Floyd Mayweather famously ended his career with an impressive record of 50 fights and 50 wins.
In that time the multi-weight king, pound-for-pound great and generational talent fought a real who’s who of talent in and around several different weigh classes.
That includes six-weight world champion Oscar De La Hoya, British boxing favourite Ricky Hatton, fellow boxing great Manny Pacquiao and the likes of Jose Luis Castillo, Shane Mosley, André Berto, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Marcos Maidana amongst many more.
However, when he was asked at a media appearance who was the toughest of them all, he went with someone he fought in 2000 when his record sat at 23-0 – ‘Pretty Boy’ was the WBC world super featherweight champion at the time.
“Emanuel Augustus.
I mean some years back he said he got shot in the head but he’s still living. He’s the guy I was off for a long period of time at the beginning of my career then I faced him and he was a very very tough competitor. I think he was 26 with 14 losses but he was extremely tough.”
American ‘The Drunken Master’ boxed well and even drew blood from Mayweather’s nose in that contest though ‘Money’ eventually got on top and dished out enough punishment to force Augustus’s corner to pull him out of the fight at the end of round nine. Augustus retired in 2011 after a total of 78 bouts but never won a major title.
Though retired from professional fighting, Mayweather returns with another exhibition bout against former opponent John Gotti III on August 24 in Mexico City.
