Thursday, December 27, 2012

Who is Floyd Sinclair ?

Who is born Floyd Sinclair? The boxing world knows him as Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr, he is an American professional boxer.[1] He is a five-division world champion, who has won eight world titles and the Lineal championship in three different weight classes. Mayweather is a two-time Ring Fighter of the Year (winning the award in 1998 and 2007); he also won the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Fighter of the Year award in 2007 and the Best Fighter ESPY Award in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012.[2] He is undefeated as a professional boxer.[3]
Mayweather is the WBC welterweight champion,[4] WBA (Super) light middleweight champion[5] and recipient of the WBC diamond belt.[6] He is also rated as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world by many sporting news and boxing websites, including Sports Illustrated, ESPN, BoxRec, Fox Sports, and Yahoo! Sports.[7][8][9][10][11] Mayweather topped the Forbes and Sports Illustrated lists of the 50 highest-paid athletes of 2012.[12][13][14]

Early life

Mayweather was born February 24, 1977 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States into a family of boxers. His father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., was a former welterweight contender who fought Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard. His uncles (Jeff Mayweather and Roger Mayweather) were professional boxers, with Roger – Floyd’s current trainer – winning two world championships. Mayweather was born with his mother's last name,[15] but his last name would change to Mayweather shortly thereafter.
Boxing has been a part of Mayweather's life since his childhood, and he never seriously considered any other profession. "I think my grandmother saw my potential first", Mayweather said. "When I was young, I told her 'I think I should get a job'. She said, 'No, just keep boxing'".[16] "When I was about eight or nine, I lived in New Jersey with my mother and we were seven deep in one bedroom and sometimes we didn't have electricity", Mayweather said. "When people see what I have now, they have no idea of where I came from and how I didn't have anything growing up".
It was not uncommon for young Mayweather to come home from school and find used heroin needles in his front yard.[citation needed] His mother was also addicted to drugs, and he had an aunt who died from AIDS because of her drug use. "People don't know the hell I've been through", he says.
The most time that his father spent with him was taking him to the gym to train and work on his boxing, according to Mayweather. "I don't remember him ever taking me anywhere or doing anything that a father would do with a son, going to the park or to the movies or to get ice cream", he says. "I always thought that he liked his daughter (Floyd's older stepsister) better than he liked me because she never got whippings and I got whippings all the time".
Mayweather's father contends that Floyd is not telling the truth about their early relationship. "Even though his daddy did sell drugs, I didn't deprive my son", the elder Mayweather says. "The drugs I sold, he was a part of it. He had plenty of food. He had the best clothes and I gave him money. He didn't want for anything. Anybody in Grand Rapids can tell you that I took care of my kids".[17] Floyd senior says he did all of his hustling at night and spent his days with his son, taking him to the gym and training him to be a boxer. "If it wasn't for me he wouldn't be where he is today", he maintains.
"I basically raised myself," Mayweather says. "My grandmother did what she could. When she got mad at me I'd go to my mom's house. My life was ups and downs". His father says he knows how much pain his incarceration caused his son, but insists he did the best he could. "I sent him to live with his grandmother", he says. "It wasn't like I left him with strangers".
Boxing became Mayweather's outlet – a way to deal with his father's absence. As the elder Mayweather served his time his son – with speed and an uncanny ring sense – put all his energies into boxing, dropping out of high school. "I knew that I was going to have to try to take care of my mom and I made the decision that school wasn't that important at the time and I was going to have to box to earn a living", Mayweather says.[17]

Amateur career and Olympics

Mayweather had an amateur record of 84–6[18] and won national Golden Gloves championships in 1993 (at 106 lb), 1994 (at 114 lb) and 1996 (at 125 lb).[19] He was nicknamed "Pretty Boy" by his amateur teammates because he had relatively few scars, a result of the defensive techniques that his father and uncle (Roger Mayweather) had taught him.[20] In his orthodox defensive stance Mayweather often utilizes the "shoulder roll", an old-school boxing technique in which the right hand is held normally (or slightly higher than normal), the left hand is down around the midsection and the lead shoulder is raised high on the cheek in order to cover the chin and block punches. The right hand (as in the orthodox stance) is used as it normally would be: to block punches coming from the other side, such as left hooks. From this stance Mayweather blocks, slips and deflects most of his opponents' punches (even when cornered) by twisting left and right to the rhythm of their punches.[21]
At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Mayweather won a bronze medal by reaching the semi-finals of the featherweight (57-kg)[22] division.
In the opening round Mayweather led 10–1 on points over Bakhtiyar Tileganov of Kazakhstan, before winning when the fight was stopped. In the second round, Mayweather outpointed Artur Gevorgyan of Armenia 16–3. In the quarterfinals, the 19-year-old Mayweather narrowly defeated 22-year-old Lorenzo Aragon of Cuba in an all-action bout to win 12–11, becoming the first U.S boxer to defeat a Cuban in 20 years.[23] The last time this occurred was the 1976 Summer Olympics, when the U.S Olympic boxing team captured five gold medals; among the recipients was Sugar Ray Leonard. In his semifinal bout against eventual silver medalist Serafim Todorov of Bulgaria, Mayweather lost by a controversial decision (similar to the Roy Jones Jr. decision).[24] Referee Hamad Hafaz Shouman of Egypt mistakenly raised Mayweather's hand (thinking he had won), while the decision was announced giving the bout to the Bulgarian.[25]
The U.S. team filed a protest over the Mayweather bout, claiming the judges were intimidated by Bulgaria's Emil Jetchev (head of the boxing officials) into favoring the Bulgarian Todorov by a 10–9 decision in the 125-pound semifinal bout. Three of Jetchev's countrymen were in gold medal bouts. Judge Bill Waeckerle (one of the four U.S judges working the games for the International Amateur Boxing Federation) resigned as Olympic Games and federation judge after Mayweather lost the decision, which was loudly booed by the crowd at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum.[26][27] "I refuse to be part of an organisation that continues to conduct its officiating in this manner", Waeckerle wrote in his letter of resignation to federation president Anwar Chowdhry.[28]
In the official protest U.S. team manager Gerald Smith said Mayweather landed punches that were not counted, while Todorov was awarded points without landing a punch.[29] "The judging was totally incompetent", Waeckerle said. The judges failed to impose a mandatory two-point deduction against Todorov after he was warned five times by the referee for slapping.[25] "Everybody knows Floyd Mayweather is the gold-medal favorite at 57 kilograms", Mayweather said afterward. "In America, it's known as 125 pounds. You know and I know I wasn't getting hit. They say he's the world champion. Now you all know who the real world champion is".[29]
Featherweight Olympic qualification
  • Defeated William Jenkins RSC/TKO-3
  • Defeated James Baker RSCH/TKO-1
  • Lost to Augie Sanchez PTS (11–12)
  • Defeated Carlos Navarro PTS (31–11)
  • Defeated Augie Sanchez PTS (12–8) in the box-offs
  • Defeated Augie Sanchez PTS (20–10) in the box-offs
Olympic results
  • Defeated Bakhtiyar Tileganov (Kazakhstan) RSCI/TKO-2
  • Defeated Artur Gevorgyan (Armenia) PTS (16–3)
  • Defeated Lorenzo Aragon (Cuba) PTS (12–11)
  • Lost to Serafim Todorov (Bulgaria) PTS (9–10)*
*Decision was protested unsuccessfully by the U.S. team

Professional career

Super featherweight

Mayweather fought his first professional bout on October 11, 1996 against fellow newcomer Roberto Apodaca, who was knocked out in round two. Mayweather's trainer at the time was his uncle, Roger Mayweather; his father was still imprisoned after his conviction for illegal drug trafficking in 1993. The latter took over as his son's trainer when he was released from prison (after Mayweather, Jr.'s 14th fight—a second-round knockout of Sam Girard).[30] From 1996 to early 1998, Mayweather won most of his fights by knockout or TKO.
Early in his pro-career, Mayweather received praise from all corners of the boxing world and was touted as a pugilistic prodigy.[31] During his fight with Tony Duran[32] the ESPN commentator remarked, "(IBHOF & WBHF trainer) Emmanuel Steward was quoted as saying there have been very few who have been more talented than this kid. He will probably win two or three world championships; I think he will go on to be the best ever".[33] IBHOF trainer and commentator Gil Clancy commented before Mayweather's ninth professional fight (against Jesus Chavez), "I thought that Floyd Mayweather was the outstanding pro prospect in the entire Olympic games".[34]

