Floyd Mayweather's 5 Greatest Wins

Modified Jan 01, 2022 17:32 IST

#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.

Edited by John Cunningham