Profile and Bio for Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one of the most accomplished boxers of his generation. The longtime pound for pound champion, he took a break from the sport for about 18 months but is now returning.

With an undefeated 39-0 record spanning 5 weight classes, he’s a lock to go down as one of the best of his era. But he has returned to the ring now with a mission, to get his pound for pound title back. The first man that stands in his way is current number 2 pound for pound Juan Manuel Marquez, and presumably after that is the reigning kingpin, Manny Pacquiao.

The Early Years for Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather is from a family of fighters. His father, Floyd Mayweather Sr. was a decent professional fighter and his uncle Roger Mayweather was a champion caliber fighter. His other uncle Jeff Mayweather was also a pro boxer. Therefore it was no surprise that young Floyd began boxing as soon as he could stand. He had an excellent amateur career that ended with a bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics.

He turned pro just months later and began his professional career at the super featherweight limit of 130 pounds. Over the next 18 months he fought a staggering 17 times and was lined up for the first true test of his career.

Super Featherweight Domination

Mayweather was lined up to face Genaro Hernandez in October of 1998. Hernandez was a reigning champion who had only lost once in his career before. He moved up in weight to challenge the far bigger Oscar De La Hoya and was stopped. Back down to his normal weight of 130, he had once again been looking excellent. Mayweather needed just 7 rounds to get rid of him.

Next up came 8 title defenses against many top challengers and contenders. First on the list was the respected Angel Manfrady who was stopped in two rounds. Then in the beginning of 2001 came a showdown with an undefeated Diego Corrales, who had been tearing up his opposition. Mayweather dissected and battered him over the course of 10 rounds, knocking him down 5 times. Mayweather then took on 2 future world champions and beat both impressively, in Carlos Hernandez and Jesus Chavez.

Moving Up to New Weights

With the super featherweight division cleaned and seeking more exposure, Mayweather moved up to lightweight. Here he met reigning champion Jose Luis Castillo. Suffering an arm injury early in the contest, he received what many feel was a gift decision. However he gave Castillo a rematch later in the year and bested him easily.

Mayweather defended his new lightweight championship twice more and then moved up again, to junior welterweight. After two fights he was lined up against Arturo Gatti. It was his breakout performance and it was a brutal, one sided affair. After six violent rounds, Mayweather extraordinarily too fast and skilled for Gatti, the fight was mercifully stopped. Most knew Mayweather would win, but few knew it would be so emphatically.

Finally to get the attention he always felt he deserved, he moved up another weight class to welterweight, gearing up for a fight with undisputed champion Zab Judah. Judah lost his tune up bout but the Mayweather-Judah fight was held up anyway. Mayweather beat Judah then beat the man who ruined the luster of their match, Carlos Baldomir.

He then finally got the match that he had been waiting a career for, a showdown against Oscar De La Hoya. Mayweather moved up to 154 pounds to fight the biggest star in boxing, and earned a split decision victory. Nearly all observers felt however that the fight was won in a wide fashion, and not in the close split decision the judges questionably awarded.

Moving back to welterweight, Mayweather met fellow undefeated star Ricky Hatton. Mayweather knocked him out in ten rounds en route to becoming the biggest star in boxing this side of De La Hoya himself.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

With all of these accomplishments, Mayweather has faced many doubters. People feel that he avoided some tougher fights at welterweight and also feel that he is a boring fighter. In his absence from the sport, Pacquiao decisively knocked out De La Hoya and then needed only two rounds to turn the lights out on Hatton. Both of these fights furthered the arguments of critics who say that Pacquiao has long been the people’s pound for pound champion.

All signs are pointing to the two men getting a chance to settle the score in the ring. If Mayweather gets by Pacquiao rival Marquez, the only thing in the way of this battle is the money. But there will be far too much money at stake for anybody to prevent it from happening.

Will Mayweather’s return to the ring add to his undefeated legacy or will a loss prove his detractors correct?

Written by: Jake Emen