Despite getting a lot of competition from MMA, boxing is still the world’s most famous fighting sport. And like any other sport, it has its legends. Among them, Floyd Mayweather is probably one of the greatest. At nearly 45 years old, Mayweather is still eager to fight. He retired undefeated a while ago, but from time to time he loves getting involved in exhibition matches for his fans. The next one will take place on February 20th, in Dubai. But can he win it?
Floyd Mayweather’s Career
Mayweather was born in 1977 and had a very humble start. He once said that he and his mother didn’t even have electricity at times, and that struggle was part of their everyday lives. At one point he thought about getting a job but his mom insisted that he kept boxing.
Team USA
Early Career
Floyd Mayweather’s amateur boxing career spanned over 92 matches. His record, even at this stage, was phenomenal: 84 W – 8 L. He won the Golden Gloves championships in 1993 and 1994 and was nicknamed Pretty Boy because he rarely took severe punches that would scar his face. The defensive abilities of Mayweather would become famous over the course of his professional career.
In the 1996 Olympics, Floyd Mayweather won the bronze medal in the featherweight division. In the process, he became the first US fighter to win against a Cuban opponent in 20 years. However, his defeat was very controversial and many believe that the judges stole his opportunity to fight for the gold medal.
Professional Career
Floyd Mayweather began his professional boxing career in 1996 and he quickly made a name for himself. At just 21 years old, he had already won 20 pro matches and the WBC super featherweight title. This title would get contested by many over the coming years but the American boxer successfully defended it each time. Among his opponents were great athletes like Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao. Both of them lasted against Mayweather for 12 rounds, which is a testament to how good they were at the time.
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Due to his skill and success, Mayweather ran into rare problems at the professional level. For instance, in 2015 he was stripped of his WBO title as Welterweight Champion because he had defeated Manny Pacquiao and won this title while holding a world title in a different division, something that the rules don’t allow.
Chris Farina
Mayweather’s Last Match
One of Floyd Mayweather’s most famous matches was against Conor McGregor, the former MMA champion. The bout took place on August 26th 2017 and was a clear demonstration that even at 40 years old and against a much younger world champion from a respected fighting sport, Mayweather was unbeatable. The match ended in the 10th round with a TKO. For Conor fans, this was a huge disappointment. But the rest of the world knew what would happen even before the fight took place.
The big difference between MMA and boxing is that MMA rewards versatility, while boxing rewards narrow expertise. The technique of a boxer is incomparably greater than that of an MMR fighter.
Of course, if the fight would have taken place in a cage and according to Conor’s rules, McGregor would have easily won because Mayweather has no training in martial arts like Judo or BJJ. But in a pure boxing match, where Conor can only use around 25% of his knowledge while Floyd can use his entire expertise, the MMA fighter’s mission was practically impossible. And he was probably aware of this, but decided to go through with the fight simply because it was a good business decision.
Esther Lin
The Upcoming Exhibition Match
We’ve yet to discover who Mayweather’s opponent will be on February 20th. No matter who gets picked, the fight should be very interesting to watch. From what we can tell, the undefeated legend is in excellent physical shape despite his age and will probably do whatever it takes to win. It would be a shame to have his record blemished at this point in his boxing life.
If you would like to bet on Floyd Mayweather’s exhibition match, you will find the odds available on Rivalry as soon as the opponent is announced.