Whether you love or hate his personality, fans of boxing will concur that Floyd Mayweather, Jr has left an indelible mark on the sport. Though his character outside the ring may be polarizing, there’s no denying that inside the ring, his talent was immense.
While it’s true that Floyd "Money" Mayweather (so-called because of his net worth) was regarded by many as obstreperous, overly confident, and even foolhardy – and those adjectives may be warranted – when he was inside the ring, his speed, agility, strength, and tenacity are undeniable.
In his prime, Mayweather was a true defensive genius. He popularized a unique fighting style that, for the vast majority of his opponents, was impossible to dissect. The boxer primarily focused on defense. Offensively, he was highly calculated and even conservative.
Born to a family of boxers, boxing was in Floyd Mayweather, Jr’s DNA. His father, Floyd Mayweather, Sr. was a welterweight contender who went up against the famous Hall of Famer, Sugar Ray Leonard. His uncles, Jeff and the late Roger Mayweather, were both pro fighters, too. Needless to say, boxing has always been a part of Mayweather Jr’s life. There never was really a question of whether boxing would be a part of his life. In an interview with the New York Times, he said, “When I was young, I told her [his grandmother], ‘I think I should get a job.’ She said, ‘No, just keep boxing.” Mayweather, Jr trained under the watchful eye of his father and his uncle, Roger.
He competed professionally between 1996 and 2015. In 2017, he made a single-fight comeback. His track record includes a total of 15 major world championship wins, the Ring magazine title in five weight classes, and the lineal championship in four weight classes. When he retired, his record was undefeated. The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named him the Fighter of the Decade for the 2010s, and he was ranked the greatest boxer, pound for pound, of the last 25 years, by ESPN. After his retirement in 2015, Mayweather purchased The Money Team Racing, a NASCAR team.
Here’s what a day in the life of Floyd Mayweather, Jr looks like.
Inside a day in the life of Floyd Mayweather
Afternoons
Mayweather is a self-proclaimed night owl. Given the fact that boxing has been the focal point of his life for pretty much his entire life, it makes sense that his schedule revolves around the sport’s late-night main event hours.
“I sleep as long as I want to and then I get up and start my day. I let my body rest. I’m going to be in bed at five. So I’ll wake up at 1:30”, he said in an interview with Yahoo Sports.
In other words, Mayweather usually starts his day in the afternoon. Unlike most other fighters, he doesn’t keep a routine. He works out and trains when he wants to, and has even claimed to run while wearing Timberland’s, a T-shirt, and jeans.
His workouts usually start with a jog and some jump rope, and then he’ll work on technical training.
Mayweather loved the spotlight; it wasn’t unusual for crowds to gather to watch him train at the gym during his heyday as he practiced his routine of hitting the heavy bag, shadow boxing, sparring, and mitt work.
His strength training usually centered on bodyweight routines, such as pull-ups, sit-ups, and dips.
Mayweather’s recovery was, at the time, unconventional. He often used Cryosauna and was a regular at SubZero Las Vegas clinic.
Evenings
After training and working out, Mayweather would often kick back, relax, and enjoy some downtime; watching movies in bed, hanging out with friends, and grabbing something to eat were all formed part of his evening routines.
As far as diet goes, Floyd was quite different from other boxers. Whereas most fighters were hyper-focused on making weight and would stop eating for weigh-in, Mayweather usually kept within three to four pounds of his fighting weight. He would eat whatever he wanted to, whenever he wanted to. While pre-fight promos often showcased the boxer chowing down on Burger King and Big Macs, he was actually quite health-conscious when it came to his meal selections. He employed a chef who would make freshly prepared meals for him.
In an interview with New York Mag, Quiana Jeffries, Floyd’s personal chef, reported that the boxer ate organic fruits and vegetables, and really liked seafood gumbo. Top Ramen and Twizzlers were his go-to treats.
On fight nights, he would get in some pre-match training to gear himself up, and then jump into the ring to take on his opponents.
