Challenges Faced by Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Obstacles and Turning Points

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 9, 2026

Life is full of challenges, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. faced many. Discover key struggles and how they were overcome.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is an undefeated American professional boxer (50-0) and boxing promoter. He has won 15 major world championships across five weight classes, including Ring magazine titles in three weight classes. As an amateur, he won a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics and multiple U.S. championships. Mayweather retired from professional boxing in 2017 and has since participated in exhibition boxing.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1993: Father's Imprisonment in 1993

In 1996, Mayweather's father was still imprisoned after his conviction for illegal drug trafficking in 1993.

2000: Fired Father as Manager and Trainer in 2000

In early 2000, before a fight against Gregorio Vargas, Mayweather fired his father as his manager and trainer. Mayweather won a near-shutout against Vargas in Las Vegas.

May 26, 2001: Mayweather Retains WBC Title Against Carlos Hernandez

On May 26, 2001, fighting in his hometown, Mayweather defeated Carlos Hernández by unanimous decision to retain his WBC super-featherweight title, overcoming injuries in both hands and suffering his first career knockdown.

2001: Mayweather Wants to Fight Kostya Tszyu

In 2001, Mayweather expressed his desire to fight Kostya Tszyu, but never fought him and instead fought Ricky Hatton. By the end of 2001, Mayweather was ranked The Ring #1 super featherweight and #5 best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

December 7, 2002: Rematch with José Luis Castillo

On December 7, 2002, Mayweather had a rematch with José Luis Castillo. Before the rematch, Mayweather said he had a torn rotator cuff before their first fight and had surgery afterwards.

2002: Mayweather Charged with Domestic Violence

In 2002, Floyd Mayweather was charged with two counts of domestic violence and one count of misdemeanor battery, leading to a suspended sentence and community service.

2004: Mayweather Receives Suspended Sentence for Misdemeanor Battery

In 2004, Floyd Mayweather was given a one-year suspended jail sentence, ordered to undergo counseling, and pay a fine after being convicted of two counts of misdemeanor battery against two women.

July 2005: Domestic Battery Charges Dropped

In July 2005, domestic battery charges were dropped after Harris testified that she had lied and that Mayweather had not battered her.

2005: Mayweather Pleads No Contest to Battery Charge

In 2005, Floyd Mayweather pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge after hitting and kicking a bouncer, receiving a 90-day suspended jail sentence.

2008: Pacquiao's Shoulder Injury

In 2008, Bob Arum revealed that Manny Pacquiao had a persistent shoulder injury dating back to this year.

December 22, 2009: Pacquiao Unwilling to Comply with Drug Testing

On December 22, 2009, Golden Boy Promotions announced that Manny Pacquiao was unwilling to comply with the Olympic-style drug testing requested by Team Mayweather. This disagreement was a major factor in the failure to finalize a fight between the two.

September 9, 2010: Mayweather Sought for Questioning in Domestic Battery Case

On September 9, 2010, Floyd Mayweather was being sought by police for questioning after his former girlfriend, Josie Harris, filed a domestic battery report against him.

December 21, 2011: Mayweather Sentenced to Jail for Battery

On December 21, 2011, Floyd Mayweather was sentenced to serve 90 days in county jail for battery upon Josie Harris in September 2010, as part of a deal with prosecutors.

June 1, 2012: Mayweather Reports to Jail

On June 1, 2012, Floyd Mayweather reported to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas to serve his jail term for domestic abuse.

August 3, 2012: Mayweather Released From Prison

On August 3, 2012, Floyd Mayweather was released from prison after serving two months of his jail term for domestic abuse.

2012: Mayweather Names Augustus Fight Toughest

In an interview in 2012, Mayweather named his fight against Emanuel Augustus as the toughest of his career.

February 4, 2015: Mayweather Denied Visa to Australia

On February 4, 2015, Floyd Mayweather was denied a visa to Australia due to his criminal record and jail term, preventing him from doing a tour there.

May 2015: Josie Harris Sues Mayweather for Defamation

In May 2015, Josie Harris sued Floyd Mayweather for $20 million for defamation, claiming that Mayweather lied during an interview with Katie Couric in April about the 2010 domestic-violence incident.

July 6, 2015: Mayweather Stripped of WBO Welterweight Title

On July 6, 2015, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) stripped Mayweather of his welterweight championship for not being permitted to hold titles in multiple weight classes and for failing to pay a sanctioning fee.

November 2018: Mayweather Settles with SEC Over ICO Touting

In November 2018, Floyd Mayweather, along with DJ Khaled, agreed to a $750,000 settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for failing to disclose payments accepted from issuers of initial coin offerings, including $100,000 from Centra Tech Inc.

January 2022: Mayweather Named in EthereumMax Lawsuit

In January 2022, Floyd Mayweather was named as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit against the cryptocurrency company EthereumMax, accused of promoting the EthereumMax token.