Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. is an American boxing promoter and former professional boxer. His career spanned from 1996 to 2017, during which he remained undefeated. Mayweather won 15 major world championships in categories ranging from super featherweight to light middleweight. His impressive record includes winning the Ring magazine title in three weight classes and the lineal championship in four weight classes, twice at welterweight. As an amateur, Mayweather won a bronze medal in the featherweight division at the 1996 Olympics, three U.S. Golden Gloves championships in light flyweight, flyweight, and featherweight, and the U.S. national championship at featherweight.
Mayweather is frequently hailed as the finest defensive boxer in history. According to CompuBox records, he is the most accurate hitter among professional boxers, boasting the highest plus-minus ratio in boxing history. His exceptional track record includes a tied record of 26 straight victories in world title bouts (10 by knockout), 23 victories (9 KOs) in lineal title bouts, 24 victories (7 KOs) against former or reigning world titleholders, 12 victories (3 KOs) against former or current lineal champions, and 5 victories (1 KO) against inductees of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. In 2021, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr., originally born as Floyd Joy Sinclair on February 24, 1977, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, came from a family of boxers. His father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., was a welterweight contender who once competed against the Hall of Famer, Sugar Ray Leonard.
Since his early years, boxing has always been Mayweather's passion and he never truly contemplated pursuing another career. He recalls his grandmother recognizing his boxing talent first. When he was a child, he considered getting a job, but his grandmother encouraged him to continue boxing. In the 1980s, Mayweather resided in Hiram Square, New Brunswick, New Jersey, where his mother's relatives lived. He reflects on his humble beginnings living in New Jersey when he was around eight or nine years old, in a one-bedroom apartment with six other people, often without electricity.
During his childhood, Mayweather often returned from school to find used heroin needles in his front yard. His mother battled drug addiction, and he lost an aunt to AIDS due to her drug abuse. He spent most of his time with his father in the gym, working on his boxing skills. Mayweather recalls his father rarely partaking in typical father-son activities with him, such as going to the park, movies, or getting ice cream. He even felt that his father favored his older sister, as she never received punishments, while he was frequently disciplined.
Mayweather essentially raised himself, relying on his grandmother's support. His life was full of challenges and fluctuations. His father, aware of the distress his incarceration caused his son, asserts he did his best by sending Mayweather to live with his grandmother, rather than strangers. During his father's absence, boxing became Mayweather's outlet. Mayweather devoted all his energy to boxing as his father served his time. He dropped out of high school, deciding that he needed to box to support his mother, as education didn't seem as crucial at that point.
Mayweather emerged victorious in his first professional boxing match on October 11, 1996, by defeating newcomer Roberto Apodaca in the second round. During this period, his uncle, Roger Mayweather, was his coach, as his father was serving prison time for a drug trafficking conviction in 1993. Upon his father's release from prison, following Mayweather Jr.'s 14th victory, he took over as his son's trainer. Between 1996 and early 1998, Mayweather claimed most of his victories by knockout or technical knockout.
Floyd Mayweather is one of the most profitable pay-per-view attractions across all sports. He consistently ranked at the top of the Forbes and Sports Illustrated lists of the 50 highest-earning athletes in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. After leaving Top Rank, Mayweather founded his own boxing promotional company, Mayweather Promotions, in 2006. He has racked up about 24 million pay-per-view purchases and $1.67 billion in revenue over his career, outperforming former leading pay-per-view stars like Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and Oscar De La Hoya.
In 2018, Mayweather was the top-earning athlete globally, with his total income, including endorsements, reaching $285 million, as reported by Forbes. Sportico's all-time athlete earnings list released in November 2021 placed Mayweather in the 6th position, with his career earnings adjusted for inflation totaling $1.2 billion.
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