Floyd Mayweather is not the only fighter to get incarcerated and come out of lock-up with a point to prove. It happened to the boxing legend in 2012.
After his latest exhibition, World Boxing News looks back on the two-month prison sentence handed down to Mayweather before his victory over Robert Guerrero.
Authorities originally ordered Mayweather to jail on January 6th of, 2012. He successfully lobbied for a stay to face Miguel Cotto on May 5th, 2012.
‘Money’ told the judge about how much money Las Vegas would stand to lose if he did not follow through with the fight.
It went ahead as planned with conditions. Mayweather won but, less than one month later was behind bars.
Upon release in early August, Mayweather admitted that his 63-day stint at Clark County Detention Center had only served to “make him angrier.”
And that it had also ‘f’d him up in the head.’
SHOWTIME DEAL
Months passed before Mayweather announced the next fight of his multi-million-dollar six-fight Showtime deal in 2013.
Already two bouts into the most significant contract in sports, the two-belt world champion was eased back in with a clash against Robert Guerrero.
Releasing a revealing documentary in 2013 titled “30 Days in May” set tongues wagging after the fighter continually protested his innocence.
Women’s rights groups also criticized a lack of remorse after initially pleading guilty to the assault of the now-tragically deceased Josie Harris in 2010.
Mayweather didn’t see his plea bargain as an admission of guilt. He sucked it up, did his time swept Guerrero aside at the MGM Grand.
It was apparent that Floyd Mayweather was undeterred. He had a point to prove.
The much-publicized release of Mayweather had brought a sigh of relief. Not only from his own Nevada community but from the wider boxing fraternity.
It’s no secret that Floyd was welcomed back as the pound-for-pound king of boxing with all that entails. A status that firmly carried over to the PPV boxing table.
Still sporting two world title belts at different weights, Mayweather opted only to keep the WBC belt he put on the line versus Guerrero.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER VERSUS THE BEST
What did he do next? – Went straight for the best up-and-coming fighter on the planet – Canelo Alvarez. He won convincingly against the Mexican future superstar.
Two Marcos Maidana victories followed before his super-fight with Manny Pacquiao blew the lid off the Pay Per View box.
Seeing Mayweather walk out of the prison gate, boasting an unfamiliar lengthier haircut and wearing the same sweats he left the courtroom, he didn’t cut a forlorn figure.
Mayweather looked like a more invigorated soul. He emerged from the shadows to declare that he still stands proud on the top of the boxing mountain.
He stayed there another four years before settling on an exhibition run. You can see that Mayweather is a more rounded person for it.
