Three boxers who came close to defeating Floyd Mayweather

• Floyd Mayweather made a name for himself during his time as a professional boxer. He is one of the greatest boxers the world has ever seen. 
• BoxRec ranks Floyd Mayweather as the greatest boxer of all time, pound for pound. 
• Floyd Mayweather nearly lost in the ring three times to Marcos Maidana, Jose Luis Castillo and The Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya.  

Floyd Mayweather is a former professional boxer who is currently a boxing promoter. The legendary fighter is one of the greatest boxers the world has ever seen. 

Floyd Mayweather began his boxing career in 1996 and retired with an undefeated record of 50-0 in 2017. The majority of boxing fans can agree that the man is a unique boxer.

Floyd Mayweather is one of the greatest boxers of all time. Photo/ Marca.

The American reigned as the boxing champion, winning 15 major world champions during his career days. BoxRec ranks Floyd Mayweather as the greatest boxer of all time.

It was not easy for opponents to defeat Mayweather because of his defensive skills and accurate punching. Mayweather’s record of 26 consecutive wins in world title fights has never been broken up to date. 

Few boxers came close to defeating Floyd Mayweather in the ring. This article will look at the top three boxers who came close to winning against Mayweather in the ring. 

1. Jose Luis Castillo 

Jose Luis Castillo 1 is one of the few boxers who nearly gave Floyd Mayweather a loss in the ring. The legendary boxer who retired in 2014 almost defeated Mayweather in 2002. 

Floyd Mayweather began the fight on a very high note. However, things changed in the last rounds as Luis Castillo surprised Mayweather with a series of fierce body shots.

Floyd Mayweather and Jose Castillo in the ring. Photo/ Sportscasting.

Floyd Mayweather looked out of his depth as he struggled to cope with the ferocious pressure that Castillo applied on him. When the final bell rang, many fans felt that Jose Luis Castillo had defeated Floyd Mayweather. 

However, the judges gave different results to what the fans were waiting for. The judges gave a score of 116-111, 115-111, and 115-111 in favour of Floyd Mayweather. 

The boo that rang out after the judge gave their final scores was enough to show that Castillo ‘won’ the fight. 

2. Oscar De La Hoya

Oscar De La Hoya, nicknamed ‘The Golden Boy of Boxing’, competed between 1992 and 2008. He won 11 world titles in six weight classes. BoxRec ranks De La Hoya as the 29th best boxer of all time, pound for pound. 

The legendary American fighter is among the few who came close to defeating Floyd Mayweather in the ring. De La Hoya and Mayweather faced each other in the ring on May 5, 2007. 

The Mexican was on fire when the match started. He dominated Mayweather in the early stages of the fight. He used his 10-pound weight perfectly as he pinned Mayweather to the ropes. 

However, Floyd Mayweather fought hard in the last rounds and managed to pip The Golden Boy on the final scorecards. 

Floyd Mayweather won the fight on a split decision, 116-112 and 115-113 in his favour and 115-113 in favour of Oscar De La Hoya. The fight remains one of the most infamous in De La Hoya’s boxing career. 

3. Marcos Maidana 

Marcos Maidana nearly gave Floyd Mayweather a defeat in the boxing ring on July 10, 2014. The Argentine’s fight against Floyd Mayweather was one of his last. He retired in 2014 after holding the WBA welterweight from 2013 to 2014. 

When Maidana faced Mayweather in the latter’s 38th career fight, the majority knew he was going to lose. However, Maidana used his formidable punching power and versatility to give Floyd Mayweather the challenge of his life.

Floyd Mayweather was dragged into one last toe-to-toe battle with Marcos Maidana in the final stages of his career. Photo/ DAZN.

Floyd Mayweather had to call on all of his wit and guile to fight back Marcos Maidana. When the officials showed their scores, it was almost unbelievable to some fans that Mayweather had won the fight. Two officials gave their scores in favour of Floyd Mayweather, 117-111 and 116-112. The other official gave the fight a draw, 114-114.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump felt that the winner of the fight was Marcos Maidana. He slammed the officials, saying that the fight was rigged.