Floyd Mayweather's Reach

Floyd Mayweather is one of the greatest boxers who has ever lived. Ranked number 1 by many, the 50-0 professional dominated the ring for the entirety of his 21 year long career. He may not be the unanimous G.O.A.T, with fighters like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson staking a claim on that title, but he’s definitely in the conversation.

Mayweather is arguably the third most financially successful athlete of all time, only behind Michel Jordan and Tiger Woods in estimated net worth. He’s reportedly earned over a billion dollars in fight money over his career. When it comes to earnings in the world of Boxing, Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather truly stands alone.

He’s able to create an unprecedented amount of hype around his fights, pulling in massive earnings and viewership with every appearance in the ring. Mayweather fights always create hype, and a large part of his success in the ring has to do with his long reach.

How Long is Floyd Mayweather’s reach?

Mayweather has fought in five different weight categories between super featherweight and light middleweight. Standing at 1.73 metres, his range is an astonishing 1.82 metres. It may not seem like much, but it is invaluable in a sport like boxing, where even a 3 inch (7cm) reach advantage can potentially change the outcome of a fight. Mayweather has used his reach not only on the offensive end, but also defensively.

One of the greatest defensive boxers of all time, Mayweather is a master of defensive boxing and uses his massive shoulders to absorb blows and counter with lightning quick speed, slipping by opponents defenses. His reach has played a large part in some of his more difficult wins, like in his fight against Oscar De La Hoya.

Had his reach been any lesser, he would not have the undefeated title that he does today. Mayweather even went on record before his fight with Pacquiao and spoke about how his reach would be essential to the win. "I don't know if it's going to be a difficult fight for me...I have a long reach, I'm a very big welterweight, and very strong, so I think that that's going to play a major key. I'm a very, very smart fighter," he says in this interview.

It’s pretty obvious that having a longer reach than your opponent is a good thing in boxing. Not only does it make it easier to tag them with a jab while keeping your distance, but attacks like hooks and crosses can do more damage to an opponent because of the longer wind up.

Longer arms are also a boon for defense, and you can easily cover your body. Mayweather has certainly made full use of his reach inside the boxing ring.

FAQ:

Q: What is a good reach for boxing?

A: There are 17 different weight classes, and each has fighters of different sizes. Thus there is no “good” reach for boxing, it depends on the individual's category. However, in general, having a reach longer than your opponent is an advantage. Here is the average reach of boxers across weight classes.

Q: What is the average reach of a boxer?

A: The average reach across the most successful champions, past and present, in all 17 WBA boxing weight classes is 180 centimeters (1.8m) [based on available data]

Check out: What is Mike Tyson's Reach?