Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Considered as one of the greatest boxers of his time Floyd Mayweather Jr. was born in Michigan on February 24, 1977. He inherited his love of boxing from his father, Floyd Sr., a welterweight contender and his uncles Jeff Mayweather and Roger Mayweather, former IBO super featherweight champion and former WBC super lightweight champion and WBA super featherweight champion, respectively.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. began his career at the gym not long after he began to start walking. Introduced to the world of boxing at an early age, Mayweather Jr. was fitted for his first pair of boxing gloves at age 7.

While his family inspired him to pursue boxing, Mayweather Jr.’s family life was complicated. His father faced danger as a drug dealer and was sentenced to prison in 1993 on cocaine trafficking charges. Mayweather Jr.’s mother was also afflicted by substance abuse issues.

Despite the tension at home, Mayweather Jr. found solace in the ring. Noted for his fast, precise style and unmarked face — earning him the nickname “Pretty Boy” — Mayweather Jr. became a prominent figure. In 1993, 1994, and 1996 he won the national Golden Gloves.

Mayweather Jr. finished his amateur career with a track record of 84–6. On October 11, 1996, Mayweather Jr. turned professional, continuing to win matches. Having been released from prison, Mayweather Sr. began to serve as his son’s manager and trainer, helping his son refine his career as a talented boxer. After defeating Genaro Hernandez in 1998, Mayweather Jr. captured WBC super featherweight championship, his first world title.

During the early 2000s, Mayweather Jr. continued his successful career despite firing his father in 2000. He proceeded to move up in weight class four times, and also took home several titles. Having earned the WBC lightweight title in 2002, the WBC super lightweight title in 2005, he also took home IBF, WBC, IBO, and IBA welterweight titles in 2006. One year later, he won the WBC super welterweight crown after defeating Oscar De La Hoya.

In 2007, Mayweather Jr. announced his boxing retirement after defeating Ricky Hatton. Despite this surprise, he returned in 2009 to win against Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosely. These wins upped his professional record to 41–0. After winning a 12-round bout against Robert Guerrero in 2013 in Las Vegas, he took home the WBC welterweight title and bumped his record to 44–0, boasting 26 knock-outs over his career.

Four years later, in 2017, Mayweather Jr. signed on for bout with Conor McGregor, a former amateur boxer turned UFC champion. Mayweather Jr., then forty-years-old, outclassed his opponent to up his professional record to an impressive 50–0. Again, he announced his retirement.

As of November 2018, Mayweather Jr. is anticipated to come out of his retirement to square up against 27–0 Japanese kickboxing star, Tenshin Nasukawa, at a RIZIN event on New Year’s Eve in Japan.

Originally published at danielcaskey.org on October 25, 2018.