With Genaro Hernández

In 1998, within two years of entering professional boxing, Mayweather decisively won his first world title (the WBC super featherweight [130 lb] championship) with an eighth-round technical knockout of The Ring world #1-ranked super featherweight Genaro Hernández after his opponent's cornerman stopped the fight. It was Hernández' first defeat in that weight class; he said after the fight, "He defeated me, he is quick, smart and I always knew he had the speed. I give him respect. He is a true champ".[35]
With Mayweather's win he became lineal champion of the division; Genaro Hernández had previously beaten Azumah Nelson, whose dominance of the super-featherweight division had prompted boxing publications to give him the vacant lineal championship.[36][37] The Ring stopped awarding belts to world champions in the 1990s, but began again in 2002.[38] Nelson won his lineal status during the 1990s; therefore, The Ring's vacant title was not awarded to him, Hernández or Mayweather (although Mayweather was The Ring's #1-ranked super featherweight).
Mayweather became the first 1996 U.S. Olympian to win a world title.[39] Following his victory Mayweather's promoter Bob Arum said, "We believe in our heart of hearts that Floyd Mayweather is the successor in a line that starts with Ray Robinson, goes to Muhammad Ali, then Sugar Ray Leonard...We believe that he epitomizes that style of fighting".[40] After capturing the title Mayweather defended it against contender Angel Manfredy with a TKO in round two, giving Manfredy his first defeat in four years.[41]
By the end of 1998 Mayweather was ranked by the The Ring as the #8-ranked pound-for-pound best boxer in the world,[42] and became one of the youngest recipients of The Ring's Fighter of the Year award (21, the same age Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali were when winning their first awards).[43][44] In 1999, Mayweather continued his domination of the super featherweight division by defending his title three more times. The second defense of his title was against the Argentine Carlos Rios, which he won in a unanimous decision. Mayweather, fighting past the eighth round for only the third time in his career, won on the judges' scoring 120–110, 119–108 and 120–109.[45] Mayweather's third title defense was against Justin Juuko, which he won in a ninth-round knockout. Juuko could not beat the count of 10 by referee Mitch Halpern, and the fight ended in Mayweather's favor 80 seconds into the round.[46] His final title defense in 1999 was against Carlos Gerena, with Mayweather winning in a seventh-round referee technical decision (RTD). Mayweather said after the fight, "I want to show the world that along with Oscar De La Hoya and Roy Jones, Jr., I'm the best fighter in the world".[47] This dominance did not go unnoticed in the boxing world; by the end of the year, the 22-year-old Mayweather was ranked The Ring's #2 pound-for-pound best boxer in the world (behind Roy Jones, Jr.).[42]
Before making the fifth successful defense of his title against former WBC Featherweight Champion Gregorio Vargas in early 2000, Mayweather fired his father as his manager and replaced him with James Prince. A few months after the fight, the rift between father and son grew when Mayweather also fired the elder Mayweather as his trainer.[48] In a 2004 interview Mayweather said that although he loves his father, he had a better chemistry with Roger because his father had put too much pressure on him to be perfect.[49] Mayweather, in his fifth title defense, won a near-shutout over "Goyo" Vargas in Las Vegas. During the 10th round, when Mayweather overheard HBO announcer Jim Lampley say that the champ had switched to a southpaw stance for the second time in the bout he leaned ringside and said "It was the third time". After a six-month layoff, Mayweather was still elusive. During the sixth round, Mayweather dropped Vargas with a hook to the ribs[50] and cruised to a unanimous decision.
Roger Mayweather returned to his role as his nephew's trainer for his next bout; a non-title lightweight fight against Emanuel Burton, which Mayweather won in a ninth-round technical knockout.

With Diego Corrales

In one of the more definitive and memorable fights of his career Mayweather fought the hard-hitting, former IBF super-featherweight champion Diego Corrales (33–0, with 27 KOs). Coming into the bout Mayweather and Corrales were undefeated, and neither fighter had touched the canvas. Mayweather was The Ring's #2-ranked super featherweight in the world (and #7 pound-for-pound), while Corrales was the #1-ranked super featherweight in the world and #5 pound-for-pound.[42][51] Before the fight was announced Mayweather had stated he wanted to fight Corrales, who was facing jail time for allegedly beating his pregnant wife. "I want Diego because I'm doing it for all the battered women across America", Mayweather said. "Just like he beat that woman, I'm going to beat him".[52] While both fighters were the same age (23), Corrales had several physical advantages over Mayweather: two inches in height, an inch in reach and (despite both arriving at the official weight-in at the 130-lb super-featherweight limit) unofficially 146 lbs, versus Mayweather's 136½ lbs.[53] In the bout, Mayweather won every round and knocked down Corrales five times (three times in round 7 and twice in round 10). After the fifth knockdown, Corrales' cornermen climbed onto the apron and stopped the fight, thereby establishing Mayweather as a claimant to boxing's mythical pound-for-pound title. At the time of the stoppage Mayweather was ahead on the scorecards, leading by 89–79, 90–79 and 90–78.[54] Throughout the fight, HBO commentators analyzed Mayweather. Larry Merchant stated, "Mayweather fights in a tradition of boxing and quick handedness that goes back in Michigan, all the way to fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson". Harold Lederman remarked, "Jim (Lampley), I gotta tell ya, I'm terribly impressed, I don't think I've seen an exhibition of boxing like this since Willie Pep, this kid is unbelievable, great legs, great speed, unbelievable ring-generalship. I mean he's got tremendous presence in that ring, Floyd Mayweather knows where he is, every minute of this fight..."
Corrales landed 60 of 205 punches, and landed no more than nine punches in a single round. Mayweather landed 220 of 414 punches.[55] Corrales was unable to land any clean shots, as he stalked Mayweather through the early rounds. He landed an average of six punches a round, according to Compubox stats – the only time that a fighter has registered single digits in the 20 years CompuBox has been tracking punch statistics.[56]
After the fight Mayweather remarked, "I would like to fight Prince Naseem [Hamed], hopefully we can meet at 128 (Lbs) or he can come up to 130 (Lbs), we can fight or I can fight the winner of Casamayor..." "Prince Naseem isn't going to fight you," intervened HBO commentator Larry Merchant; "after he saw this, it ain't gonna happen". "I really want to fight Prince Naseem..." Mayweather continued, "but hopefully I can face the winner of Casamayor (vs.) Freites".[57] Although neither fight materialised, Mayweather's opponent Diego Corrales would later hand Freites (the winner of the Casamayor vs. Freites fight) his first professional defeat and defeat Casamayor in a rematch of their first bout. Afterwards, Arum was ecstatic about his new star. "Better than Sugar Ray Leonard", he asserted. "And did you see him at those press conferences...?"[58]
The fight was met with acclaim in the boxing world and sports in general. CBS said, "Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s speed was dazzling. His power was unexpected"[55] and the BBC reported on "... a near flawless performance...".[59] The New York Daily News reported that "Floyd Mayweather Jr., displaying blazing speed and punishing power..."[56] and Sports Illustrated reported "... a fistic masterpiece".[60]
On October 10, 2001, boxing trainer Eddie Futch died at age 90. Tim Smith of the New York Daily News remembered an encounter with the trainer in an article. "One of the last times I saw Futch was before the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Diego Corrales junior lightweight title bout in Vegas. Futch was talking about how much he admired Mayweather's style, how Mayweather was such a beautiful boxer, able to slip along the ropes and avoid punches. Corrales said he was going to neutralize Mayweather's hand speed by hitting Mayweather on the arms. 'I guess he thinks he's going to stand there and let him hit him on the arms all night,' said Futch, who correctly predicted that Mayweather would completely dismantle Corrales in a defensive masterpiece. Futch had a way of cutting to the heart of a matter. I don't know anyone in boxing who won't miss him. I don't know anyone in boxing that can take his place".[61]
On May 26, 2001 Floyd Mayweather, fighting in his hometown of Grand Rapids, pounded out a 12-round unanimous decision over future IBF super featherweight titleholder Carlos Hernández to retain his WBC super-featherweight title. Calling it "one of the toughest nights of my career", the 130-pound champion overcame injuries in both hands to improve his record to 26–0. "He is a very, very tough fighter", Mayweather said of the challenger, whose record fell to 33–3–1. "I'm disappointed in my performance." Mayweather suffered the first knockdown of his career when he hit Hernández with a left hook in round six, which caused him sufficient pain that he dropped his injured left hand to the canvas. He wasn't hit, but was given a standing eight-count by the referee.[62]
Mayweather's last fight in the super-featherweight division was against future super featherweight and lightweight titleholder Jesús Chávez. Chávez was the WBC's top-ranked contender[63] and came into the fight with a 31-bout winning streak. This was Mayweather's eighth defense of the WBC super-featherweight title, which he had held for more than three years. He won when Chávez's corner stopped the fight after round nine. Mayweather had such difficulty making weight for this fight that he did not eat for four days before the weigh-in.[64] Chávez stated after the fight, "He's [Mayweather] the champ! And now I become his number-one fan".[65]
Mayweather commented after the fight, "Although it will take some time to make the match, I want to fight Kostya Tszyu".[66] Tszyu, an Australian-based Russian, by then had established himself as the best light welterweight in the world. Mayweather did not get a chance to fight Tszyu, but went on to fight Ricky Hatton (who defeated Tszyu and won his Ring light welterweight championship. By the end of 2001, Mayweather was still ranked The Ring #1 super featherweight and #5 best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.[67]

Lightweight

With José Luis Castillo (I)

