Former world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather has been heralded by WWE leader Triple H for his discipline – as he recalls his professional wrestler debut back in 2008.
Mayweather, a decorated professional boxer turned entrepreneur, enjoyed a stellar career in combat sports, boasting a spectacular 50-0 professional boxing record before retiring in 2017.
It turns out boxing wasn’t the only sport he had fully dedicated himself to.
But back in 2008, Mayweather made a massive crossover to the world of professional wrestling. Involved in a notable feud with The Big Show (real name Paul Wight) in the weeks ahead of WrestleMania XXIV- the duo shared the ring in a spectacle pairing.
Now, ahead of WrestleMania 41 this weekend, WWE CCO Triple H reflected on Mayweather’s dedication to training for professional wrestling ahead of his sole match back in 2008.
“When he (Floyd Mayweather) wrestled for us [the WWE] and fought Big Show, I tried to help train him for that,” Triple H said on the Flagrant podcast.
Calling Floyd a good listener, Triple H claimed that he would show up at the show witha loud entourage but would dismiss them when needed.
“And we’d talk for a little bit, and then he’d be like, “All right you want to get down to work.” I’d be like ‘Yeah, ‘ the WWE boss noted.
“And he’d whistle or something and he’d be like “All right, business everybody out.” And everybody would stop talking,” Triple H added, noting that this would get everyone to stop talking. “He was like laser-focused”, Triple H admitted.
However, another ex-wrestler, JBL, claims Mayweather ruffled Big Show’s feathers with his legitimate punch during the match.
Mayweather lucky Big Show didn’t ‘eat’ him
Winning the planned matchup via ‘knockout’, Mayweather would land a legitimate blow on Show during their WrestleMania pairing, however. And according to JBL, the boxer can count himself lucky to this day
Smashing his opponent’s nose with a massive shot, Mayweather was fortunate to survive the advances of the wrestler, who JBL claims would’ve “eaten” the pugilist if he got his hands on him.
“Floyd Mayweather says: ‘Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of you, I won’t even touch you.‘” JBL told talkSPORT.
“He broke his nose. He just, ‘wham’ – Floyd Mayweather can throw a punch, [but] if Big Show had caught him, he’d have ate him. Big Show was furious,” JBL added.
Notably, Floyd wouldn’t be the first world champion boxer to be involved with the wrestling promotion. In 1998, during the height of the Attitude Era, Mike Tyson would find himself squaring off against the Texas Rattlesnake- Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Years before this, in 1985, Muhammad Ali served as a special guest referee in a tag team match between Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff.
Even modern great and former champion Tyson Fury has been involved with the promotion, wrestling against the likes of Austin Theory and Braun Strowman.
