Floyd Mayweather may have retired with a perfect 50–0 record, but not every victory was routine.
His last contest against UFC star Conor McGregor was a lucrative exhibition and the richest way imaginable to move from 49 to 50. Long before he became “Money” Mayweather, however, he was “Pretty Boy” — a fighter who carved his way through the super-featherweight and lightweight divisions during a period when purses, not personas, defined his rise.
Mayweather’s final bout at 130lbs came against Jesus Chavez in November 2001. Having held the WBC title since 1998, his eighth defence proved to be his last.
Turning the challenger’s strengths against him, Mayweather systematically wore Chavez down before trainer Ronnie Shields retired his man on the stool after the ninth round. Afterwards, Mayweather confirmed his move up to lightweight and made his intentions clear.
“I’m after Castillo.”
Jose Luis Castillo, then in his second year as WBC lightweight champion, knew the challenge was imminent. When the pair met on April 20, 2002, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Mayweather again emerged victorious — though in controversial fashion. A pro-Castillo crowd greeted the scorecards of 115–111 (twice) and 116–111 with loud boos, unimpressed by what they felt was an unjust verdict.
Promoter Bob Arum was among the loudest critics of the judging and later told ESPN who he believed deserved the decision.
“Look at Harold Lederman’s commentary on it for HBO — he scored it 116–111 for Castillo — and look at the punch stats. And then, for them not only to score the fight unanimously for Floyd, but to score it like it wasn’t even a competitive fight. They gave him all the rounds. What kind of craziness was that scoring?
“Castillo won that fight, eight rounds to four. I mean, no question about it.”
Unhappy with his own performance, Mayweather vowed to give Castillo a rematch. The pair met again in December that year and, this time, the American left no doubt. Far more convincing in the return, he produced a dominant display and emerged a clear and deserved winner on the scorecards.
