On This Day in 1998: Floyd Mayweather Jr. KO's Angel Manfredy in his first title defense

24 years ago today, Floyd Mayweather Jr. scored an easy knockout victory in his first title defense against Angel Manfredy.

'Money' is one of the biggest stars in the sport today, but he hasn't always been this famous. Like all other future champions, he had to work his way up and become a star through his work in the ring.

Mayweather already had a fair bit of hype behind him thanks to his successful amateur career. It took just 17 fights for the former Olympian to get a title shot, as he faced Genaro Hernandez in October 1998. Mayweather ultimately earned WBC super featherweight gold with an eighth-round stoppage.

Just one month later, Floyd Mayweather made his return for his first title defense. The newly crowned champion traveled to Miami, Florida to face Angel Manfredy. 'El Diablo' was a popular fighter in the '90s but was a level below Mayweather.

When the two men met on December 19th, 1998, the champion showed that there are indeed levels to boxing. Mayweather dominated Manfredy en route to a second-round knockout victory.

See the fight highlights below:

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Is Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired from professional boxing?

Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s first title defense against Angel Manfredy was far from the last.

The bout was an incredible one-sided knockout victory for 'Pretty Boy' and one of his final finishes before becoming 'Money' in the ensuing years. With the switch in persona, he went from a champion to a superstar.

Over the years, Mayweather became the face of boxing as he defeated names such as Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez, Shane Mosley, and more. With his legacy secure, he retired following a knockout win over Conor McGregor in 2017.

While he's been retired from boxing for the last five years, Floyd Mayweather has remained in the sport. While he's continued to compete in exhibition boxing, he's also promoted contests under his Mayweather Promotions banner.

Outside of boxing, the former champion has begun to make his name in the business world. Mayweather is currently involved in the real estate business and owns several skyscrapers in New York. He even has a stake in the famous One Vanderbilt building.

Nonetheless, Floyd Mayweather is in retirement, and with the exception of competing in an exhibition environment, he'll never fight again. With his time in the sport over, his knockout victory over Angel Manfredy remains one of the best moments of his career.