What is Drunken boxing? Is it real? 

Drunken boxing is a real style used by Emanuel Augustus, among others.

In boxing, there are many styles and techniques for fighters to use. Part of the fun of the sport is that every single athlete has a distinct style. In some cases, such as Floyd Mayweather, they transition from being aggressive fighters to being defensive ones.

Most boxers generally use a lot of the same techniques and fighting style, with few changes in terms of preparation and approach. But that's not the case for everyone. Some fighters use drunken boxing methods.

Zui Quan is an 18th-century fighting style that saw fighters use a lot of movement and awkward movements in combat. While the fighting style isn't used much today, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya sometimes utilizes it in the octagon.

The modern form of Zui Quan is known as drunken boxing. The style isn't used much or by many fighters. However, the best-known example of a boxer using this style is Emanuel Augustus.

On the surface, his 38-34-6 professional record doesn't stand out. However, Augustus was a difficult style for anyone to deal with on their best night. He even captured the IBA Light Welterweight title in 2004.

The former champion is the best example of a boxer using the style, hence his nickname 'The Drunken Master'.

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Floyd Mayweather discusses drunken boxing and Emanuel Augustus

The drunken boxing style was very effective for Emanuel Augustus, so effective that he nearly defeated Floyd Mayweather in 2000.

At the time, 'Pretty Boy' was seen as one of the biggest future stars in boxing. Already a WBC Super Featherweight Champion, Mayweather met 'The Drunken Master' when the latter had a professional record of 22-16-4.

Despite his lackluster record, Augustus brought the fight to the undefeated champion. The bout was very close, but Mayweather was able to rally and scored a ninth-round knockout to keep his record perfect.

In a 2012 interview with ESPN, Floyd Mayweather reflected on his career and his fight with Emanuel Augustus. In the interview, the former champion admitted that the bout was the toughest of his career. He stated:

"I'm going to rate Emanuel Augustus first compared to all the guys that I've faced. He didn't have the best record in the sport of boxing. He has never won a world title, but he came to fight, and, of course, at that particular time I had took a long layoff."