In his first fight as a lightweight, Mayweather took on World Boxing Council (WBC) champion and The Ring #1-ranked lightweight José Luis Castillo. Despite both fighters officially meeting the 135-lb lightweight limit, Mayweather came to the ring weighting unofficially 138½ lbs to Castillo's 147½ lbs. He defeated Castillo, winning the WBC and vacant Ring lightweight titles with a 12-round unanimous decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena before a crowd of 6,920. With Mayweather's win, he became the first Ring lightweight champion since Pernell Whitaker.[citation needed] Judges Jerry Roth and John Keane scored it 115–111 and judge Anek Hongtongkam scored it 116–111, a decision that was loudly booed by the pro-Castillo crowd. The Associated Press had Mayweather winning, 115–111;[68] the New York Daily News scorecard also had Mayweather winning, 116–112.[69]
Castillo (45–5–1, 41 KOs) could not touch Mayweather in the first round, with Castillo throwing 27 punches and landing only three. After round one Larry Merchant pointed out, "Mayweather made a comment in the corner about his left shoulder. We'll see if something's wrong with it, he seems to be rotating it, trying to keep it loose". George Foreman noted likewise, adding "'Massage my left shoulder', he [Mayweather] said, that's not a good sign".[70]
In the first minute of the second round Castillo went down on a shot by Mayweather, which was ruled a slip by the referee. Later in the fight Harold Lederman alluded to it, saying "By the way, that knockdown in the second round [is] extremely questionable, I thought Floyd did throw a left hook and this guy [Castillo] went down at the end of the hook but what you going to do, it's a judgement call by the referee, so it doesn't go as a 10–8 round..."[70] Drakulich took a point from Castillo for hitting on the break in the eighth round after several warnings throughout the fight. With Castillo repeatedly hitting on the break, this led to a large number of his punches landing. George Foreman agreed with the decision ("That's what you want a referee to do"), although his counterpart Larry Merchant had an alternative view: "I think this referee has been altogether too involved in the fight. Too officious".[71] Drakulich struck again in the ninth round, this time taking a point away from Mayweather for using his elbows. Mayweather won the fight by using his jab effectively and staying away from Castillo for much of the fight.[72] Having injured his left shoulder on the last day of training, he changed to a southpaw stance on several occasions to throw more right-handed punches.
At the end of the fight, Harold Lederman had Castillo winning 115–111. ESPN's Max Kellerman disputed Lederman's scoring, writing in his boxing column: "Harold Lederman, the (HBO) unofficial ringside television judge, gave the third round to Castillo, which I think demonstrates that Mayweather suffers from the same scoring syndrome that afflicted Pernell Whitaker. Mayweather is so seldom hit cleanly in his face, that when a clean shot is landed against him it registers all out of proportion in the observer's mind. Meanwhile, the three clean shots Mayweather just landed against his opponent do not make the same kind of impression".[73]
Compubox statistics indicated that Castillo landed more overall punches and significantly more power shots over the course of the fight; however, these statistics did not accurately reflect the judging (rounds are scored in isolation). Mayweather also outscored Castillo in jabs thrown and landed. Lederman's scoring for this fight may be seen as inconsistent; in both Bernard Hopkins vs. Jermain Taylor fights Lederman had Taylor winning 115–113, despite Hopkins landing more overall punches and significantly more power shots during both fights.[74][75] Taylor threw and landed more jabs, however.
In the post-fight interview Mayweather said, "My last training day, I hurt my rotator cuff in my left shoulder, so I couldn’t use my jab the way I want to. My left wasn’t as strong as I wanted it to be, but I didn’t want to have no excuses, you know, like other champions, you know, when they get hurt they won’t even show up to the fight. I get hurt I keep fighting, you know, I want to bring the fans a victory".

Rematch with Castillo

Due to the closeness of their first bout, Mayweather accepted an immediate rematch with Castillo which took place on December 7, 2002. Before the rematch, Mayweather reiterated that he had torn his left rotator cuff two days before the first fight and could not throw a jab or a left hook. He had surgery following the controversial decision over Castillo, and said his shoulder had fully healed.[76]
The smaller Mayweather was again outweighed by Castillo on the night of the fight; Castillo weighed 147 lbs, to Mayweather's 138.[77] In the rematch Mayweather used his footwork, combinations and jab to earn another unanimous decision. There were no knockdowns or notable exchanges in the fight; the judgment was close, with Mayweather winning 115–113 on two scorecards and 116–113 on a third. The Associated Press had Mayweather winning 116–112;[77] HBO unofficial scorer Harold Lederman and fellow analyst Larry Merchant both scored it 115–113 for Mayweather.[78]

Other lightweight fights

On April 19, 2003 Mayweather defended his WBC lightweight title in a unanimous decision over Dominican Victoriano Sosa. Mayweather (30–0) fought a tactically-sound 12-round bout against an aggressive Sosa (35–3–2). His next fight (on November 1) was in his hometown of Grand Rapids against WBC #1-ranked contender Phillip N'dou, whose record was 31–1 with 30 KOs. During the run-up to the fight Nelson Mandela invited N'dou to his office for a pep talk before his departure for the U.S., advising him to "keep Mayweather on the outside with the jab, work the body and the head will become available". South African president Thabo Mbeki, in a note, said he had "full confidence" N'dou would put on a performance to make all South Africans proud and would return home with the WBC belt. When told of his opponent's high-level support Mayweather responded, "Nelson Mandela's a great man, he's big in America, but Mandela can't get in there and fight for him".[79]
In the fifth round, Mayweather connected with a series of straight rights and lefts; when N'dou would not go down, Mayweather gave a little smile and continued the barrage. He dominated his opponent, before flooring him with a series of rights in the seventh round. N'dou got up on shaky legs, forcing a stoppage at 1:50. At times during the fight, Mayweather (in black trunks outlined with fur) seemed to toy with Ndou.[80] By the end of 2003, Mayweather was still The Ring's lightweight champion and the #5-ranked best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.[67]

Light welterweight

Mayweather, at 27, made his 140-pound debut by defeating former titlist DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley, knocking him down twice officially in rounds eight and ten and scoring a decision of 119–108 (twice) and 119–107. The fight was billed as a WBC elimination bout, with the winner earning a shot at 140-pound champion Arturo Gatti.[81] "Mayweather can flat-out fight", Corley's trainer Don Turner said. "He's like magic. He makes you move into the punches."[81] Shortly after this fight Mayeather would reach #1 on the USA TODAY pound-for-pound rankings, with middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins at #2.[82]
On January 22, 2005 Mayweather fought Henry Bruseles in another WBC elimination bout, outclassing Bruseles throughout the first seven rounds. In round eight, Mayweather knocked Bruseles down twice and the fight was stopped. Mayweather's victory made him the mandatory challenger for Gatti's WBC light welterweight championship.

With Arturo Gatti

The pay-per-view fight between Mayweather and The Ring #1-ranked contender Arturo Gatti took place June 25, 2005 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where fans heavily supported Gatti. Before the fight Mayweather was confident, describing Gatti as "a C+ fighter," "a fake" and "a blown-up club fighter".[83] Near the end of round one, Mayweather pushed Gatti's head down in close; Gatti broke, leaving himself vulnerable while Mayweather continued landing punches. Gatti turned to the referee to complain; Mayweather capitalised, sending Gatti to the canvas with more shots for what was scored a knockdown.[84] Throughout the next five rounds, the quicker Mayweather landed nearly every shot against Gatti, who had no offense with which to return fire. Gatti's corner stopped the fight after round six, giving Mayweather his third world title.
In the post-fight interview Mayweather praised Gatti, claiming that his pre-fight comments "were just to sell tickets". To many boxing experts, Mayweather's dominance of Gatti solidified his position as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.[85] Compubox had Mayweather out-landing Gatti 168–41,[86] with Gatti landing only 10 power punches (anything other that a jab).[87] Mayweather's fight with Gatti would be his last in the light-welterweight division; he would leave as The Ring #1-ranked contender, with Ricky Hatton as light-welterweight champion.

Welterweight

After his fight with Gatti, Mayweather moved up to the welterweight division. On November 19, 2005, Mayweather fought a non-title bout at 147 lb (67 kg) against welterweight Sharmba Mitchell. In round three, Mayweather knocked Mitchell down with a straight right hand to the head. In round six another straight right hand—this one to Mitchell's body—dropped Mitchell again, ending the fight.

With Zab Judah

On April 8, 2006, Mayweather defeated Zab Judah for the IBF welterweight title in a unanimous decision. Plans for the fight had been jeopardized after Judah lost the WBA, WBC and The Ring Welterweight titles to Carlos Manuel Baldomir on January 7, 2006; however, Mayweather's and Judah's camps reworked the contract and decided that the fight would go on.[88] During the bout, Mayweather stayed calm during Judah's aggressive early rounds. He began to dominate Judah in round five, and the latter eventually bled. Late in the tenth round Judah hit Mayweather with a left hand that was clearly below the belt, following with a right-handed rabbit punch. Referee Richard Steele called time out with five seconds remaining in the round. Roger Mayweather entered the ring and approached Judah, but Steele restrained him; Judah's father (and trainer), Yoel Judah, entered the ring as well. Mayweather remained in the neutral corner while the Judahs scuffled with Roger (and others who had entered the ring), until police and security restored order. Roger was ejected, and the fight continued for the scheduled 12 rounds. Mayweather won by official scores of 116–112, 117–111 and 119–109. Compubox statistics showed him landing 188 punches, compared with 82 for Judah.[89]
Five days after the fight, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) decided not to overturn the result of the bout; however, Roger Mayweather was fined $200,000 and suspended for one year.[90] The suspension stipulated that Roger could train Mayweather in the gym, but could not work the corner during fights.[91] On April 17, 2006, the IBF ordered a rematch between Mayweather and Judah; however, the NSAC suspended Judah for one year on May 8[92] and Mayweather vacated the IBF title on June 20.
After his fight with Judah it was reported that Mayweather rejected an $8 million offer to fight Antonio Margarito, citing his split with promoter Bob Arum as the reason.[93] Oscar De la Hoya postponed his decision until 2007, leaving Mayweather to choose his next opponent.[94] Mayweather considered moving up in weight again to fight light middleweight champion Cory Spinks, but because of negative publicity and Spinks' impending mandatory defense of his title he decided instead to face WBC and The Ring welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir on November 4, 2006 in Las Vegas.[95]
Despite having not lost in over eight years, Baldomir was an underdog in the fight. Mayweather defeated him for both titles in a unanimous decision. Ringside punch statistics showed Mayweather landing 199 of 458 punches, while Baldomir landed 79 of 670. Mayweather earned $8 million for the fight; Baldomir was paid $1.6 million, career earnings highs for each fighter at the time.
During the fight Baldomir chased Mayweather, unable to land any meaningful shots but trying to be the busier fighter; Mayweather picked away with sharp jabs and hooks, cutting Baldomir over his left eye in the first round. This pattern continued throughout the fight; the defensive-minded Mayweather put on what many witnesses (and Mayweather himself) called a "boxing clinic" to take Baldomir's WBC and The Ring welterweight titles in a lopsided 12-round decision. Two judges had Mayweather winning all 12 rounds, with the third giving all but two rounds to Mayweather. After the fight, Mayweather proposed a match with Oscar De La Hoya.
With Mayweather's win, he became the first fighter since Roberto Durán to have captured The Ring titles in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions.[citation needed] He also captured his third lineal championship in as many weight classes (super featherweight, lightweight and welterweight), following in the footsteps of Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Leonard.

