Mayweather, Floyd Jr.
b. 1977 · Contribution: 1996
Undefeated five-division world champion boxer (50-0), winner of 15 major world titles and widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive fighters in the sport's history
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Impact on the world
Retired with a perfect 50-0 professional record, capturing 15 major world championships across five weight classes from super featherweight to light middleweight. An Olympic bronze medalist at the 1996 Atlanta Games, he became one of the most accurate and elusive defensive boxers ever recorded and repeatedly the highest-paid athlete in the world (topping the Forbes list from 2012 to 2015). He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the Class of 2021.
Life & background
Born Floyd Joy Sinclair on February 24, 1977, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, into a boxing family, Mayweather won three national Golden Gloves titles and a 1996 Olympic bronze medal before turning professional that year. Nicknamed 'Money,' he founded Mayweather Promotions in 2007 and headlined several of the most lucrative pay-per-view events in sports history.
Sources
- Encyclopædia Britannica; International Boxing Hall of Fame (Class of 2021); BlackPast.org
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