Floyd Mayweather Jr

Mayweather was born into a prominent boxing family in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., was a welterweight contender, and his uncles Roger Mayweather and Jeff Mayweather both competed as professional fighters. Throughout his professional career, Mayweather was trained at various times by his father and his uncle Roger, a dynamic that occasionally led to disputes between the two trainers.

Mayweather has four children: Jirah, Iyanna, Koraun, and Zion. He was previously engaged to Shantel Jackson, though the relationship ended before they married. In December 2011, Mayweather pleaded guilty to reduced charges of domestic violence battery and harassment connected to a September 2010 incident involving a former girlfriend, resulting in a 90-day jail sentence and community service. He served two months in 2012 before being released for good behavior.

During his amateur career, Mayweather earned the nickname Pretty Boy because he rarely suffered cuts or facial markings in the ring. He won national Golden Gloves championships in 1993, 1994, and 1996, establishing himself as one of the top amateur prospects in the United States.

Mayweather represented the United States at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, competing in the featherweight division. He secured a bronze medal after losing a controversial semifinal decision to Serafim Todorov of Bulgaria, concluding his amateur run before turning professional later that year.

Mayweather made his professional debut on October 11, 1996, defeating Roberto Apodaca by second-round knockout. In his 18th professional bout on October 3, 1998, he won his first world championship by stopping Genaro Hernandez in the eighth round to claim the WBC junior lightweight title. The victory earned Mayweather Ring magazine's Fighter of the Year honors for 1998.

Over the following years, Mayweather moved up through multiple weight divisions while retaining his undefeated record. He captured lightweight titles with victories over competitors such as Jose Luis Castillo, and in June 2005, he defeated Arturo Gatti to claim the WBC super lightweight championship. He subsequently advanced to the welterweight division, collecting titles against Zab Judah and Carlos Manuel Baldomir in 2006.

In May 2007, Mayweather defeated Oscar De La Hoya by split decision to win the WBC super welterweight title. The event broke existing live-gate and pay-per-view records, driven in part by the HBO reality documentary series 24/7, which elevated Mayweather into a mainstream celebrity. Later that year, he knocked out the previously unbeaten Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas and received his second Ring magazine Fighter of the Year award.

After a temporary retirement in 2008, Mayweather returned in September 2009 with a unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez. He continued his run at the top of the sport with victories over Shane Mosley in 2010, Victor Ortiz in 2011, and Miguel Cotto in 2012. In September 2013, Mayweather defeated Canelo Alvarez by majority decision, defending his unified super welterweight titles in another commercially dominant event.

On May 2, 2015, Mayweather faced longtime rival Manny Pacquiao in a highly anticipated welterweight unification bout in Las Vegas. Mayweather controlled the pace and earned a unanimous decision victory, taking his record to 48-0. Following a September 2015 victory over Andre Berto, Mayweather briefly stepped away from competition.

Mayweather returned to the ring on August 26, 2017, to face mixed martial arts competitor Conor McGregor in a crossover boxing match. Mayweather secured a tenth-round technical knockout, concluding his professional career with a perfect 50-0 record that included 27 knockouts. In 2007, Mayweather had also established his own promotional company, Mayweather Promotions, after departing Top Rank.