Light middleweight

With Oscar De La Hoya

Mayweather's next match was the long-anticipated fight against six-division champion and WBC light-middleweight titleholder Oscar De La Hoya on May 5, 2007. De La Hoya's belt was on the line, which required Mayweather to move up in weight from 147 pounds to 154. However, Mayweather was outweighed by more than 10 pounds the night of the fight, coming in at only 150 pounds. Despite De La Hoya's insistence that money was not a factor, the Mayweather-De La Hoya bout set the record for most PPV buys for a boxing match with 2.7 million households, breaking the previous record of 1.95 million for Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson II. About $120 million in revenue was generated by the PPV, another record. Including percentages De La Hoya earned $58 million for the bout, the highest purse ever for a fighter; the previous record was $35 million, held by Tyson and Holyfield. Mayweather earned about $25 million for the fight.[96]
At one time, Floyd Mayweather, Sr. negotiated to train Oscar De La Hoya and be in his corner during the fight, but De La Hoya decided to train with Freddie Roach. Mayweather won the fight by a split decision in 12 rounds, capturing the WBC title. However, many analysts and ringside observers felt Mayweather should have received a unanimous decision. During the early rounds De La Hoya had some success cutting off the ring, attempting to pound Mayweather on the inside. Despite his activity on the inside, however, many of De La Hoya's punches were ineffective and landed on Mayweather's arms or shoulders. By the middle of the fight, it was seen as an even bout by the announcers. Mayweather turned the tide in the middle and late rounds, often hitting De La Hoya at will. Official scorecards read 116–112 (Mayweather), 115–113 (Mayweather) and 115–113 (De La Hoya). Compubox had Mayweather out-landing De La Hoya 207–122 in total punches and 134–82 in power punches, with better accuracy throughout the fight. After the bout Mayweather contemplated retirement, saying he had nothing left to prove in the boxing world.

Return to welterweight

Mayweather in red sponsor's shirt, standing next to a seated manAfter his fight with De La Hoya Mayweather decided to relinquish his WBC light-middleweight championship,[97] retaining his welterweight title. On July 28, 2007, it was announced that Mayweather would come out of his brief retirement to fight The Ring light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton; the bout was promoted by De La Hoya's promotion company (Golden Boy Promotions) and Mayweather's Mayweather Promotions. The fight was entitled "Undefeated"; it took place December 8, 2007 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, the biggest welterweight showdown between two undefeated fighters since De La Hoya met Félix Trinidad in 1999. During the run-up to their fight Mayweather claimed he was the greatest boxer ever: "I respect what Robinson and Ali did for the sport. But I am the greatest and this is my time."
Mayweather controlled the fight from the beginning, knocking Hatton out in the 10th round to retain the welterweight championship.[98] Hatton suffered a cut over his right eye in round three; from that point, his pace and movement began to slow. In round six, Hatton lost a point for punching the back of Mayweather's head as he was draped over the ropes. During the tenth round, Hatton was caught by a checked left hook thrown from Mayweather's hip; after falling headfirst into the turnbuckle, he hit the floor. Hatton made it to his feet, but was dazed. Two more lefts in quick succession knocked Hatton down again, and referee Cortez stopped the fight at 1:35 of round ten.[99] Official scorecards read 88–82, 89–81 and 89–81 at the time of stoppage, all in favor of Mayweather.
After the fight, Mayweather said that Hatton was one of his toughest, most tenacious opponents. Mayweather announced his retirement from boxing to concentrate on his promotional company, saying he wanted Hatton to be his first client.[100]

Comeback

With Juan Manuel Marquez

On May 2, 2009, it was confirmed that Mayweather was coming out of a 21-month retirement to fight The Ring lightweight champion and #2 pound-for-pound Juan Manuel Márquez, at a catch weight of 144 lb on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on HBO PPV.[101] The fight was postponed due to a rib injury Mayweather received during training. HBO's sports series 24/7 was also rescheduled for August 29. The fight took place on September 19 in conjunction with Mexican Independence Day, traditionally a big boxing weekend. During the official weigh-in for their 144 lb bout, Mayweather failed to meet the weight limit at 146 lb and was fined as a result.[102] However, it was later revealed that the contract was changed so that Mayweather could make weight within the welterweight limit of 140–147 lb as long as Marquez received a large guarantee.[103] Mayweather won a unanimous decision after 12 rounds in a lopsided fight; scorecards read 120–107, 119–108 and 118–109. Marquez landed 12 percent of his total 583 punches, while Mayweather landed 59 percent of his 490 total punches.[104] This fight marked only the fifth time in boxing history that a non-heavyweight fight sold more than 1 million pay-per-view households, with HBO generating a revenue of approximately $52 million. Four of the other fights featured Oscar De La Hoya as the main event, making this fight the one of two events where a non-heavyweight fight sold over 1 million PPVs without Oscar De La Hoya. The other fight was Manny Pacquiao versus Miguel Cotto, which sold 1.25 million PPVs.[105]

With Shane Mosley

Negotiations for a proposed match between Mayweather and The Ring #3 pound-for-pound Shane Mosley began right after Andre Berto pulled out of his scheduled January 30 unification bout with Mosley due to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[106] Both sides eventually agreed to fight on May 1, 2010 for Mosley's WBA super-welterweight title. It was later revealed that Mayweather refused to pay sanctioning fees required by the WBA, saying "All belts do is collect dust". However, the belt was only on the line for Mosley to defend against Mayweather.[107] Both Mayweather and Mosley agreed to Olympic-style testing for this bout.[108][109] Mosley started the fight well, landing two solid right hands in round two which caused Mayweather's knees to buckle. Mayweather recovered well and went on to dominate the remainder of the fight, out-boxing Mosley and showing more aggression than in his previous recent fights. Mayweather eventually won a unanimous decision, with the judges scoring the fight 119–109, 119–109 and 118–110. In round four Compubox found Mosley throwing seven power punches without taking any, making Mayweather the second boxer (after Roy Jones, Jr.) to go an entire round without being hit by a power punch. After the fight, president of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya stated that he believed Mayweather was the best in the game.[110]
The fight was the second-bestselling non-heavyweight pay-per-view bout in boxing history, with 1.4 million purchases. HBO reported that the fight generated $78.3 million in revenue. After the bout Mayweather expressed interest in moving up in weight to capture a world title in six different weight classes, and to challenge newly-crowned middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.[111]

Negotiations with Manny Pacquiao

Seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao reportedly agreed to fight Mayweather on March 13, 2010 for a split of $50 million.[112] However, the fight was canceled due to disagreements about Olympic-style drug tests. Mayweather's camp wanted blood tests by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which would conduct random tests from training until the fight date.[113] The Pacquiao camp refused to provide samples, only willing to allow blood to be taken if the test were scheduled. Pacquiao's coach, Freddie Roach, stated that he would allow a blood sample to be taken if there was a cut-off date for blood testing or at least one week before the fight. In an attempt to resolve their differences, the two camps agreed to mediation before a retired judge. After the mediation, Mayweather agreed to a 14-day no-blood-testing window. Pacquiao refused, only agreeing to a 24-day window.[114] On January 7, 2010 Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum declared that the fight was canceled, offering a chance to fight Pacquiao to Joshua Clottey instead; Mayweather accepted the offer to fight Mosley.[115]
It was reported that Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Top Rank chief Bob Arum were trying to work out the failed negotiations for the bout between Mayweather and Pacquiao. Mayweather asked Pacquiao to undergo random blood and urine testing until fight day. Pacquiao agreed to give blood until 14 days before the fight, which is closer to the fight day than the 18-day cutoff in Mayweather's previous bout against Mosley. Pacquiao said that giving blood too close to the fight day would weaken him, and he has a fear of needles (despite having tattoos on his body). On June 12, 2010, president of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya stated during an interview with a Spanish network that a fight deal was near, although the negotiation process had been difficult.[116] On June 30 Arum announced that management for both sides had agreed to terms, all points of contention were settled (including Pacquiao agreeing to submit to blood and urine testing) and only Mayweather's signature was needed to seal a deal that could have earned both fighters at least $40 million each. [117] Mayweather was then given a two-week deadline to sign the contract.[118]
On Thursday, July 15, Mayweather was given until midnight Friday midnight to sign the contract. The following day, the Top Rank website embedded a countdown clock with the heading "Money Time: Mayweather's Decision".[119] On July 17, Arum announced that there was no word from Mayweather's camp and a deal for a November 13 fight was not reached.
On July 19, after waiting for Mayweather's response, Leonard Ellerbe (a close adviser) denied that negotiations for a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao had ever taken place. He stated that Arum was not telling the truth, and Pacquiao never agreed to testing until the fight.[120] Arum later criticized De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer for denying that negotiations took place, after De La Hoya previously stated that they were "very, very close in finalizing the contracts".[121] Arum revealed that HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg acted as mediator between Mayweather’s handlers and those of Pacquiao’s from Top Rank Promotions.[122] On July 26 Greenburg stated that he had been negotiating with a representative from each side since May 2, trying to put the fight together, but they were unable to come to an agreement at all (contradicting what Arum and Top Rank had previously said).[123][124] After the second round of negotiations broke off, Mayweather told the Associated Press that he had fought 60 days ago, was in no rush to fight Pacquiao and was not thinking about boxing at the moment.[125] Almost a year later (on July 8, 2011), Pacquiao's top adviser Michael Koncz stated that Pacquiao had never agreed to testing until fight day (which contradicted Arum and the Pacquiao camp).[126] However, Arum confirmed that Pacquiao had agreed to unlimited random testing administered by the Olympic organization.[127] Further obstacles to the fight surfaced when Mayweather refused a 50-50 split of earnings with Pacquiao for the fight. Pacquiao was reportedly offered a flat fee of $40 million, with no share of the pay-per-view earnings.[128] Mayweather affirmed that a 50-50 split would not be offered to Pacquiao.[129]

