Looked at Shane Mosley?s best nights Tuesday. Let?s return the favor with a stroll down memory lane for Floyd ?Money? Mayweather.
Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs)
5. Mayweather TKO 8 Genaro Hernandez (Oct. 3, 1998) Ah, the one that started it all. Mayweather announced his rival onto the boxing scene with an incredible display of speed and power in disposing of Hernandez.
He never actually knocked him down, but his lightning-fast hands battered the long-time champion in retiring after eight rounds.
This was back when Mayweather was about volume punching, and I remember several five-six punch combinations in this bout that are a thing of beauty to watch.
4. Mayweather TKO 9 Jesus Chavez (Nov. 10, 2001) This might be the head-scratcher for some. Remember, this is MY list. I love this fight because Chavez pressures Mayweather all night and Floyd just counters all night.
Mayweather landed hard right hand after hard right hand in this bout. The San Francisco crowd also adds to this fight as they were going nuts from round 1 to the end of the fight.
Just like in No. 5, this fight ended when Chavez did not come out for round 10, a good move by his corner. If you haven?t seen this one, seriously, check it out.
3. Mayweather TKO 10 Diego Corrales (Jan. 21, 2001) Oh boy, this was supposed to be the test for Mayweather. Two undefeated champions duking it out to see who was the next big thing in the sport.
It was a wipe out of the worst kind. After using his superior boxing and defense in the first six rounds, Mayweather dropped Corrales three times in the seventh.
Corrales had nothing left though kept fighting (never say die in Chico). Floyd floored twice in the 10th when Corrales? father stopped the bout. I say this is the bout when that sneaky left hook started to become Floyd?s ?money? punch.
2. Mayweather TKO 10 Ricky Hatton (Dec. 8, 2007) Another night bolstered by an incredible crowd in Vegas, most wanting Hatton to win (?Walking in a Hatton Wonderland? anyone?)
Hatton tried to rush Mayweather ala Jose Luis Castillo, but Floyd was ready for this attack. He started to press his advantage in the fourth round as Mayweather was starting to feel comfortable trading.
In the eighth, it was the right hand that peppered Hatton all round so much that it was close to being a 10-8 round based on that alone.
Finally, it was that left hook that dropped Hatton in the 10th. Hatton got back up only to be battered some more before the corner and ref stopping it at the same time.
1. Mayweather TKO 6 Arturo Gatti (June 25, 2005) I love Gatti, I do. But even so, this fight always makes me remember why Mayweather has been one of my all-time favorites since 1998.
This is a virtuoso performance. He did it every way possible. He hit Gatti with right hands, hit him to the body, hit him with left hooks.
I remember in round six when he connected on three consecutive straight right hands as if they were jabs or something like that.
Gatti?s face was a swollen mess and the fight was mercifully stopped. This is what happens when people start to doubt Mayweather?he rises up to the occasion.
Some others I like: TKO 7 on Phillip N?Dou (just a fun fight). W 12 Zab Judah (Zab tested Floyd early before Mayweather rolled). W 12 Juan Manuel Marquez (nice comeback fight, just wish it would have been a KO instead of such a prolong beating of an all-time great in over his head).
Mayweather-Mosley is Saturday night on HBO PPV.
