Boxing

Floyd Mayweather's Most Hated Opponent Admission Raises Eyebrows

Floyd Mayweather despised one former boxing opponent more than the rest.
Grant Young|
Jun 6, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Green Trunks) stands in the ring prior to his fight against Logan Paul (not pictured) at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Jun 6, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Green Trunks) stands in the ring prior to his fight against Logan Paul (not pictured) at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Floyd "Money" Mayweather will go down as one of the best boxers in history, as he finished his professional career (so long as he stays retired) with a perfect 50-0 record that included 27 KO victories and 15 major world championships spanning five weight classes.

Not to mention that Mayweather is also a shrewd businessman, amassing a staggering amount of wealth during his boxing career that has afforded him a lavish lifestyle since retiring. One reason why Mayweather made so much money is that he fought some of the sport's biggest names. These include icons like Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez, and Conor McGregor, just to name a few.

While Floyd always knew how to use his words to sell a fight, only a couple of his opponents seemed to incite real hostility from Mayweather.

And in a past interview that was reposted on GiveMeSport on May 21, Mayweather got blunt about which of his past opponents he hated the most.

When asked, “Which fighter did you dislike the most?” Mayweather quickly said, "Oscar De La Hoya".

Mayweather and De La Hoya fought each other for the WBC super welterweight championship on May 5, 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather ultimately won via split decision. One reason for the vitriol between these two boxing icons is that in the fight's lead-up, there was discussion about Mayweather's father, Floyd Sr., potentially cornering De La Hoya against his son.

While this fatherly betrayal ultimately didn't happen, it's understandable why Mayweather would still harbor a beef with De La Hoya, despite having defeated him.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.