Return to the ring

With Victor Ortiz

Mayweather smiling and flashing "V" for victory with his right handOn June 7, 2011, Mayweather announced via Twitter that he was set to fight WBC welterweight champion and The Ring #2-ranked welterweight Victor Ortiz on September 17. Ortiz was Mayweather's first challenger in 16 months.[130] The fight took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. From round one, Mayweather used his speed, skills and accurate right hand to tag Ortiz repeatedly. Although Mayweather seemed in control through the first three rounds (judges' scores 30–27, 30–27 and 29–28 for Mayweather) in the fourth round Ortiz had some success, landing a few shots and stinging Mayweather before bulling him into the corner. He then rammed Mayweather in the face with an intentional headbutt, opening a cut on the inside and outside of Mayweather's mouth. Referee Joe Cortez immediately called time out and docked Ortiz a point for the blatant foul. Ortiz, apparently acknowledging his wrongdoing, hugged Mayweather in the corner and even appeared to kiss him.
Cortez motioned the fighters back together to resume the fight, without putting them in a neutral corner. Both fighters touched gloves, and Ortiz gave Mayweather another hug. At that moment, Cortez was not looking at the fighters. As Ortiz let go, Mayweather took advantage of Ortiz not having his hands up and unloaded a left hook which wobbled Ortiz. Ortiz then looked at the referee, and Mayweather connected with a flush right hand to Ortiz's face. Ortiz dropped, and was unable to beat Cortez's count as the crowd of 14,687 jeered Mayweather. Although Mayweather's controversial victory was legal, it was deemed unsportsmanlike since it was obtained with a sucker punch.[131][132][133] After the fight Ortiz claimed that he was merely obeying the referee's instructions when he was "blindsided" by Mayweather, who defended his actions by saying that "In the ring, you have to protect yourself at all times".[134]
Mayweather vs. Ortiz was purchased by 1.25 million homes with a value of $78,440,000 in pay-per-view revenue. These numbers make the event the second-highest-grossing non-heavyweight pay-per-view event of all time. Mayweather has appeared in the three biggest non-heavyweight pay-per-view events in the sport’s history: Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya ($136,853,700), Mayweather vs. Ortiz ($78,440,000 million) and Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley ($78,330,000 million).[135]

Return to light middleweight

With Miguel Cotto

Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, announced on November 2, 2011 that Mayweather would return to the ring on May 5, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. After negotiations with Manny Pacquiao failed again, on February 1, 2012 it was confirmed that Mayweather would be moving up in weight to fight WBA super welterweight champion and The Ring #1-ranked light middleweight Miguel Cotto.
On the evening of Saturday, May 5, Mayweather defeated Cotto in 12 rounds by a unanimous decision, improving his record to 43–0.[136] Mayweather used movement and outboxed Cotto in the middle of the ring for the first few rounds. Beginning in rounds three and four Cotto cut the ring off from Mayweather, forcing the latter to fight from the ropes. However, Mayweather seemed to outfight Cotto from the ropes with his combinations and by rolling with most of Cotto's punches. Cotto had more success in the middle rounds, landing his jab and body shots on Mayweather and effectively trapping him on the ropes. The later rounds were controlled by Mayweather, who boxed more in the center of the ring late in the fight. In the 12th round Mayweather's uppercut stunned and hurt Cotto, but Cotto was able to fight until the end. The judges scored the fight a unanimous decision for Mayweather by scores of 118–110, 117–111 and 117–111. After the fight, Mayweather said Cotto was the toughest fighter he ever faced.
CompuBox had Mayweather outlanding and outworking Cotto in the fight by a significant margin. Mayweather landed 26 percent of his total punches (179 out of 687), compared with 21 percent (105 out of 506) for Cotto. In power punches, Mayweather landed 128 of 382 (34 percent), compared with 75 of 329 (23 percent) for Cotto.[137] Mayweather earned the biggest guaranteed purse in boxing history ($32 million) when he fought Cotto, according to contracts filed with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.[138] The Mayweather-Cotto fight generated $94 million in PPV revenue from 1.5 million purchases, making it the second-biggest non-heavyweight fight in history (after Mayweather's fight with Oscar De La Hoya).[139]

Jail term

On June 1, 2012, Mayweather reported to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas to serve his 87-day jail term for domestic abuse. After serving two months, he was released from prison August 3.[140]

Professional boxing record

43 Wins (26 knockouts, 17 decisions), 0 Losses, 0 Draws[141]
Res. Record Opponent Type Rd., Time Date Location Notes
Win 43-0 Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto UD 12 2012-05-05 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Won WBA (Super) Light Middleweight title. Awarded WBC Diamond belt.
Win 42-0 United States Victor Ortiz KO 4 (12), 2:59 2011-09-17 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Won WBC Welterweight title.
Win 41-0 United States Shane Mosley UD 12 2010-05-01 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Non-title welterweight bout.
Win 40-0 Mexico Juan Manuel Márquez UD 12 2009-09-19 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Non-title welterweight bout. Fight at 142-pound catch weight.
Win 39-0 United Kingdom Ricky Hatton TKO 10 (12), 1:35 2007-12-08 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained WBC & The Ring Welterweight titles.
Win 38-0 United States Oscar De La Hoya SD 12 2007-05-05 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Won WBC Light Middleweight title.
Win 37-0 Argentina Carlos Baldomir UD 12 2006-11-04 United States Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained IBO Welterweight title. Won WBC, IBA & The Ring Welterweight titles.
Win 36-0 United States Zab Judah UD 12 2006-04-08 United States Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada Won IBF & vacant IBO Welterweight titles.
Win 35-0 United States Sharmba Mitchell TKO 6 (12), 2:06 2005-11-19 United States Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon Non-title welterweight bout.
Win 34-0 Canada Arturo Gatti RTD 6 (12), 3:00 2005-06-25 United States Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey Won WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win 33-0 Puerto Rico Henry Bruseles TKO 8 (12), 2:55 2005-01-22 United States American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida WBC Light Welterweight Title Eliminator.
Win 32-0 United States DeMarcus Corley UD 12 2004-05-22 United States Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey WBC Light Welterweight Title Eliminator.
Win 31-0 South Africa Phillip N'dou TKO 7 (12), 1:08 2003-11-01 United States Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan Retained WBC & The Ring Lightweight titles.
Win 30-0 Dominican Republic Victoriano Sosa UD 12 2003-04-19 United States Selland Arena, Fresno, California Retained WBC & The Ring Lightweight titles.
Win 29-0 Mexico José Luis Castillo UD 12 2002-12-07 United States Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained WBC & The Ring Lightweight titles.
Win 28-0 Mexico José Luis Castillo UD 12 2002-04-20 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Won WBC & vacant The Ring Lightweight titles.
Win 27-0 Mexico Jesús Chávez RTD 9 (12), 3:00 2001-11-10 United States Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California Retained Lineal & WBC Super Featherweight titles.
Win 26-0 United States Carlos Hernández UD 12 2001-05-26 United States Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan Retained Lineal & WBC Super Featherweight titles.
Win 25-0 United States Diego Corrales TKO 10 (12), 2:19 2001-01-20 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained Lineal & WBC Super Featherweight titles.
Win 24-0 United States Emanuel Augustus TKO 9 (10), 1:06 2000-10-21 United States Cobo Center, Detroit, Michigan Non-title lightweight bout.
Win 23-0 Mexico Gregorio Vargas UD 12 2000-03-18 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained Lineal & WBC Super Featherweight titles.
Win 22-0 Puerto Rico Carlos Gerena RTD 7 (12), 3:00 1999-09-11 United States Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained Lineal & WBC Super Featherweight titles.
Win 21-0 Uganda Justin Juuko KO 9 (12), 1:20 1999-05-22 United States Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada Retained Lineal & WBC Super Featherweight titles.
Win 20-0 Argentina Carlos Rios UD 12 1999-02-17 United States Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan Retained Lineal & WBC Super Featherweight titles.
Win 19-0 United States Angel Manfredy TKO 2 (12), 2:47 1998-12-19 United States Miccosukee Indian Reservation, Miami, Florida Retained Lineal & WBC Super Featherweight titles.
Win 18-0 United States Genaro Hernández RTD 8 (12), 3:00 1998-10-03 United States Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada Won Lineal & WBC Super Featherweight titles.
Win 17-0 Canada Tony Pep UD 10 1998-06-14 United States Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win 16-0 Argentina Gustavo Cuello UD 10 1998-04-18 United States Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Win 15-0 Dominican Republic Miguel Melo TKO 3 (10), 2:30 1998-03-23 United States Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut
Win 14-0 United States Sam Girard TKO 2 (10), 2:47 1998-02-28 United States Bally's Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win 13-0 Puerto Rico Hector Arroyo TKO 5 (10), 1:21 1998-01-09 United States Grand Casino Biloxi, Biloxi, Mississippi
Win 12-0 United States Angelo Nuñez TKO 3 (8), 2:42 1997-11-20 United States Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Win 11-0 Mexico Felipe Garcia KO 6 (8), 2:56 1997-10-14 United States Qwest Arena, Boise, Idaho
Win 10-0 United States Louie Leija TKO 2 (10), 2:33 1997-09-06 United States El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Win 9-0 Mexico Jesús Chávez TKO 5 (6), 2:02 1997-07-12 United States Grand Casino Biloxi, Biloxi, Mississippi
Win 8-0 United States Larry O'Shields UD 6 1997-06-14 United States Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
Win 7-0 United States Tony Duran TKO 1 (6), 1:12 1997-05-09 United States The Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 6-0 United States Bobby Giepert KO 1 (6), 1:30 1997-04-12 United States Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 5-0 United States Kino Rodriguez TKO 1 (6), 1:44 1997-03-12 United States DeltaPlex Arena, Walker, Michigan
Win 4-0 United States Edgar Ayala TKO 2 (4), 1:39 1997-02-01 United States Swiss Park Hall, Chula Vista, California
Win 3-0 United States Jerry Cooper TKO 1 (4), 1:39 1997-01-18 United States Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 2-0 United States Reggie Sanders UD 4 1996-11-30 United States Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Win 1-0 Mexico Roberto Apodaca TKO 2 (4), 0:37 1996-10-11 United States Texas Station, Las Vegas, Nevada Professional debut.

