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Welterweight
After his fight with Gatti, Mayweather moved up to the welterweight division. On November 19, 2005, Mayweather fought a non-title bout at 147 lb (67 kg) against welterweight Sharmba Mitchell. In round 3, Mayweather knocked down Mitchell with a straight right hand to the head. In round 6, another straight right hand—this one to Mitchell's body—dropped Mitchell again and ended the fight.
Mayweather vs. Judah
Main article: Floyd Mayweather vs. Zab Judah
On April 8, 2006, Mayweather defeated Zab Judah for the IBF Welterweight title by unanimous decision. Beforehand, the fight had been jeopardized after Judah lost the WBA, WBC and The Ring Welterweight titles to Carlos Manuel Baldomir on January 7, 2006, but Mayweather's and Judah's camps reworked the contract and decided that the fight would go on.[85] In the fight, Mayweather stayed calm during Judah's aggressive early rounds. Mayweather began to dominate Judah in round 5 and Judah eventually bled. Near the conclusion of the tenth round, Judah hit Mayweather with a left hand that was clearly below the belt and followed up with a right-handed rabbit punch. After referee Richard Steele called time with five seconds remaining in the round, Roger Mayweather entered the ring and approached Judah, but Steele restrained him. Judah's father and trainer, Yoel Judah, entered the ring as well. Floyd remained in the neutral corner while both Yoel and Zab scuffled with Roger (and others who had entered the ring) until police and security managed to restore order. Roger was thrown out, but the fight continued and went the scheduled 12 rounds. Mayweather won by the official scores of 116–112, 117–111 and 119–109. Compubox statistics showed Mayweather as landing 188 punches to 82 for Judah.[86]
Five days after the fight, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) decided not to overturn the result of the bout, but Roger Mayweather was fined US$200,000 and suspended for one year.[87] The suspension entailed that Roger could train Mayweather, Jr. in the gym but could not work the corner during fights.[88] On April 17, 2006, the IBF ordered a rematch between Mayweather and Judah, but the NSAC suspended Judah for one year on May 8, 2006.[89] Mayweather vacated the IBF title on June 20, 2006.
After his fight against Judah, it was reported that Mayweather rejected an offer of US$8 million to fight Antonio Margarito, citing his split with promoter Bob Arum as the reason.[90] Oscar De la Hoya, however, postponed his decision until 2007, leaving Mayweather to choose his next opponent.[91] Mayweather considered moving up in weight again to fight Light Middleweight Champion Cory Spinks, but because of negative publicity and Spinks' impending mandatory defense of his title, he finally decided to face WBC and The Ring Welterweight Champion Carlos Baldomir on November 4, 2006 in Las Vegas.[92]
The bout took place on November 4, 2006. Despite having not lost in over 8 years, Baldomir was seen as a heavy underdog in the fight. Mayweather would ultimately defeat Baldomir by unanimous decision for both titles. Ringside punch statistics showed Mayweather landing 199 of 458 punches, while Baldomir landed just 79 of 670. Mayweather earned $8 million for the fight, while Baldomir was paid $1.6 million. Both were career highs in earnings for each fighter at the time.
During the fight, Baldomir chased Mayweather, unable to land any meaningful shots but tried to remain the busier fighter, while Mayweather picked away with sharp jabs and hooks and cut Baldomir over his left eye in the first round. This pattern continued throughout the fight. The defensive-minded Mayweather put on what many witnesses and Mayweather himself called a "boxing clinic" to take Baldomir's WBC and The Ring Welterweight titles in a lopsided 12 round decision. Two judges had Mayweather winning all 12 rounds, with the other giving all but two rounds to Mayweather. After the fight, Mayweather called out for a fight with Oscar De La Hoya.
