Floyd Mayweather has confessed that there were occasions where other boxers got the better of him in the gym.
Throughout his sparkling career, ‘Money’ produced many a vintage performance, schooling some of the greatest fighters of his generation.
However, there were times he had to bite down on his gumshield. Shane Mosley rocked Mayweather to his core, and Marcos Maidana gave him a run for his money.
And by the sounds of things, it wasn’t always smooth sailing behind closed doors either.
WOW: Oscar De La Hoya reveals who was better between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather admits he got humbled in sparring
On fight night, Floyd Mayweather was usually borderline flawless, utilizing his phenomenal jab and fight IQ to cruise to victory.
However, while he exuded confidence in front of the cameras, the icon has admitted that he suffered from self-doubt if his sparring sessions hadn’t gone too well.
In an interview with Steve Harvey, he confessed: “I’ve been in a boxing gym and guys have given me great sparring and great work.
“They say ‘an a– whooping will humble you’. If a guy gave me great work in the boxing gym, I’d go home and say, ‘You’ve got to tighten up, champ, you’ve got to get it together champ’.
“Then, sometimes I’d go home and say, ‘Is this for me’?
“If I go to the gym slacking, which I shouldn’t go to the gym, slacking, but I’m only human—I make mistakes, but I strive every day to be a perfectionist.”
Floyd Mayweather went down to the canvas in the only official knockdown of his career
While Mayweather was renowned for making fights look easy, when the Hall of Famer had to, he wasn’t afraid of going to the well.
On May 26, 2001, ‘Pretty Boy’ defended his WBC super featherweight world title at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
And while he emerged with the victory, the contest wasn’t without its difficult stages.
In a shocking moment, Mayweather touched the canvas against a future world champion.