Boxing titles

Major World Titles:
Minor World Titles:
The Ring Lineal Championship Titles:
Special Titles:

World Wrestling Entertainment


Mayweather, wearing sunglasses, white T-shirt and chains, in wrestling ring with red ropesMayweather appeared at World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s No Way Out pay-per-view event on February 17, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was involved in a storyline altercation with Big Show when Mayweather jumped a security barricade and attacked Big Show to help Rey Mysterio (whom Show had threatened to chokeslam). Mayweather originally assumed a babyface role in the story lines, which met with some resistance from fans.[142] The attack resulted in Big Show receiving a broken nose. The following night on Raw Big Show challenged Mayweather to a one-on-one No Disqualification match at WrestleMania XXIV, which Mayweather accepted. At WrestleMania, Mayweather defeated Big Show in a knockout with brass knuckles, to maintain his unbeaten record.[143] Mayweather claimed that he was paid $20 million for the fight; however, WWE's financial statements do not show that number.
Mayweather was guest host for WWE Raw in Las Vegas on August 24, 2009. He interfered with a tag-team match, which resulted in a loss for the Big Show (again a heel) and his partner Chris Jericho as Mayweather gave Montel Vontavious Porter brass knuckles to knock Jericho out, giving Porter and his new tag-team partner Mark Henry the win and a shot at the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles at WWE Breaking Point against Big Show and Jericho. He then celebrated with Henry and Porter, changing face. Later that night, he was involved in a backstage segment with Vince McMahon, D-Generation X and Carlito helping McMahon prepare for his six-man tag-team match against Legacy and DX. During the segment, McMahon knocked out Carlito.

Dancing with the Stars

Mayweather appeared on the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars; his partner was Ukrainian-American professional ballroom dancer Karina Smirnoff. On October 16, 2007, Smirnoff and Mayweather were the fourth couple to be eliminated from the competition, finishing in ninth place.[144]

Legal issues

In 2002, Mayweather was charged with two counts of domestic violence and one count of misdemeanor battery. He received a six-month suspended sentence, two days of house arrest and was ordered to perform 48 hours of community service.[145] In 2004 Mayweather was given a one-year suspended jail sentence, ordered to undergo counseling for "impulse control" and pay a $1,000 fine (or perform 100 hours of community service) after being convicted of two counts of misdemeanor battery against two women.[146] In 2005 Mayweather pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge after kicking a bouncer, receiving a 90-day suspended jail sentence.[147]
On September 9, 2010 it was reported that Mayweather was being sought by police for questioning after his former girlfriend, Josie Harris, filed a domestic battery report against him. Harris accused Mayweather of battery in the past, but those charges were dropped in July 2005 after Harris testified that she had lied and that Mayweather had not battered her.[148] Mayweather was taken into custody September 10, 2010, but was released after posting $3,000 bail. Mayweather was initially charged with felony theft (stemming from the disappearance of Harris's mobile phone); on September 16 two felony coercion charges, one felony robbery charge, one misdemeanor domestic-battery charge and three misdemeanor harassment charges were added.
On December 21, 2011, a judge sentenced Mayweather to serve 90 days in the county jail for battery upon his ex-girlfriend in September 2010. Mayweather reached a deal with prosecutors in which he pled guilty to misdemeanor battery in exchange for prosecutors dropping the felony battery charge. Mayweather also pled no contest to two counts of misdemeanor harrasment, stemming from threats to his children. In addition to the 90-day sentence Mayweather was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, a 12-month domestic-violence program and to pay a fine of $2,500.[149] On June 1 Mayweather began serving his county jail sentence,[150] and was released in August 2012.

Relationship with Al Haymon

Mayweather's relationship with controversial boxing manager Al Haymon is well-known.[151] This relationship has allowed Haymon to gain considerable influence in the boxing industry; in turn, Mayweather has made more money than he would have absent the relationship.[14]

Honours and awards


























 

 

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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Who is Sean Avery?

Who isSean Christopher Avery? The sporting world knows him as a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He formerly played for the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars and New York Rangers. Prior to the NHL, Avery played for the Owen Sound Platers and the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He has accumulated 90 goals and over 1,500 penalty minutes in 580 career NHL games.
Avery was born April 10, 1980, he is well known for his agitating playing style and controversial behavior both on and off the ice.

Detroit Red Wings (1999–2003)

Avery was not drafted but instead signed by the Red Wings as a free agent in 1999. He played one final season in junior before turning professional in 2000 in the American Hockey League (AHL). He broke into the NHL in the 2001–02 season, playing 36 games with the Red Wings, and 36 games in the minors. The Red Wings went on to win the Stanley Cup that season, but Avery did not play in the playoffs nor did he play the required 41 games to get his name engraved on the Cup.
Midway through the 2002–03 season, Avery was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in the trade for defenseman Mathieu Schneider. Avery finished the season with 15 points in 51 games. In 2008, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said that one reason he unloaded Avery was because he seemed to lack respect for the game.[1]

Los Angeles Kings (2003–2007)


In 2003–04 Avery played 76 games for the Kings, scoring nine goals and 19 assists. Avery also led the NHL in penalty minutes with 261. His tenure with the Kings was marked by a number of publicized controversial utterances.
Avery played in the Finnish SM-liiga for Pelicans. In 2 games he scored 3 goals, but then left Finland unexpectedly and returned to North America. He then played in the UHL alongside Chris Chelios, Bryan Smolinski and Derian Hatcher for the Motor City Mechanics. He tallied 26 points in 16 games, 15 goals and 11 assists. Those 15 goals included two hat tricks, making Avery the first player in Mechanics history to record two hat tricks in one season. He also had 149 penalty minutes. Avery made news during the lockout, when he was quoted as saying that the management of the National Hockey League Players Association lied to its members about the lockout.[2] During the lockout, Avery lived for three weeks with former teammate Chris Chelios, until Chelios' patience wore thin. "He turned my house upside down", Chelios said.[3]
Denis Gauthier of the Phoenix Coyotes body checked Kings forward Jeremy Roenick in a 2005 preseason game, giving Roenick a concussion. Avery's response was "I think it was typical of most French guys in our league with a visor on, running around and playing tough and not back anything up," generating much controversy with the French-Canadian public.[4] Avery was fined $1,000 by the NHL on November 15, 2005, for intentionally diving during a game, then was fined $1,000 more a day later after publicly criticizing the NHL's director of hockey operations, Colin Campbell.[5]
Avery and Anaheim Mighty Ducks broadcaster and former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Brian Hayward had a heated discussion in the Kings dressing room on April 7, 2006, over Hayward's on air comments during the April 4 Kings vs Ducks game, in which he accused Avery of avoiding a fight with Ducks' forward Todd Fedoruk. Avery began the argument by uttering that Hayward was an "embarrassment", a "(terrible) announcer", and was a "(terrible) player". Hayward responded by saying "How would you know? When I played, you were in your third year of eighth grade."[6] Near the end of the season, the Kings decided to suspend Avery, stating that he would not be with the team for the remainder of the year. A source claimed Avery had an argument with assistant coach Mark Hardy after refusing to participate in a practice drill.[7]
On July 24, 2006, the Los Angeles Kings signed Avery to a $1.1 million, one-year contract. Avery was a restricted free agent, so the Kings avoided going into salary arbitration by signing him to a deal.[8]

