Five of Floyd Mayweather’s Biggest and Best Fights

Floyd “Money” Mayweather cemented his legacy in the sport through a series of high-profile bouts. As a five-weight world champion and four-time lineal champion, Mayweather, formerly known as “Pretty Boy,” retired in 2015 after defeating Andre Berto, maintaining an undefeated record of 49-0.

Less than two years later, Floyd Mayweather returned to the ring, this time facing off against UFC star Conor McGregor in what was dubbed “The Biggest Fight in Combat Sports History.” Mayweather extended his undefeated streak to 50 with a TKO victory over McGregor in the 10th round.

Now primarily focused on exhibition matches, Mayweather has amassed significant wealth in recent years by competing against opponents from various sports and even YouTubers.

Here, we take a look at Floyd Mayweather’s five top fights.

Miguel Cotto (May 2, 2012)

Floyd Mayweather moved up to the 154-pound weight class for the second time in his career to face Puerto Rican champion Miguel Cotto, who was defending his WBA (Super) light middleweight title for the third time.

Many expected Floyd Mayweather to easily win, but Cotto surprised everyone by putting up a strong fight. He even managed to bloody Mayweather’s nose at one point.

However, Mayweather’s superior skill became increasingly evident in the later rounds.

Although he couldn’t knock out Cotto, Mayweather secured a unanimous decision victory, which everyone at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas agreed was fair.

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (September 14, 2013)

In May 2012, on the undercard, WBC and Ring light middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez faced Mayweather at just 23 years old.

Despite being undefeated and ranked number one at 154 by the Ring Magazine, the young Mexican couldn’t keep up with Mayweather, who put on a masterful performance.

Despite reportedly weighing 15 pounds more than Floyd Mayweather, Canelo, the less experienced fighter, couldn’t match his skill. Mayweather secured victory with a 12-round majority decision, although one judge scored it as a draw.

CJ Ross, the judge with the controversial scorecard, faced significant criticism and subsequently retired. This defeat remains the only one in Canelo’s career.

Oscar De La Hoya (May 5, 2007)

Dubbed as ‘The World Awaits’, Mayweather’s first bout at 154lbs was against six-division champion and WBC light-middleweight titleholder Oscar De La Hoya.

Despite moving up from welterweight, Mayweather, also known as ‘The Pretty Boy’, weighed in 10lbs lighter than De La Hoya.

However, Mayweather’s tactical approach, relying on counters and right hands, proved too much for De La Hoya, despite his added weight advantage.

Mayweather secured the victory by split decision, becoming a five-weight world champion.

But perhaps his greatest triumph of the night was his ascent as a pay-per-view (PPV) star. The bout became the most lucrative boxing match in history at that time.

Ricky Hatton (December 8, 2007)

Despite rumors of Mayweather’s retirement following his victory over De La Hoya, ‘Money’ returned to the 147lbs weight class to defend his WBC and The Ring welterweight titles against undefeated Briton Ricky Hatton.

Hatton, the light-welterweight champion, surprised Mayweather in the opening round with a left jab that knocked him off-balance.

However, Mayweather quickly gained control of the bout, drawing blood from Hatton in round three.

As frustration and exhaustion mounted for Hatton, Mayweather seized the opportunity in the 10th round, knocking him to the canvas for the first time.

Disoriented by the knockdown, Hatton was subsequently floored again, prompting the referee to call an end to the fight simultaneously with Hatton’s corner throwing in the towel.

Manny Pacquiao (May 2, 2015)

After years of back-and-forth and failed negotiations, Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally reached an agreement to fight, with the WBA, WBC, WBO, and The Ring welterweight titles all at stake.

The bout occurred perhaps five years after both fighters were considered to be in their prime, but being the sport’s two biggest assets, it became the highest-grossing pay-per-view (PPV) event of all time, generating $410 million in the United States alone.

Mayweather dominated the fight from the start, utilizing jabs and counterpunches effectively.

His movement and pivoting skills made it difficult for Pacquiao to land shots, with the ‘Pacman’ only connecting with 19% of his attempts.

Despite a torn rotator cuff in Pacquiao’s shoulder, Mayweather managed to outperform him both in throwing and landing punches, ultimately securing a unanimous decision victory.

While the fight may not have fully met expectations, it could be considered one of the most significant of Mayweather’s career, as he finally achieved a long-awaited victory over the eight-division champ.