Photo Courtesy of Instagram (@floydmayweather)
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. was finally given his flowers after being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place on Sunday afternoon in Verona, New York. The induction ceremony included 2020, 2021 and 2022 inductees due to the pandemic.
In his acceptance speech, the veteran boxer broke down into tears before speaking.
“I don’t really know what to say,” he said through tears. “I told myself I wouldn’t cry, but this is something beautiful. This is one of the best days of my life.”
“I done a lot in my career, but this is by far the best,” Mayweather continued. “I want to thank the International Boxing Hall of Fame for giving me this. This right here is going to my dad because he deserves it. Bernard Hopkins said it best, ‘You’ve got to earn it,’ and my dad earned this ring.”
“I want to say thank you to everybody for your support. I want to tell all the fighters — thank you, you guys are remarkable. There wouldn’t be no me without you guys.”
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Mayweather finished his career unbeaten with 50 wins.
In an Instagram post, Mayweather shared his gratitude as he shared the ceremony announcement. He wrote, “I am truly honored to be receiving the highest honor I can receive as a boxer-I will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I would love for my family, friends, associates, and fans to come join me during this once-in-a-lifetime Hall of Fame induction weekend in Canastota, NY. The events begin June 9th through June 12th.”
Female boxers also received their recognition during the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Christy Martin, Laila Ali and Lucia Rijker were also honored.
Other inductees in the ceremony of 36 included Roy Jones Jr., Miguel Cotto and James Toney.
Congratulations to all the honorees!