Floyd Mayweather Jr: A Story about Money (part 2)

A young determined Mayweather enter the amateur ranks.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a five-division world champion who happens to be undefeated. Also, he happened to have won 10 world titles including the linear championship in four different weight divisions. He’s been rated as the best pound-for-pound boxer by Ring, Sports Illustrated, ESPN and Fox Sports. Mayweather, winner of the Best Fighter ESPY Award six times, is the pride of Las Vegas and online sportsbooks in the US.

• Mayweather was listed Forbes magazine’s highest paid athlete.
• Mayweather credits his Grandmother for seeing his boxing potential first.
• Boxing was used by Mayweather to cope with his illiteracy.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is also rich. Considered to be the wealthiest fighter in the sport, Mayweather came from poor conditions. His father, a former welterweight contender, sold drugs to provide for his family. While in prison, Mayweather decided to drop out of school and pursue boxing. With his father away and his mother dealing with drug addiction, Mayweather stayed with his Grandmother.

Pretty Boy Mayweather as an amateur.

Mayweather was able to fly through the amateur ranks. His defensive technique came from his father and uncle. Mayweather used the “shoulder roll” technique in which he would raise his lead shoulder higher against his cheek. This allowed him to punch and more easily cover against facial blows. The result of this practice led other amateur competitors to call Mayweather “Pretty Boy” due to his lack of facial scars.

Mayweather was able to amass an amateur record of 84-6, winning three national Golden Gloves titles between 1993 and 1996. Mayweather also won a bronze medal in the featherweight division at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Mayweather won his first round in stellar fashion 10-1 on points against Bakhtiyar Tileganov of Kazakhstan. His second round defeat of Gevorgyan from Armenia ended 16-3.

Mayweather’s quarterfinal victory made history. Although he barely won over Lorenzo Aragon, Mayweather became the first U.S boxer to beat a Cuban since the 1976 Olympics. Mayweather saw the end of his Olympic run in a contested decision against Serafim Todorov of Bulgaria. The U.S team protested that the judges were intimidated by Emil Jetchv, the head of boxing officials, who favored his fellow Bulgarian fighters.

The U.S team management also protested that the referee didn’t count all of the punches Mayweather landed and that Todorov was giving points for punches he didn’t land. One of the referees quit the Olympic judge post as a result of Mayweather’s loss. Although the Olympics continued without Mayweather, many of the judges’ decisions were also mired in controversy and ill-reput throughout US gambling news.

Mayweather enters the professional ranks

Mayweather entered the professional ranks as a super featherweight. With his father still serving time for drug trafficking, Mayweather’s uncle Roger would continue training him. Mayweather’s first bout was against a new fighter and was quickly concluded after a two-round knockout. In his first two years of fighting, Mayweather won most of his fights by knockout or TKO which garnered him high praise from the boxing world.

Soon Mayweather won the WBC super featherweight title after a TKO against Genaro Hernandez. As a result, Mayweather became lineal champion of his division. The Ring awarded Mayweather the “Fighter of the Year Award”, the youngest to receive it. Mayweather defended his title three more times and after which announced himself as on the same level as Oscar De La Hoya and Roy Jones Jr.

After one more title defense against Gregorio Vargas, Mayweather split ways with his father by replacing him with James Prince as his manager. Mayweather claimed that his father was too hard on him by always pushing for perfection and that he had a better rapport with his uncle Roger. After another title defense, Roger Mayweather was re-instated as Mayweather’s trainer.

Mayweather soon had a major fight with Diego Corrales, who had an undefeated record of 33-0. Both fighters had undefeated records and ranked 1st and 2nd at the super featherweight division. Corrales was facing a jail sentence for battery of his pregnant wife. Mayweather announced that he would beat Corrales for all battered women across America.” Mayweather not only won every round, but knocked Corrales down five times forcing his corner to stop the fight. Mayweather once again defied the odds in accordance to US gambling laws.