With Mayweather's win, he became the first fighter since Roberto Durán to have captured The Ring title in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions.[93] Mayweather also captured his third Lineal Championship in as many weight-classes (Super featherweight, Lightweight and Welterweight), following in the footsteps of such fighters as Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Light Middleweight
Mayweather vs. De La Hoya
The World Awaits
Mayweather's next match was the long-anticipated superfight against six-division champion and current WBC Light Middleweight titleholder Oscar De La Hoya on May 5, 2007. De La Hoya's belt was on the line, which required Mayweather to move up in weight from 147 pounds to 154. However, Mayweather was outweighed by more than 10 pounds on the night of the fight, coming in at only 150 pounds. Despite De La Hoya's insistence that money was not a factor, the Mayweather-De La Hoya bout set the record for most PPV buys for a boxing match with 2.7 million households, shattering the record of 1.95 million for Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson II. Around $120 million in revenue was generated by the PPV, which set another record. With the percentages factored in, Oscar De La Hoya earned $58 million for the bout, the highest purse ever for a fighter. The previous record was $35 million, held by Tyson and Holyfield. Floyd Mayweather earned about $25 million for the fight.[94]
At one time, Floyd Mayweather, Sr., Mayweather, Jr.'s father, was in talks to train Oscar De La Hoya and be in his corner during the fight but he decided to train with Freddie Roach. Mayweather won the fight by split decision in 12 rounds, capturing the WBC title. However, many analysts and ringside observers felt Mayweather should have won the clear unanimous decision. In the early rounds, De La Hoya had some success cutting off the ring, attempting to pound Mayweather on the inside. Despite being very active on the inside, many of De La Hoya's punches were ineffective and landed on Mayweathers arms or shoulders. By the middle of the fight, it was seen as an even bout by the announcers. However, Mayweather turned the tide in the middle and late rounds, often hitting De La Hoya at will. Official scorecards read 116–112 (Mayweather), 115–113 (Mayweather) and 115–113 (De La Hoya). Compubox had Mayweather out landing De La Hoya 207 to 122 in total punches and 134 to 82 in power punches, as well as having better accuracy in the entire fight. After the bout, Mayweather contemplated retirement, saying he had nothing left to prove in the boxing world.
Return to Welterweight
Mayweather vs. Hatton
Undefeated
Press Conference in Manchester, 2007
After his fight with De La Hoya, Mayweather decided to relinquish his WBC Light Middleweight Championship[95] and kept his WBC Welterweight Championship. On July 28, 2007, it was announced that Mayweather would come out of his short retirement to fight The Ring Light Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton, which was promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's promotion company Golden Boy Promotions and Floyd Mayweather's "Mayweather Promotions." The bout was labelled "Undefeated" and took place on December 8, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, in a fight which was the biggest welterweight showdown of two undefeated fighters since Oscar De La Hoya and Félix Trinidad met in their 1999 superfight. In the build up to their fight, Mayweather claimed that he was the greatest boxer ever, saying: "I respect what Robinson and Ali did for the sport. But I am the greatest and this is my time."
Mayweather controlled the fight from the start and knocked Hatton out in the 10th round to retain the Welterweight Championship.[96] Hatton suffered a cut over his right eye in round three from the punches of Mayweather and it seemed that it was at this point that his pace and movement began to slow. In round six Hatton lost a point for punching the back of Floyd's head as he was caught d****d on the ropes. In the tenth round, Hatton was caught with a check left hook thrown from Mayweather's hip and, as a result, he fell forward head first into the turnbuckle and hit the deck. Hatton managed to make it to his feet, but was clearly dazed. Two more big lefts in a flurry put Ricky down again and Cortez stopped it at 1:35 of round ten.[97] Official scorecards read 88–82, 89–81 and 89–81, at the time of stoppage, all in favor of Mayweather.
