MANILA, Philippines ? For Floyd Mayweather Jr, life is about winning. As a child he says he would race his friends to see who could tie their shoes the fastest. At 38 years old, he continues to apply that mindset to his professional boxing career, earning him an unbeaten 47-0 (26 knockouts) record and world titles in 5 divisions.
?All I was taught was to win, be first at whatever you do,? says Mayweather. He has repeatedly touted his undefeated record and winner?s mentality as reasons why he?ll triumph in his biggest fight to date on May 2, when he faces Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
?When a guy has lost before, when a guy?s been knocked out before, that?s in the back of his mind,? Mayweather says.
But before he was ?Money? Mayweather who set pay-per-view and casino gate records, he was ?Lil? Floyd,” taking on all comers in the unpaid ranks. And on a few occasions, he even lost.
Records in the amateurs are difficult to substantiate due to the informal nature of local events and the lack of consistent reporting on the sport, but at least 8 fighters know what it feels like to have their hand raised while standing opposite of Mayweather.
Most accounts list Mayweather’s win total at 84 but the number of losses attributed to him vary. What’s certain is that Serafim Todorov of Bulgaria was the last man to defeat Mayweather in the semifinals of the 1996 Olympics, albeit by a decision that is widely disputed.
Before that, Augie Sanchez, Arnulfo Bravo, Carlos Navarro, Noureddine Medjihoud, and Martin Castillo earned decisions over Mayweather in national or international tournaments.
Greek Olympian Tigran Ouzlian is also credited with a win over Mayweather by medical walkover in a 1995 tournament in Moscow, Russia.
Aside from Todorov, Sanchez is the only other boxer whose win over Mayweather remains preserved on YouTube.
?The last American to beat him??
The pride in Sanchez’s voice as he utters those 6 words is noticeable, as if it awakens a part of his life long since put to rest.
Through all of his accomplishments as an amateur and as a professional, the one fight people continue to ask him about was his first match with Mayweather at the U.S. Olympic qualifiers in April 1996.
?It?s kind of crazy, because I retired from fighting in 2001. Years later, this is popping up,? Sanchez tells Rappler as he lets out a laugh. ?I never thought years later that they?d be bringing up the fight with me and Mayweather.”
?It?s a great feeling. Just when I thought that everybody forgot about me, you guys didn?t.?
Mayweather and Sanchez had been friends and teammates on the national squad for a number of years. Mayweather, a national champion at age 16, was the country?s top 106-pound fighter while Sanchez was the top 125-pound fighter. The following year, Mayweather stepped up to 112 and won the Nationals at that weight.
?He used to see my Uncle Roger all the time and my Uncle Jeff; he knew my family from Vegas. Me and him got close,? Mayweather said of Sanchez at the press conference announcing his fight with Pacquiao in March.
The year after that, Mayweather by-passed the 119-pound category for the 125-pound division and found himself facing Sanchez in the semifinals of the 1995 National Championships. Mayweather won by points and defeated James Baker afterwards to win the featherweight crown.
The following year, they once again ended up competing for the same spot – this time to be the United States? 125-pound representative at the Atlanta Olympics. If a fighter lost twice, he?d be eliminated from contention. The stakes were higher than ever, and Sanchez was up to the challenge.
?Just constant pressure, head movement, keeping my distance, and cutting the ring,? Sanchez says of how he topped Mayweather by a 12-11 score in Oakland, California. ?I wasn?t as fast as him but I had good counterpunching skills. I would react to his punches all the time.?
Sanchez pushed a busy pace, shifting his feet to constantly be in front of Mayweather. At times, Mayweather appeared over-anxious, lunging with punches that Sanchez countered.
When his name was announced as the winner, Sanchez was overjoyed while Mayweather could only put his face in his hands and contemplate a shot at redemption.
Mayweather?s next opponent in the loser’s bracket was Navarro, who had beaten him in 1995 in a qualifier for the Pan-Am team. Mayweather dominated Navarro this time around by a score of 31-11, setting up one last shot at an Olympic berth.
The Olympic box-offs were set for Augusta, Georgia. If Mayweather was going to fulfill his Olympic dream, he?d have to go through Sanchez ? not once but twice.
?I knew it was going to be tough,? Sanchez remembers of his two fights with Mayweather afterwards.
Mayweather and Sanchez faced off two days in a row on Friday and Saturday. Mayweather won the first 12-8 and won the second 20-10, gaining him inclusion in an Olympic squad that also included future pro world champions Eric Morel, Antonio Tarver, David Reid, David Diaz, and Fernando Vargas.
Sanchez and Mayweather both signed with Top Rank out of the amateurs and may have faced one another under different circumstances.
?Eventually we were supposed to fight as professionals but his career went one way and my career went another way,? said Mayweather.
