- Retired undefeated at 50-0
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Once known as “Pretty Boy,” he shifted to a business-first model upon becoming “Money Mayweather.”
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is most proud of two numbers: 50-0 and $1.2 billion. The first is his professional boxing record, the best undefeated record for a retired world boxing champion. The second is the money he is estimated to have earned in his boxing career, which he values more, stating, “The money means more to me than the unbeaten record—my daughter can’t eat no zero, she can’t spend a boxing record.” His legacy in boxing is complicated. If I had a son or daughter become a professional boxer, his career is the one I’d most want them to have: rich, unbeaten, and with minimal brain damage. However, the question on my mind is, has he caused boxing more harm than good? I’d argue yes, and here are some reasons why.
In boxing, we now see superfights being made by Saudi Arabian Turki Al-Sheikh, head of Riyadh Season’s pursuit to dominate boxing. With Dana White’s 2026 arrival in boxing, it is thought that Turki brought him in to limit boxers’ pay, similar to Dana’s multibillion-dollar MMA promotion, UFC. This leaves boxing in a state similar to the post-Mayweather era, with boxers demanding higher pay than their worth and taking fewer risks. This can’t all be blamed on Floyd, but the issue is that many want to get paid like “Money Mayweather” without putting in the work of “Pretty Boy” Floyd. In his earlier era, he went 37-0 (24 knockouts), fighting and easily beating the best competition in high-risk, low-reward fights for legacy. In his “Money” era, he took low-risk, high-reward fights. His protégé, Gervonta Davis, skipped Floyd’s early era entirely, chasing money fights. Davis is doing an exhibition against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on November 14, despite a potential sixty-pound weight difference, and claims he will retire afterward, denying us legacy fights like one against Shakur Stevenson.
Exhibition fights have long existed in boxing, dating back to 1899 with inaugural heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan and Jake Kilrain. Even “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali, engaged in an exhibition with Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki in 1976. Mayweather arguably started his exhibition career with his 50th and final professional bout, a crossover match against MMA superstar Conor McGregor. Since then, he has fought eight more exhibitions against the likes of American gangster’s grandson John Gotti III, YouTube/WWE star Logan Paul, and another YouTuber, Deji Olatunji. He has another exhibition scheduled for 2026 against 59-year-old legendary boxer Mike Tyson, who was last seen being outclassed by Jake Paul for eight rounds, looking every bit his age—if not older. These exhibitions, in my view, harm boxing’s image by setting a trend where unranked, unqualified fighters get massive paydays over deserving professionals. Floyd and Mike have earned the right to these paydays, but the issue is that boxers today, who should be fighting the best in their weight classes, are more interested in Jake Paul-style paydays than building a legacy. Mayweather has contributed to this mentality.
Protecting the “0” has become paramount in boxing, largely due to Floyd. In MMA, a fighter like Nate Diaz can have thirteen losses, but in boxing, one loss can ruin a career. Having four belts per division doesn’t help either. A boxer holding the IBF belt, offered $5 million to fight an average-level fighter or $5 million to face a WBC champion who could beat them, will often choose the lower-risk option. Fighters see Mayweather make hundreds of millions and flaunt it, believing they’re entitled to the same without being the star he is, which is unrealistic. Over the past two years, Saudi Arabia’s entry into boxing has led to the biggest fights because they overpay boxers. Unlike soccer, where teams can’t cherry-pick opponents, boxing allows fighters to avoid tough matchups. Imagine Barcelona refusing to play Real Madrid but choosing Real Sociedad for an easier win—only in boxing do we see this.
Mayweather doesn’t get enough credit for his talent and intelligence in aligning with the right people, like Al Haymon and Leonard Ellerbe. His decision to leave Bob Arum in 2007 by buying out his contract for $750,000 to start his own promotional company was a billion-dollar idea. He has done much good for the sport, and that shouldn’t be overlooked. He is undisputedly the greatest defensive fighter of all time, with unmatched ring IQ. He has beaten more world champions than any other boxer in history and is boxing’s biggest box-office draw, holding five of the top ten pay-per-view events, including the top four. As I said, if I could choose any boxing career for a loved one, it would be Floyd’s: maximum financial gain with minimal damage. However, this hasn’t benefited boxing, as other fighters try to follow his blueprint, leaving fans starved of consistent best-versus-best matchups seen in every other sport.
He broke the system in a way no one else has, retiring as a billionaire alongside Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, LeBron James, and Roger Federer. He set a blueprint, but it’s one no other boxer can follow. Many forget that legacy fights are necessary to reach the low-risk, high-reward fights worth hundreds of millions.
He won’t care what I think, nor should he. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer with unimaginable wealth. My only complaint is that he has harmed the competitive nature of boxing in a way that may not recover for years to come.
