What was it that made Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s undefeated career so successful?

Question

How much hard effort did he have to put in training and overall fitness/mentality in order to achieve this? If you can find me any statements from him which shows his motivation that would be awesome!

Answer 1

Despite Floyd's mouth, he was as dedicated to training as any fighter in this era.  Floyd did not duck anyone.  It is the reality of boxing that business dictates everything.  Very few boxers take on all comers, especially if they are fighting multiple weight classes.  As far as him fighting Judah after he lost to Baldomir,  Floyd used to spar with Judah and dominated him.  He knew he could beat him and was actually upset Judah had lost because it made the fight less lucrative.

Answer 2

Running.

Answer 3

He was born to be a fighter.  His dad and his unlces were professional fighters and he was pretty much raised to be one.  He wasn't even allowed to eat candy as a kid, thats how he became so disciplined.  

The idiots above who said he hand picked all of his opponents obviously dont know **** about boxing.  You dont get to hand pick your opponents until you are capable of promoting yourself and dont have to rely on people like Bob Arum.  Floyd fought everybody they threw at him on his journey to the pound-for-pound champ.  Everyone also said that the next guy would be to big/strong/fast/or experienced for Floyd.  Then Floyd would destroy them and make them look bad, and he would get criticized for it.  He actually got criticized his whole career for making people look bad, thats how good he was.  Did he hand pick Germano, Gatti, Judah, Baldomir, Corralles, and Castillo?

Answer 4

There is a saying in boxing that if your undefeated you have not really fought anybody! and when it comes to Mayweather he managed to avoid all the best fighters of his era.

    A good example is when he was close to fighting Margarito, but changed his mind to fight the much weaker Baldomir. The Gatti fight was a joke, because Gatti was all washed up (He NEVER WAS ANY GOOD!)... He fought Hatton at 147 lbs (Hatton was the 140 lb champ) instead of fighting the legit top guy at 147 lbs Cotto! He fought Judah after he had LOST to Baldomir!?! etc... I think its o.k. to get a fight where its a "gimme" But I think Mayweather got a little too carried away.

***Bob Arum knows how to promote fighters.. He never would have put Floyd against guys he did not think he could handle... Corrales was taylor made for Floyd because he had no defense and went forward all the time. He already had a history of being in "exciting" fights... Nobody finds it suspicious that as soon as Arum wanted to put Floyd against Margarito thats when Floyd jumped ship? So yes HIS WHOLE CAREER guys where hand picked for him. Never taking a really tough test. The only time that almost backfired on him was when Castillo lost the contreversial decision.

Answer 5

Floyd Mayweather trained 365 days a year, he was one of the most well conditioned athletes in the world throughout his entire career.

Was he over-hyped towards the end of his career, yes.  Is his undefeated record as impressive as uneducated boxing fans make it seem, no.  Did he avoid the best fighters available during the last couple years of his career, yes.  Is he one of the best fighters of the past 30 years or so, absolutley.  

I really can't stand when people on this forum point to guys like PacMan, who disappears in between camps and shows up a month late to prepare, or Hatton, who balloons up to 170+ between fights and has to waste time and energy cutting weight, or Cotto, who is just as cocky before and during fights as Floyd (only its in spanish), as the guys who should have been the standard bearers for boxing instead of a guy like Floyd Mayweather who has worked to perfect his craft and style for 25 years, can be found in the gym everyday, and can make himself available within a couple weeks notice to fight anywhere from 135 to 160.

Overall, he should be considered the top fighter of this decade.

Answer 6

Because he hand picked his opponents, taking guys he knew he could beat, and only taking a big risk against Oscar when he was going to make 20 million dollars to do so.

After that he fought a smaller Ricky Hatton then retired before he had to fight Cotto.

Mayweather put his legacey in seriouse jepordy by retiring.

Answer 7

Ducking tough fights and getting a decision over Castillo when he really lost badly. Jumping around to other weight classes to avoid the tough guys sticks out the most.

Answer 8

Floyd mayweather was a great champ and a future hall of famer,BUT the biggest reason he is undefeated is because he always fought the 2nd best fighters around.please don't get me wrong he beat some great fighters but he always new were the money was(a smart move).he should have fought margarito but instead he challenged baldimor.this was a smart move because baldimor was really famous he had just beat judah and he was being called the new cinderella man and floyd new this fight had alot of money.He also should have fought cotto instead of hatton but once again hatton was the more popular fighter.looking back on this you can honestly say that between hatton and baldimor they were both good fighters but not the best.In my eyes floyd could have beaten both margarito and cotto but i just don't think he thinks he can.

at the end of the day he will be a fighter that could have been the greatest welterweight of all time if he would have had more heart.

Answer 9

he only fought ppl he knew he could beat. and if he faced someone that could potentially beat him, he ran. Castillo was the only one to skool him, but he got robbed. He was really good at training. but his style was kind of boring.

Answer 10

What made him so successfull was his speed, defense & ability to adapt to any fighters style.  I see people crying about Hatton being the 140 champ & he fought Floyd at 147, is it just me or did Floyd just fight Oscar before Hatton at 154?  Why would he want to drop 14lbs to fight Hatton for Hatton's title in which Floyd already had.   Hatton challenged Floyd so he moved up to fight him & got his A$$ kicked.   People say he hand picked his opponents, what about the late great undefeated Diego Corales?   Floyd tko'd him & knocked him down about 5 or 6 times in that fight & Diego had never been down before that fight.   So Diego in his career was destroyed by Floyd.   He fought Oscar for the money & he handled him also.   He didn't have the fighters that Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler & Roberto Duran had.  However he beat everyone that was put in front of him & beat them convincingly.   He is one of the greatest of the last 30 years.

Answer 11

He doesn't waste his time and energy on fighting "No Name Boxers".  That would be unecessary wear and tear on the body and no big $$$$.  He was going for the "Popular Name Fighters" where people pay big $$$$ to see.  That's called using your head and saving your body.  He was motivated by the Greatest Fighters of all times.

Answer 12

ducking all the great fighters and fighting only the good ones.