Relationship with Teammates

Avery mocked and bullied Kings' teammate Dustin Brown, a teenager at the time, on several occasions including poking fun at Brown's lifelong lisp and insinuating that Brown's then girlfriend, and now current wife, was not glamorous enough to be the girlfriend of a hockey player in Hollywood.[9][10] While light-hearted ribbing and razzing is commonplace in NHL locker rooms, former Kings' teammate Ian Laperriere told Sports Illustrated in April 2012 that the bullying was something "like you might see in high school."[11]

New York Rangers (2007–2008)

On February 5, 2007, Avery was traded by the Kings to the New York Rangers in a multi-player deal.[12] After Avery joined the Rangers, he scored 20 points in 29 games to help the team complete a 17-4-6 end-of-season run to qualify for the playoffs. Avery recorded a career-high four points in a game against the Boston Bruins on March 17. He notched one goal and added three assists to help the Rangers beat the Bruins 7–0.[13] Avery later played in his first career playoff game on April 12 against the Atlanta Thrashers. He recorded his first playoff points with a goal and an assist in the series against the Thrashers. He cut down on penalty minutes by about 65% in 2006–07 compared to seasons past.
On August 1, 2007, Avery, as a restricted free agent, earned an arbitration award of $1.9 million for the 2007–08 season, which the Rangers accepted, thus keeping him with the team for at least another year.[14]
Colin Campbell and the NHL fined Avery, Darcy Tucker, the Rangers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs for actions during warmups before their November 10, 2007, game.[15] Howard Berger of Toronto radio station CJCL The Fan 590 alleged that the reason for the altercation was a remark made by Avery concerning Jason Blake's diagnosis with a rare form of leukemia. However Avery denied making the comments,[16] and served CJCL with a notice of libel.[17] On December 3, the radio station retracted on air its allegations made about Avery.[18]
On November 29, 2007, Avery had arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist and did not return to the ice until the game against the Ottawa Senators on December 23.
When Avery scored his seventh goal of the season, ten seconds into a game against the Buffalo Sabres on February 16, 2008, he set a record for fastest goal scored by a Ranger at home ice.[19]
In the early morning of April 30, 2008, after a playoff game against the Penguins, Avery went to the hospital with a lacerated spleen.[20][21] He was released from the St. Vincent's Medical Center on May 4.[22]

Dallas Stars (2008)

Avery signed a four-year, $15.5 million contract with the Dallas Stars on July 2, 2008.[23] He had been a roommate of current Stars co-general manager Brett Hull when the two played for the Red Wings. Hull thought the Stars needed more fire and emotion on the ice, and felt Avery would fit the bill.[24]
Avery's performance largely mirrored the Stars' sluggish early performance; he only scored three goals before he and the team parted ways due to controversial remarks about fellow NHL players (see below). His play was a source of frustration to his teammates; according to TSN's James Duthie, one anonymous Star said that Avery "doesn't pay attention" and has not been able to grasp the Stars' system.[25]
During a November 1 game against the Boston Bruins, Avery was accused of unleashing a torrent of obscenities at a fan who was heckling him in the penalty box. A complaint was filed with the NHL, but no action was taken.[26]

Controversial "sloppy seconds" comment

Dion Phaneuf
On December 2, 2008, prior to the Stars' morning skate in preparation for a game against the Calgary Flames, Avery approached the assembled reporters in the dressing room and informed them that he was about to make a statement. He proceeded to make the following comment directed towards then Flames' defenceman Dion Phaneuf, who is dating Avery's ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert.[27]
I'm just going to say one thing. I'm really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada. I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about, but enjoy the game tonight.
Within hours, the NHL suspended him indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the league or the game of hockey". His comments were met with near-unanimous condemnation by the Stars organization, fellow players and fans alike. Stars owner Tom Hicks said that the team would have suspended Avery had the NHL not acted first.[28] Avery apologized the next day, calling his actions "a bad attempt to build excitement for the game."[29]
On December 5, the NHL fixed Avery's suspension at six games, retroactive to the December 2 game against the Flames. He agreed to undergo an anger management evaluation, and structured counseling if necessary, due to what the NHL called "unacceptable and antisocial" behavior "at odds with the manner in which his more than 700 fellow players conduct themselves". The league disclosed that Avery had been warned before about his behavior by both Commissioner Gary Bettman and league disciplinarian Colin Campbell.[30]
On December 14, 2008—only hours after the last game of Avery's suspension—the Stars announced that Avery would not return to the team. However, Hull said the Stars would continue to honor Avery's contract and support him while he gets help.[31] Earlier, TSN reported that Stars' management were actively pursuing all options to permanently rid themselves of Avery.[25] Hull said one factor in the decision was that coach Dave Tippett and the rest of the team did not want to take Avery back. Earlier, Tippett had said he had specifically told Avery not to talk to the media about his former girlfriends, and was very upset when he did so.[32]

Return to the Rangers (2009–2012)


After completing his program, Avery was placed on waivers by the Stars on February 7, 2009,[33] and cleared waivers on February 9.[34] Rumors began to surface that the New York Rangers were possibly interested in bringing back Avery. As many were predicting, Avery was then assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers' American Hockey League affiliate, although he remained a member of the Stars' organization (that season, the Stars had no AHL affiliate).[35] On March 2, after weeks of the possible return and buzz league wide, Avery was placed on re-entry waivers by Dallas and claimed by the Rangers on March 3.[36] Rangers head coach John Tortorella, who, while working as an analyst for TSN, had previously stated that Avery was a "selfish ass" and that he had no business in the NHL, said that he was now willing to give him a second chance.[37] On April 4 during a game against the Boston Bruins, Avery struck Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas in the back of his helmet with his stick as he looked up into the stands.[38] Thomas skated after Avery and both received penalties for roughing.[39]
On April 22, 2009, in game 4 of the playoff series against the Washington Capitals, Avery whacked Milan Jurcina on an icing touch-up with his stick and fist that made Jurcina fall to the ice, bleeding. After receiving a minor on that penalty, he then high-sticked Brian Pothier and nearly cost the Rangers a 3–1 lead in the series since the Rangers were short-handed at the end of the game while only maintaining a one goal lead. He was subsequently benched for the following game by coach Tortorella. Following the Rangers' elimination in game seven of the first-round series, Avery praised Tortorella despite the benching, saying it was the right decision and that Tortorella is the coach for whom he wants to play.[40] Avery missed the first four games of the 2009–10 season with a sprained knee. In one game against the Dallas Stars, his former team, Avery had one goal and three assists.[41]
On October 4, 2011, the New York Rangers waived Avery bringing his tenure as a Ranger (at least for the time being) to a close. The decision to waive Avery was due to Tortorella's personal dislike for him. The following day, Avery cleared waivers and was assigned to New York's affiliate, the Connecticut Whale.[42]
On October 31, 2011, the Rangers placed Sean Avery on 24 hour re-entry waivers. The move was done to bring Avery up as a replacement for the injured Mike Rupp. He cleared waivers on November 1 at Noon and re-joined the Rangers for their game November 5 against the Montreal Canadiens. Despite playing less than ten minutes in all fifteen he played in for the Rangers, he scored three goals.
After being a healthy scratch for nine games, Avery was once again placed on waivers on December 30, 2011, three days before the Rangers would visit Philadelphia for the 2012 Winter Classic. Since no NHL team claimed him, he returned to the AHL's Connecticut Whale.[43] After being a healthy scratch for 15 straight games with the Whale, last playing on January 27, 2012, Avery was left off the Whale's Clear Day list of players eligible to play for the remainder of the AHL season submitted on March 5, and Avery was sent home.
On March 13, 2012, Sean Avery said he was retiring but his agent said he was joking. It is still unknown if Avery has retired or not.[44]

Style of play

Despite Avery's relatively unimposing physical stature (5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) and 195 lb (88 kg; 13.9 st)), he is considered to be one of the best (and most notorious) agitators in the NHL. Due to his unorthodox and highly confrontational style of play, Avery has made enemies in the NHL, especially among opposing star players and enforcers. In a 2007 poll of 283 NHL players, 66.4% said that Sean Avery was the most hated player in the league.[45]

The Sean Avery rule

During an April 13, 2008, first round playoff game against the New Jersey Devils, Avery turned his back on the play in order to face and screen goaltender Martin Brodeur during a two-man advantage on the power play. He waved his hands and stick in front of Brodeur in an attempt to distract him and block his view. The puck was later cleared out of the Devils' zone but on the second Rangers offensive attack, Avery scored the power play goal. The play-by-play announcer started marvelling at Avery's tactics aloud:
Call it tactics, call it antics! Call it effective in the end! This is unbelievable, I've never seen anything like this!
Avery and Martin Brodeur
Although screening is a commonly used tactic (especially on the power play), notable in this instance was that Avery had spent the initial part of the play facing Brodeur while ignoring the puck, with his back to the play (normally, the player screening the goaltender is facing the play). While it was not an explicit rules violation at the time of the game, many NHL commentators and players described Avery's actions as unsportsmanlike.[46] The following day, the NHL issued an interpretation of the league's unsportsmanlike conduct rule to cover actions such as the one employed by Avery, which would now result in a minor penalty.[46]
Don Cherry told Toronto radio station The Fan 590 of Avery's tactic, "I've known this kid since he was about 16 years old; Once a jerk, always a jerk. You can't blame the referee, because he couldn't believe what he was seeing."[47]
Avery's tactics during that series against the Devils earned multiple power plays, and he had scored in each of the first three games. Avery had particularly agitated Brodeur during these games, causing Brodeur to crash into Avery on several occasions. Avery's actions goaded Brodeur into trying to draw penalties on Avery which led to poor positioning on several Rangers goals. During game two, Avery confronted Brodeur despite the play headed towards the other end, with Brodeur even leaning his head against Avery's helmet during the exchange. His controversial, yet very effective antics helped lead the Rangers to a 4–1 series win. At the end of the series, Brodeur refused to shake Avery's hand.[48] Avery later said, “Well, everyone talks about how classy or un-classy I am, and fatso (Brodeur) here just forgot to shake my hand I guess. . . We outplayed him. I outplayed him. We're going to the second round.”

