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Floyd Mayweather is one of the greatest boxers of all time. As a professional, he stepped into the ring fifty times and never once tasted defeat.
A defensive wizard, Mayweather possessed extraordinary speed and superhuman reflexes. Wielding pinpoint accuracy and the sharpest boxing IQ imaginable, he was able to neutralize his opponents’ greatest attributes while capitalizing on their tiniest mistakes.
Stepping into the ring with some of the sport's greatest legends, Mayweather battled against every style the sweet science had to offer. From brutal bodypunchers and fast southpaws to slick counterpunchers and high-volume brawlers, no fighter was able to solve the elusive and frustrating puzzle that was Floyd 'Money' Mayweather.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, retiring with a stellar 50-0 record, and crafting one of the best resumes in boxing history, Floyd Mayweather's legacy in the sport is unquestionable and indisputable.
With so many incredible fights to choose from, this list will try to hone in on five of Floyd Mayweather's greatest wins.
#5. Floyd Mayweather vs. Genaro Hernandez
Before he was 'Money', he was 'Pretty Boy'.
On October 3rd, 1998, 'Pretty Boy' Floyd Mayweather fought for his first world title against Genaro Hernandez.
Genaro Hernandez was undefeated at super featherweight (130lbs) and had only lost once at lightweight (135lbs) in a fight against Oscar De La Hoya.
'Chicanito' was a champion through and through. Having held multiple titles at superfeatherweight, Hernandez had wins over great fighters such as Azumah Nelson, Anatoly Alexandrov, and Raul Perez.
With only 17 professional fights under his belt, was the 21 year old Floyd Mayweather ready to step into the ring with such a seasoned veteran and champion?
The answer turned out to be a resounding yes.
After an awkward first two rounds that saw both men slip and fall, the young Mayweather used his immense speed advantage to take over the fight.
'Pretty Boy' fought aggressively and landed blistering combinations involving uppercuts, hooks to the body and straight rights. Hernandez could do little to stop Mayweather from landing with lethal accuracy. The champion often found himself against the ropes and at the mercy of Mayweather's speed and precision.
'Chicanito' fought valiantly, however, he simply could not contend with his younger opponent's natural ability.
'Pretty Boy' showcased all of his amazing abilities in this bout, not just his spectacular offense. Whenever Hernandez finally got the chance to throw his own punches, Mayweather was able to halt the champion's offense with quick footwork, a tight high guard, sharp counters, and an ultra-slick shoulder roll.
After the eighth round, Hernandez's corner had seen enough and stopped the fight, making Mayweather the new WBC super featherweight champion.
The incredible win over 'Chicanito' was foreshadowing of things to come. The young boxing prodigy from Grand Rapids, Michigan was only just getting started.
#4. Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Floyd Mayweather fought Oscar De La Hoya on Cinco de Mayo - May 5th, 2007 - in Las Vegas. The bout was Mayweather's first fight at light middleweight (154lbs).
Prior to the fight, 'Pretty Boy' had fully embraced the role of the villain. He antagonized De La Hoya at every turn during press conferences and on fight night in front of the passionate Latino and pro De La Hoya crowd, Mayweather entered the ring wearing a white sombrero and shorts with the green, white, and red colors of the Mexican flag.
The crowd was in a frenzy and the eyes of the world were on Vegas. Was De La Hoya, with his size and reach advantage, going to be the one to finally defeat the loudmouth Mayweather?
'The Golden Boy' started the fight well. He pressed forward and fought behind a solid jab. De La Hoya's jab, his best punch and tool of the fight, kept Mayweather at bay during certain portions of the bout. Even Emanuel Steward, the legendary trainer of Thomas Hearns and Wladimir Klitschko, was impressed with De La Hoya's jab as he commentated from ringside.
However, a great jab wasn't enough to defeat Floyd Mayweather.
As the fight went into the middle rounds, Mayweather began to land the crisper and sharper shots. His right hand was like a sniper, and while De La Hoya was never close to being knocked down or stopped, 'The Golden Boy' simply could not match Mayweather's accuracy.
Whenever Mayweather was against the ropes, De La Hoya was able to produce some eye-catching combinations, much to the delight of the anti-Mayweather crowd. However, these punches rarely found their target, and often rolled off Mayweather's shoulders or missed his chin altogether.
In the end, Floyd Mayweather was declared the winner by split decision, and the new WBC light middleweight champion, making him a champion in five weight classes.
