| Floyd Mayweather, Jr. | |
|---|---|
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| Boxer | |
| Born | Feb. 24, 1977 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is a famous American professional boxer. He is currently undefeated as a professional and he has held the championship title in five different divisions. In 1998 and 2007, he was named the Fighter of the Year as rated by The Ring Magazine. The same magazine also ranked him as the #1 welterweight and junior middleweight.
Early Life
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. was born on February 24, 1977, in Michigan. Boxing was always a part of his life since his dad, Floyd Mayweather, Sr., was a welterweight contender. His uncle Jeff is also a former super featherweight champ.
At an early age, his dad introduced Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to the gym just shortly after he began talking. He held his young child near the punching bags whenever they visited. Within a short time, Floyd Jr. was throwing his punches at anything he came across. When he turned seven, his dad had him fitted for a pair of boxing gloves. He soon became popular at the neighborhood gym located just five doors from his family’s home.
Floyd Jr. did not have the simplest family life. For one thing, his dad had anger issues. In 1978, his dad was shot in his leg after a dispute with a friend. His dad was also sentenced to time in prison in 1993 after being found guilty of cocaine trafficking.
Boxing Career Highlights
Despite his family’s issues, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. found peace and control in the boxing ring. During his early career, he was known as the Pretty Boy due to his unmarked face and good looks. With his fast and precise style, he won the National Golden Gloves competition three out of four years – in 1993, 1994, and 1996.
Floyd turned professional on October 11, 1996. His father served as his manager and trainer and Floyd Jr. won numerous bouts in his first two years as a pro. He also received a lot of praise from all corners of the boxing industry. In 1998, he won his very first world title – the WBC super featherweight championship – following an eighth round technical knockout. In 1996, Floyd became the first U.S. Olympian to win a world boxing title.
Dominating Different Divisions
Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s career accelerated more in the beginning of 2000. He embarked on a seven-year stretch during which time he rose up in weight class four times. He took home the WBC lightweight championship in 2001 and the WBC super lightweight title in 2005.
On November 19, 2005, Floyd moved to the welterweight division. He fought against Sharmba Mitchell and he knocked Mitchell down with a straight right hand to the head early in the bout. In the sixth round, Mitchell dropped again and this ended the fight. On April 8, 2006, Floyd defeated Zab Judah for the IBF welterweight title. After this fight, it was reported that Floyd Mayweather rejected an $8 million offer to fight Antonio Margarito, a championship boxer.
Soon after winning against Zab Judah, Mayweather was scheduled to compete against Carlos Baldomir, the WBC and The Ring magazine’s welterweight champion. Despite not losing in a period of more than eight years, Baldomir was still an underdog in the fight.
Floyd defeated him for two titles and won $8 million as a result. After this win, Floyd became the first boxer since Roverto Duran to win The Ring titles in both welterweight and lightweight divisions. He also went on to capture his third lineal championship.
As a light middleweight competitor in 2007, Floyd defeated Oscar De la Hoya for his WBC super welterweight title. He earned a great deal of money for his success and in 2010, he was highest paid American athlete. He had an income of over $60 million for that year alone.
Recent Years
In 2007, Floyd surprised the world when he announced that he was going into retirement. However, he came back in 2009 and won a fight against Juan Manuel by a unanimous decision. Eight months later, Floyd won a 12-round fight against Shane Mosley while in Las Vegas. In May of 2013, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. made headlines after winning a 12-round competition against Roberto Guerrero in which he won the WBC welterweight title.
Personal Life
Floyd is a father of four children and he currently lives in Las Vegas. In 2000, he fired his dad as his manager and trainer and replaced him with his uncle. In December of 2011, he was sentenced to 90 days in prison after pleading guilty to a domestic violence charge. He has also been arrested numerous times ever since 2002 for battery and violence.