After the fight, Mayweather said that Hatton was one of the toughest fighters he had ever fought, that he just kept coming and coming and that he wants to promote fights, with Hatton being his first client. Mayweather announced his retirement from boxing to concentrate on his promotional company.[98]
After his fight with Gatti, Mayweather moved up to the welterweight division. On November 19, 2005, Mayweather fought a non-title bout at 147 lb (67 kg) against welterweight Sharmba Mitchell. In round 3, Mayweather knocked down Mitchell with a straight right hand to the head. In round 6, another straight right hand—this one to Mitchell's body—dropped Mitchell again and ended the fight.
Mayweather vs. Judah
Main article: Floyd Mayweather vs. Zab Judah
On April 8, 2006, Mayweather defeated Zab Judah for the IBF Welterweight title by unanimous decision. Beforehand, the fight had been jeopardized after Judah lost the WBA, WBC and The Ring Welterweight titles to Carlos Manuel Baldomir on January 7, 2006, but Mayweather's and Judah's camps reworked the contract and decided that the fight would go on.[85] In the fight, Mayweather stayed calm during Judah's aggressive early rounds. Mayweather began to dominate Judah in round 5 and Judah eventually bled. Near the conclusion of the tenth round, Judah hit Mayweather with a left hand that was clearly below the belt and followed up with a right-handed rabbit punch. After referee Richard Steele called time with five seconds remaining in the round, Roger Mayweather entered the ring and approached Judah, but Steele restrained him. Judah's father and trainer, Yoel Judah, entered the ring as well. Floyd remained in the neutral corner while both Yoel and Zab scuffled with Roger (and others who had entered the ring) until police and security managed to restore order. Roger was thrown out, but the fight continued and went the scheduled 12 rounds. Mayweather won by the official scores of 116–112, 117–111 and 119–109. Compubox statistics showed Mayweather as landing 188 punches to 82 for Judah.[86]
Five days after the fight, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) decided not to overturn the result of the bout, but Roger Mayweather was fined US$200,000 and suspended for one year.[87] The suspension entailed that Roger could train Mayweather, Jr. in the gym but could not work the corner during fights.[88] On April 17, 2006, the IBF ordered a rematch between Mayweather and Judah, but the NSAC suspended Judah for one year on May 8, 2006.[89] Mayweather vacated the IBF title on June 20, 2006.
After his fight against Judah, it was reported that Mayweather rejected an offer of US$8 million to fight Antonio Margarito, citing his split with promoter Bob Arum as the reason.[90] Oscar De la Hoya, however, postponed his decision until 2007, leaving Mayweather to choose his next opponent.[91] Mayweather considered moving up in weight again to fight Light Middleweight Champion Cory Spinks, but because of negative publicity and Spinks' impending mandatory defense of his title, he finally decided to face WBC and The Ring Welterweight Champion Carlos Baldomir on November 4, 2006 in Las Vegas.[92]
The bout took place on November 4, 2006. Despite having not lost in over 8 years, Baldomir was seen as a heavy underdog in the fight. Mayweather would ultimately defeat Baldomir by unanimous decision for both titles. Ringside punch statistics showed Mayweather landing 199 of 458 punches, while Baldomir landed just 79 of 670. Mayweather earned $8 million for the fight, while Baldomir was paid $1.6 million. Both were career highs in earnings for each fighter at the time.
During the fight, Baldomir chased Mayweather, unable to land any meaningful shots but tried to remain the busier fighter, while Mayweather picked away with sharp jabs and hooks and cut Baldomir over his left eye in the first round. This pattern continued throughout the fight. The defensive-minded Mayweather put on what many witnesses and Mayweather himself called a "boxing clinic" to take Baldomir's WBC and The Ring Welterweight titles in a lopsided 12 round decision. Two judges had Mayweather winning all 12 rounds, with the other giving all but two rounds to Mayweather. After the fight, Mayweather called out for a fight with Oscar De La Hoya.
