Floyd Mayweather's Finest Moments Prior to Manny Pacquiao fight
The career of Floyd Mayweather Jr. has had a few bumps - certainly, his various family feuds involving his father and uncle (former and current trainers of his) are now legendary. However, when you have a career record of 41-0 and have just been ranked as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world by Yahoo! Sports, it’s easy to see why your career has had many more career highs than lows.
Mayweather Jr. is currently on the precipice of signing a deal with Manny Pacquiao for the biggest fight in recent boxing history. If he were to win this fight, it would place him on a pinnacle of boxing excellence that few people have reached. One win could elevate him alongside some of the sport’s all-time classic figures as Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson and into the discussion of the best boxers ever.
No matter what happens in a potential fight with Pacquaio, Mayweather Jr. is certain to go down as one of the greatest boxers of his generation. Here is a look back at some of his top career highlights:
Olympic Medalist: Mayweather Jr.’s experience at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta could go down as a highlight or a lowlight. Most observers felt that he was robbed out of a decision against eventual gold medalist Serafim Todorov in the semifinals which cost him a chance to fight for the gold medal. The U.S. Olympic Team protested the decision to no avail, and Mayweather Jr. was forced to join the likes of Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones Jr. as American boxers who lost chances at a gold medal under dubious circumstances.
First World Championship: The first professional title of Mayweather Jr.’s career came in October 1998, when he defeated Genaro Hernandez for the WBC super featherweight title. Although he didn’t drop Hernandez, he was all over the tough champion from the opening bell, using his hand speed to overwhelm Hernandez. It all ended when Hernandez’s corner decided to end the fight in the eighth round, making Mayweather Jr. the first U.S. Olympian from the 1996 team to win a world title.
Moving Up in Class: Mayweather Jr. earned his second world title by stepping up to lightweight in April 2002 and winning a controversial unanimous decision over Jose Luis Castillo. Both fighters were penalized for rough tactics during the bout, and some ringside observers scored the fight for Castillo. However, Mayweather Jr. would prove that his victory was no fluke by also winning their rematch eight months later.
Welterweight King: After being Arturo Gatti for the WBC junior welterweight championship in June 2005, Mayweather Jr. moved up to the crowded and very talented welterweight class. He would achieve immediate success, defeating Zab Judah in April 2006 by unanimous decision for the IBF crown. In Judah, Mayweather Jr. would meet a boxer with comparable (if not quicker) hand speed; he was able to adjust and work his jab and outside fighting to earn the win.
Dethroning “The Golden Boy”: To date, the defining moment of Mayweather Jr.’s career came in June 2007, when he moved up to junior middleweight for a huge fight against Oscar De La Hoya. Despite having a significant size disadvantage, He appeared to have won the fight handily, but De La Hoya’s aggression was almost rewarded by the judges as Mayweather Jr. walked away with a narrow split decision victory.
Hittin’ Hatton: British fighter Ricky Hatton was touted as the most challenging opponent of Mayweather Jr.’s career ahead of their fight in December 2007; many felt he had the power and toughness to push Mayweather Jr. as no one had before. However, despite the supporter of a large number of rowdy British fans, Hatton was no match for Mayweather Jr.’s speed and accuracy, looking slow and sluggish before being stopped in the 10th round.
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