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1996–97 Owen Sound Platers OHL 58 10 21 31 86 4 1 0 1 4
1997–98 Owen Sound Platers OHL 47 13 41 54 105 11 1 11 12 23
1998–99 Owen Sound Platers OHL 28 22 23 45 70
1998–99 Kingston Frontenacs OHL 33 14 25 39 88 5 1 3 4 13
1999–00 Kingston Frontenacs OHL 55 28 56 84 215 5 2 2 4 26
2000–01 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 58 8 15 23 304 4 1 0 1 19
2001–02 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 36 14 7 21 106
2001–02 Detroit Red Wings NHL 36 2 2 4 68
2002–03 Detroit Red Wings NHL 39 5 6 11 120
2002–03 Los Angeles Kings NHL 12 1 3 4 33
2002–03 Manchester Monarchs AHL 3 2 1 3 8
2003–04 Los Angeles Kings NHL 76 9 19 28 261
2004–05 Pelicans SML 2 3 0 3 26
2004–05 Motor City Mechanics UHL 16 15 11 26 149
2005–06 Los Angeles Kings NHL 75 15 24 39 257
2006–07 Los Angeles Kings NHL 55 10 18 28 116
2006–07 New York Rangers NHL 29 8 12 20 58 10 1 4 5 27
2007–08 New York Rangers NHL 57 15 18 33 154 8 4 3 7 6
2008–09 Dallas Stars NHL 23 3 7 10 77
2008–09 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 8 2 1 3 8
2008–09 New York Rangers NHL 18 5 7 12 34 6 0 2 2 24
2009–10 New York Rangers NHL 69 11 20 31 160
2010–11 New York Rangers NHL 76 3 21 24 174 4 0 1 1 12
2011–12 New York Rangers NHL 15 3 0 3 21
2011–12 Connecticut Whale AHL 7 2 1 3 39
OHL totals 221 87 166 253 564 14 5 4 9 56
AHL totals 124 32 30 62 539 7 3 1 4 27
NHL totals 580 90 157 247 1,533 28 5 10 15 69

Transactions

  • January 11, 1999 – Traded to Kingston (OHL) by Owen Sound (OHL) with Steve Lafleur for Aaron Fransen and D. J. Maracle.[49]
  • September 21, 1999 – Signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings.[49]
  • March 11, 2003 – Traded by the Detroit Red Wings, along with Maxim Kuznetsov, Detroit's 2003 first-round draft choice and 2004 second-round draft choice, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Mathieu Schneider.
  • November 24, 2004 – Signed as a free agent by Lahti (Finland).[49]
  • February 11, 2005 – Signed as a free agent by Motor City (UHL).[49]
  • February 5, 2007 – Traded by the Los Angeles Kings, along with John Seymour, to the New York Rangers in exchange for Jason Ward, Jan Marek, Marc-André Cliche and New York's 2008 third-round draft choice.[49]
  • July 2, 2008 – Signed as a free agent with the Dallas Stars.[49]
  • March 3, 2009 – Claimed off re-entry waivers by the New York Rangers.[36]
  • October 11, 2011 – Avery was sent down to the Connecticut Whale of the AHL.
  • October 31, 2011 – Rangers placed Sean Avery on 24 hour re-entry waivers.

Personal life

Sean Avery grew up in Pickering, Ontario, and attended Dunbarton High School. Avery has a younger brother, Scott (born 1988). Avery played a small role in the 2005 film The Rocket, as Bob Dill. His storyline in the movie was only one scene, where he showed how Maurice Richard became a target, not only for his hockey ability, but also because of his francophone background.[50] In the film, Avery coincidentally portrays a member of the New York Rangers, two years before actually joining the team.
He appeared in a December 2006 episode of MADtv with Kings teammates Tom Kostopoulos and Scott Thornton. He has also been featured on episodes of MTV Cribs, Punk'd and TRL. He was on the "Sexiest Man Alive 2007" list by People magazine, on which Matt Damon was number one.[51]
On March 29, 2008, the New York Daily News reported that Avery was listed in a "little black book" seized from the computer of Kristin Davis, a Manhattan prostitute.[52] Avery denied the accusation and claimed he was a victim of a practical joke, blaming his enemies for using his name.[53] He said he and his teammates just laughed the whole thing off hysterically. Davis's attorney said that his client has "never had any contact ever" with Avery, and even claimed that there is no black book.[54]

Racial slur

On October 11, 2005, Avery made news during the regular season when Georges Laraque of the Edmonton Oilers, a Black Canadian, claimed that Avery called him a monkey during a contest between the two teams. The incident was never proven and Avery adamantly denies it ever occurred.[55] On August 1, 2011, Alexander Frolov, a former teammate of Avery with the Los Angeles Kings, claimed that Avery said racial slurs during his time with the Kings. In an interview with the Russian newspaper, Sports.ru, Frolov stated, "[Avery] sometimes calls opponents black monkeys."[56]

Warren 77

In the summer of 2009, Avery opened a sports bar, Warren 77, named for its location in Manhattan at 77 Warren Street. On opening night, many figures from the hockey world were present, including Brendan Shanahan, Ken Daneyko and Henrik Lundqvist, who performed for the crowd. The décor is meant to reflect an old New York style, with Andy Warhol originals and pictures of icons on the walls, as well as pictures of the Rangers, past and present. Matt Abramcyk, a former art dealer, and Chris Miller, co-owner of the Beatrice Hotel, are co-owners of the bar.

LGBT activism

In May 2011, Avery recorded a video for the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign, where he stated that he is a supporter of same-sex marriage.[57] In an interview with the New York Times, Avery stated, "I certainly have been surrounded by the gay community. And living in New York and when you live in L.A., you certainly have a lot of gay friends."[58] Avery also lobbied politicians in New York prior to the senate vote that eventually made same sex marriage in New York state legal.[59]

Legal issues

On August 5, 2011, Avery was arrested at his home in the Hollywood Hills and charged with battery on a police officer.[60] He had been receiving noise complaints due to a loud party at his home, and when a police officer arrived, he reportedly pushed the police officer. During the arrest, Avery called the cops "fat little pigs" and challenged them to a fight. After Avery posted bail in the amount of $20,000 the next morning, he had a friend ask the officers if they would allow him to go out the back door so as to avoid any waiting cameras. The Los Angeles Police Department denied his request.[61] On August 18, 2011, it was reported that all charges against Avery had been dropped by the Los Angeles Police Department. The officer who was allegedly pushed had actually caught his foot in the door and was never shoved.[62]

Anti-gay slur

During a preseason game on September 27, 2011, against the Philadelphia Flyers, Avery claimed forward Wayne Simmonds called him an anti-gay slur, though the on-ice officials near the play did not hear anything, and Simmonds denied the slur. This prompted GLAAD to call for an apology from Simmonds. "The organization also want the NHL to educate its fans about such hate speech."[63] The league made no discipline for Simmonds due to lack of evidence and the on-ice officials and players denied any proof on Avery's claim.[64]

Fashion interests

In April 2008, it was announced that Avery would be spending the summer off-season interning at Vogue magazine. According to one fashion report, "Avery is a self-confessed clotheshorse who has been known to give girlfriends advice on how to dress, and in interviews has expressed a dream to become a fashion editor after his days on the ice."[65] He joined in a fashion partnership with friend and former director of Calvin Klein's celebrity services, Lauryn Flynn.[66] In June 2008, Avery guest-edited Mensvogue.com, the website for Men's Vogue magazine.[67] He is also a vintage wine aficionado whose collection has been featured in an NHL.com interview. He revealed on ESPN that as a child he would play with dolls that he would steal from his babysitter.[68] His interest mainly resides with women's fashion; of men's fashion Avery has said: "You do suits and pants and that's about that. Women's clothes tell a story. That's what's interesting to me."[69]
Avery’s "double life" of being a professional athlete while having an interest in fashion prompted New Line Cinema to commission a screenplay.[69]
In 2009, Avery worked with men's fashion label Commonwealth Utilities to present a clothing line for Fashion Week in New York City.[70]
On February 2, 2012, Avery was a guest judge on Lifetime's Project Runway All Stars. One of his critiques compared an outfit to "Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani at Burning Man on acid."[71]
Avery is the face of Hickey Freeman's Spring/Summer 2012 ad campaign. The print ads have appeared in Vanity Fair and DC Modern Luxury. Black and white photos were shot by Francesco Carrozzini with styling by Sean Spellman. One ad features a racy and scantily clad Avery with a female model, while the others offer city scenes of Avery in plaid suites sporting sunglasses.[72]





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