With Mayweather's win, he became the first fighter since Roberto Durán to have captured The Ring title in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions.[93] Mayweather also captured his third Lineal Championship in as many weight-classes (Super featherweight, Lightweight and Welterweight), following in the footsteps of such fighters as Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Light Middleweight
Mayweather vs. De La Hoya
The World Awaits
Mayweather's next match was the long-anticipated superfight against six-division champion and current WBC Light Middleweight titleholder Oscar De La Hoya on May 5, 2007. De La Hoya's belt was on the line, which required Mayweather to move up in weight from 147 pounds to 154. However, Mayweather was outweighed by more than 10 pounds on the night of the fight, coming in at only 150 pounds. Despite De La Hoya's insistence that money was not a factor, the Mayweather-De La Hoya bout set the record for most PPV buys for a boxing match with 2.7 million households, shattering the record of 1.95 million for Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson II. Around $120 million in revenue was generated by the PPV, which set another record. With the percentages factored in, Oscar De La Hoya earned $58 million for the bout, the highest purse ever for a fighter. The previous record was $35 million, held by Tyson and Holyfield. Floyd Mayweather earned about $25 million for the fight.[94]
At one time, Floyd Mayweather, Sr., Mayweather, Jr.'s father, was in talks to train Oscar De La Hoya and be in his corner during the fight but he decided to train with Freddie Roach. Mayweather won the fight by split decision in 12 rounds, capturing the WBC title. However, many analysts and ringside observers felt Mayweather should have won the clear unanimous decision. In the early rounds, De La Hoya had some success cutting off the ring, attempting to pound Mayweather on the inside. Despite being very active on the inside, many of De La Hoya's punches were ineffective and landed on Mayweathers arms or shoulders. By the middle of the fight, it was seen as an even bout by the announcers. However, Mayweather turned the tide in the middle and late rounds, often hitting De La Hoya at will. Official scorecards read 116–112 (Mayweather), 115–113 (Mayweather) and 115–113 (De La Hoya). Compubox had Mayweather out landing De La Hoya 207 to 122 in total punches and 134 to 82 in power punches, as well as having better accuracy in the entire fight. After the bout, Mayweather contemplated retirement, saying he had nothing left to prove in the boxing world.
Return to Welterweight
Mayweather vs. Hatton
Undefeated
Press Conference in Manchester, 2007
After his fight with De La Hoya, Mayweather decided to relinquish his WBC Light Middleweight Championship[95] and kept his WBC Welterweight Championship. On July 28, 2007, it was announced that Mayweather would come out of his short retirement to fight The Ring Light Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton, which was promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's promotion company Golden Boy Promotions and Floyd Mayweather's "Mayweather Promotions." The bout was labelled "Undefeated" and took place on December 8, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, in a fight which was the biggest welterweight showdown of two undefeated fighters since Oscar De La Hoya and Félix Trinidad met in their 1999 superfight. In the build up to their fight, Mayweather claimed that he was the greatest boxer ever, saying: "I respect what Robinson and Ali did for the sport. But I am the greatest and this is my time."
Mayweather controlled the fight from the start and knocked Hatton out in the 10th round to retain the Welterweight Championship.[96] Hatton suffered a cut over his right eye in round three from the punches of Mayweather and it seemed that it was at this point that his pace and movement began to slow. In round six Hatton lost a point for punching the back of Floyd's head as he was caught d****d on the ropes. In the tenth round, Hatton was caught with a check left hook thrown from Mayweather's hip and, as a result, he fell forward head first into the turnbuckle and hit the deck. Hatton managed to make it to his feet, but was clearly dazed. Two more big lefts in a flurry put Ricky down again and Cortez stopped it at 1:35 of round ten.[97] Official scorecards read 88–82, 89–81 and 89–81, at the time of stoppage, all in favor of Mayweather.
After the fight, Mayweather said that Hatton was one of the toughest fighters he had ever fought, that he just kept coming and coming and that he wants to promote fights, with Hatton being his first client. Mayweather announced his retirement from boxing to concentrate on his promotional company.[98]
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