5 bigger opponents Floyd Mayweather made light work of
As undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather gears up to face YouTuber Logan Paul, fans of the sport have weighed in on the potential outcome of the fight.
At 6'2'' and expected to weigh in at around 190 pounds, Paul will hold a significant size advantage over the 5'8" 160-pound Mayweather. But the veteran is still the runaway favorite given his experience, legacy and unmatchable skill even at his age.
Floyd Mayweather is no stranger to fighting and beating bigger fighters. Here are five such examples.
#5 Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor
Floyd Mayweather's most recent appearance in the boxing ring came against Conor McGregor, who was one inch taller than him and boasted of a two-inch reach advantage.
On paper, that might not seem like much. But McGregor, known for picking his opponents apart by drifting in and out of range, wasn't going to be an easy opponent for Mayweather, who was returning to the sport after a long hiatus. 'The Notorious' also weighed in around 20 pounds heavier than Mayweather on fight night.
Mayweather put in an imperious performance, weathering an early storm from McGregor and taking the fight deep to finish his opponent convincingly. 'The Money Fight', as it was called, became the PPV with the second-highest buy rate in history.
Check out: What is Floyd Mayweather's Reach?
#4 Floyd Mayweather vs Philip Ndou
November 2003 saw lightweight champion Floyd Mayweather defend his WBC title against the 5'10.5" Philip Ndou. In his 13th fight for a world title, 'Money' turned in one of his best-ever performances.
Mayweather consistently attacked Ndou's body and threw several lethal combinations before finally dropping him in the seventh round. The fight was called off, handing the champion his third successive defense of the WBC lightweight title.
#3 Floyd Mayweather vs Tony Pep
In June 1998, Floyd Mayweather faced the tallest opponent of his professional boxing career - 6'1.5" super featherweight Tony Pep.
In his 17th pro fight, 'Pretty Boy' cruised to a comfortable decision win despite the size disparity. He landed 51% of his punches while making Pep miss 86% of his attempts, although the fight was only the fourth involving Mayweather to go the distance at the time.
The Canadian later became Mayweather's sparring partner, helping him deal with bigger opponents.
#2 Floyd Mayweather vs Diego Corrales
While attempting to defend his junior lightweight title against Diego Corrales in January 2001, Floyd Mayweather was up against a 5'10.5" fighter - who, incidentally, also struggled to adhere to the 130-pound limit.
The contest was expected to be a big test for Mayweather, who hadn't minced words in the lead-up to the fight. And while he started cautiously, he rapidly adjusted to his opponent, winning every round on every scorecard barring one.
Mayweather knocked Corrales down thrice in the seventh round and two more times in the tenth, recording a dominant TKO victory. 'Chico' landed only 60 of his 205 punches as he was thoroughly outboxed by a fighter who was clearly levels above in skill.
#1 Floyd Mayweather vs Oscar De La Hoya
Two of the greatest athletes in the history of boxing, Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya, locked horns in May 2007 with the WBC light middleweight title on the line. At 5'10.5", 'Golden Boy' was one of the tallest fighters Mayweather ever faced.
De La Hoya started on the offensive and pushed at a relentless pace, but Mayweather's precise counter-striking and awareness proved to be too much for the six-division world champion. 'Money' scored a split decision win, with the consensus that the 115-113 scorecard in favor of De La Hoya was a horrible mistake.
Interestingly, the fight between De La Hoya and Mayweather broke a PPV record at the time by selling 2.4 million.
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