The fight with Oscar De La Hoya would catapult Floyd Mayweather away from his 'Pretty Boy' persona and into his newfound 'Money' identity.
#3. Floyd Mayweather vs. Diego Corrales
Floyd Mayweather vs. Diego Corrales wasn't a boxing match. It was a beatdown.
Mayweather stepped into the ring on January 20th, 2001 to defend his WBC super featherweight championship for the sixth time. His opponent was bigger, undefeated, and appeared to have superior knockout power. None of that mattered. Against Diego Corrales, Mayweather produced an absolute boxing masterclass.
Diego Corrales tried to chase and follow Mayweather as he tried to land body shots, but he simply had no answer against 'Money's astonishing speed and incredible precision. Throughout the bout, Corrales showed little offense and was battered bell-to-bell.
After suffering five knockdowns, three in the seventh round and two in the tenth, Corrales' corner threw in the towel.
What was supposed to be an even matchup, a toss-up between two young stars, ended up being one of Floyd Mayweather's greatest career performances.
#2. Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao is the biggest boxing match in history. After years of exhausting anticipation, the two legends finally met in the ring on May 2nd, 2015 in a fight billed as 'The Fight of the Century'.
Manny Pacquiao fought a good fight. Using his blinding handspeed and dynamic footwork, the Filipino icon was able to find success in the most important fight of his career.
Despite not being a prolific bodypuncher, Pacquiao was able to land good shots downstairs. When Mayweather was against the ropes, Pacquiao excited the crowd with blistering combinations. Despite having the shorter reach, he was able to land sneaky counters against boxing's greatest defensive maestro.
Manny Pacquiao fought very well, but Floyd Mayweather fought great.
'Money' used his simplest tools to absolute perfection in his bout against his Filipino rival. With his enormous reach and mastery of distance, Mayweather controlled the majority of the fight.
Pacquiao chased and followed 'Money' around the ring, trying to pull his opponent into a firefight, but Mayweather was never deterred from his simple yet effective gameplan. Throughout the bout, 'Money' kept Pacquiao frustrated and prevented him from finding his rhythm, peppering the Filipino sensation with sharp jabs and hard rights.
Mayweather's laser-accurate punches nearly always found their mark and stopped Pacquiao from closing the distance. His quick footwork and extraordinary in-ring expertise completely cut Pacquiao's workrate. The Filipino star, despite being famous for his extreme volume, was only able to throw 429 punches against Mayweather.
The fight would conclude with a unanimous decision for Floyd Mayweather.
Many fans might still consider 'The Fight of the Century' to be a dull affair and that it failed to live up to the hype. They may even have valid arguments. Did this fight happen five years later than it should have? Yes. Were Pacquiao and Mayweather still in their respective primes? No, they weren't. However, in 2015, they were still the greatest boxers of their generation.
Despite his loss to Mayweather, Pacquiao's legendary career continued with astonishing victories over Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Lucas Matthysse, Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman.
#1. Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez
The highly anticipated bout between Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez was billed as 'The One'.
Canelo Alvarez entered the fight as the sport's hottest new star. The 23-year-old Mexican sensation was undefeated, strong, fast, and bigger than Mayweather.
On September 14th, 2013, the whole world tuned in to see if 'The One' had finally arrived. Was Floyd Mayweather, after so many years of being unbeaten, finally going to lose?
In arguably the greatest performance of his career, Floyd Mayweather shocked the world by taking his younger opponent to school.
Mayweather dictated every single aspect of the fight. He negated Canelo's offense with slick defense and sharp counters. 'Money', despite being renowned for his footwork and ability to dance around the ring, stood right in front of his larger and stronger opponent and avoided Canelo's punches while landing his own at will.
Mayweather worked the body brilliantly and repeatedly snapped Canelo's head back with that sniper of a right hand. By the end of the bout, Canelo looked confused and deflated.
The highly lucrative bout ended in a decision victory for 'Money'. Despite one judge atrociously calling the shutout a draw, Floyd Mayweather once again proved his status as the best of his generation.
To say Mayweather's victory against Canelo has aged well over the years would be a massive understatement.
Nine years removed from his only career defeat, Alvarez has gone on to win championships in four weight classes. The Mexican superstar is currently boxing's pound-for-pound best and now has his sights on becoming champion in his fifth weight class.
