Floyd Mayweather is one of the most successful boxers that has ever lived and has never been defeated inside the ring.
His unbeaten 50-0 professional record is legendary, not least for the calibre of opponents he has overcome throughout his storied career.
Mayweather is a 15-time world champion and has defeated the likes of Ricky Hatton, Arturo Gatti, Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya.
More recently, ‘Money’ has delved into exhibition fights. He recently battled YouTuber Logan Paul in a fight where no winner was declared. However, Mayweather dominated the bout.
Whilst, of course, the 44-year-old made his name by brutalising opponents in the boxing ring, fans have seen him take on other ventures in the past.
Floyd Mayweather and WWE
In December 2007, Floyd Mayweather recorded a stunning technical knockout victory over Ricky Hatton. With the bout billed as ‘Undefeated’ by the media beforehand, this was widely considered as one of the American’s greatest wins.
He subsequently announced his retirement from boxing to focus on his promotional company. ‘Money’ did return to combat in February 2008 – but not in the sport for which he was famous.
Mayweather instead appeared at WWE‘s No Way Out pay-per-view. He confronted Big Show, who himself was returning to the company after a year’s absence.
‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ was the perfect opponent. Standing at around 7ft tall and weighing over 380lb, it was a true David v Goliath contest.
Mayweather jumped over the ropes and attempted to attack Big Show in the ring. He was successfully pulled back by his entourage – the first time.
Mayweather attacks Big Show at No Way Out
After seeing Mayweather in the hands of his entourage, Big Show began to goad the undefeated boxing superstar.
‘Money’ wrestled free before striding up to his nemesis and landing a series of blows to the head. One of them was enough to send blood gushing down the face of ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’.
Following a brief scuffle, both men were escorted out of the ring. They would meet in a No Disqualification match at WrestleMania – the showpiece event of the WWE calendar – where Floyd Mayweather would be victorious after using brass knuckles to the head of his opponent.
Did Mayweather really break Big Show’s nose?
Yes – and it was all planned. Big Show was desperate for a big moment that would help build up their blockbuster WrestleMania 24 match.
He explained on The Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast in 2017: “I told Floyd to break my nose. If he didn’t do something huge that night, our angle was dead in the water.
“It’s just the size disparity. I was trying to do something different than a normal wrestling angle, so this is an opportunity with a trained professional, who I trusted, and this is one of the greatest fighters who ever boxed.
“I’d spent a whole year messing around the ring boxing, so I knew he knew how to break my nose without shoving it through the back of my head. It was awesome.”
So, there you have it. It was quite possibly the first time Floyd Mayweather broke somebody’s nose when the other person actually wanted it to happen.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
