny Pacquiao, Who’s Who number 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, with his WBC welterweight title plus the WBO belt at stake, and won a unanimous decision, 118 to 110, 116 to 112 and 116 to 112. The Associated Press first reported 4.4 million pay per view buys in the United States and over US$400 million in pay per view revenue, and ESPN later reported the total amended to 4.6 million buys. The live gate was US$72.2 million.

Sherdog’s round by round credited his counter right hand in rounds 2, 5, 8, 9 and 10, and his jab in rounds 5, 7, 8 and 12.

Berto and the 49th win 12 September 2015

On 12 September 2015 he fought Andre Berto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and won a unanimous decision, 120 to 108, 118 to 110 and 117 to 111, keeping his WBC and WBA welterweight titles. It was his 49th win, tying Marciano’s 49-0, and he said it was his last fight.

McGregor 26 August 2017

He came back for one more, against Conor McGregor at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas at 154 pounds. The referee Robert Byrd stopped it at 1:05 of round 10, with the cards at 87 to 83, 89 to 82 and 89 to 81. McGregor was making his professional boxing debut. Mayweather outlanded him 130 to 60 across rounds 6 to 10, and CompuBox had it 170 to 111 overall. His plan, he said, was to let McGregor shoot his heavy shots early. He went one past Rocky Marciano’s, Who’s Who number 22 (story coming soon) 49-0 and retired 50-0, and said afterwards, “This was my last fight tonight. For sure.”

Since 2017

He was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2021, announced on 15 December 2020, and was inducted on 12 June 2022 at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York.

On 20 February 2026 he announced that he would return to professional boxing. As of 17 October 2026 he has not had a professional fight since 2017, and a rematch with Pacquiao planned for 19 September 2026 was postponed indefinitely on 26 June 2026.

Style, technique and the corner

How he fought

He built his style on defence, and the shoulder roll was the centre of it. He says his father taught it to him, and that he made it his own: “It’s mine because I mastered it.” Hatton told The Ring in 2014 that when he threw six, seven or eight punches, Mayweather would “either get a half shoulder, half block or half dip or pull away.” Hatton did not use the words shoulder roll.

At 130 pounds he was an attacker, with five knockdowns of Corrales. In the title fights with Canelo in 2013 and Pacquiao in 2015, both went the distance. He landed 42 per cent of 330 jabs against Canelo, and 57 per cent of his punches against Gatti.

The punches

The left hook did a lot of his early damage: it dropped Gatti in round 1 and Hatton in round 10, and a left hook put Márquez down in round 2. Hatton said the first lead left hook took him by surprise. Against Pacquiao the counter right and the jab did the work, as Sherdog’s round by round shows.

Training

He trained at odd hours. In 2013 the Los Angeles Times described late night and early morning sessions, with jumping rope in ankle weights and mitt and heavy bag work with several coaches. The BBC said in 2017 that he trained in the early hours for McGregor, and quoted Steve Bunce calling him a “thief of ideas.” The gym’s sparring is known as the Dog House.

The corner

Floyd Mayweather Sr taught him to box, with his brother Roger. In April 2013 Mayweather Jr said his father would work his corner again for Robert Guerrero, because he thought he had taken too much punishment against Cotto. The father’s line on defence is, “The less punches you take, the longer your career lasts.” Roger said, “I train my nephew.”

Roger Mayweather was his longtime trainer and died in March 2020, aged 58. Mayweather said he was one of the most important people in his life inside and outside the ring.

Jeff Mayweather, another uncle, was there when Floyd turned professional in 1996 and was something of a mentor and manager. He was at the Hernández title fight in 1998, left after Floyd brought in James Prince as manager, and the two reconnected around 2010. Nate Jones, a teammate on the 1996 United States Olympic team who won heavyweight bronze, later became an assistant who worked with him on the HBO and Showtime fights.

He owns the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, which the BBC calls the Mayweather Gym and Team Money HQ. The Money Team is his circle, and Inquirer’s 2015 profile names Jones as part of it.

Weight

He won world titles at super featherweight, lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight and light middleweight.

Stories people still tell

1. The corner without Roger.

   For the Baldomir fight in 2006, his uncle was under suspension by Nevada officials and in jail, so Ellerbe worked the corner.

2. The weight in 2009.

   After 21 months away he missed the agreed 144 pounds against Márquez and paid a US$600,000 penalty.

3. The 50th win.

   The McGregor win took him past Marciano’s 49-0, and he retired at 50-0.

4. Two names.

   He was reportedly nicknamed Pretty Boy because people noticed he left fights without cuts or bruises. In 2012 he said Money came from joking around and throwing money into the camera, and added, “You can’t be a 35-year-old man calling yourself ’Pretty Boy.’”

5. In his own words.

   After Ortiz he said, “In the ring you have to protect yourself at all times.”

Legacy

He retired unbeaten at 50-0, went into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and set pay per view records that stood for years. Boxing writers named him Fighter of the Year in 2007, 2013 and 2015.

Bernard Hopkins, Who’s Who number 9 (story coming soon) said in 2007 that he was the best fighter of the era, and Sugar Ray Leonard, Who’s Who number 16 said he watched every move his opponent made, like Muhammad Ali, Who’s Who number 33. In 2015 De La Hoya wrote a scathing open letter to him in Playboy, and the line about his defence sits inside that letter. The letter called him boring, so the line is not plain praise.