THE BLACK MAMBA
By Moncayo Blackbull  (Click picture for larger view)

INSIDEBOXING.com (February 13, 2006) - He turned professional at the young age of 21, making his debut in Las Vegas on July 29, 1981. He made quick work of Andrew Ruiz by stopping him in the first round. He goes on to win 11 more bouts before challenging for the regional USBA lightweight title. In his first scheduled 12-round contest, he defeated Ruben Munoz Jr.

Roger Mayweather had made the transition from prospect to contender when he collected the USBA hardware. Two fights later, Mayweather won the WBA super featherweight title by dethroning Samuel Serrano with a TKO in the eighth round of the scheduled 15 rounder.

Serrano won the WBA title on Oct. 16, 1976 and defended the title 10 times before losing it to Yasutsune Uehara on Aug. 2, 1980 in a fight that was called “upset of the year”. Two fights later, Serrano would redeem himself by defeating Uehara by unanimous decision in 15 and regain the championship. Serrano would defend the title three more times before facing the youngster Mayweather.

Mayweather defended the title three times before losing it to Rocky Lockridge. The loss was also the first for Mayweather.

Mayweather fought in an era when fighters were fighters. There were no million-dollar pay days for fighters in the lower weight classes. Then the heavyweight division was rock solid and controlled the boxing scene. Fighters in the lower weight classes were forced to play behind the big boys.

Fighting underneath the heavyweights but providing the action was what the lower weight classes did.

I asked Mayweather why he never had a rematch with Lockridge. Since it was his first loss, it would seem to be a fight he would want in order to redeem himself. Mayweather said it was simply too hard for him to make the weight and he would start to fight as a lightweight.

Mayweather would become world champion once again on Nov. 12, 1987 when he stopped Rene Arredondo in the sixth round, this time taking home the WBC super lightweight title. Mayweather successfully defended his WBC title four times.

On May 13, 1989 Mayweather met Julio Cesar Chavez, making his fifth defense of the crown. Mayweather would come up short, the fight being stopped in the tenth round.

There would be no slacking for Mayweather. He fought the best, fighters like Tony Baltazar, undefeated Kenny Baysmore, Freddie Pendleton, Sammy Fuentes, Pernell Whitaker, Harold Brazier, Vinny Pazienza, Terrence Alli, Livingstone Bramble, Darryl Tyson and Kostya Tszyu. And who can forget the battles with legendary Julio Cesar Chavez?

Mayweather ended his career at the age of 38, with 72 total fights. A fight record of 59 wins, 35 of them coming by way of knockout against 13 losses. His last bout was on May 8, 1999, when he defeated Javier Mendez. Not fading from the boxing scene, Roger now trains fighters, including his nephew, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

I’ll share with you a few questions I asked Mayweather during our interview:

Who was the toughest fighter you fought?
“The toughest fighters would be Julio Cesar Chavez - he had the best chin. Pernell Whitaker, skillwise. Zack Padilla and Freddie Pendelton had that tough, rugged style of fighting.”

If there was one fight you could do over, which would it be?
Pernell Whitaker… (Pause) Zack Padilla, because he never beat me!

What’s your take on the heavyweight division?
“James Toney and Chris Byrd are the best heavyweights out there, the rest ain’t shit.”

What is the toughest thing to show a fighter?
“Depends on how knowledgeable the fighter is. If a fighter don’t want to make adjustments, you can’t show him anything. He’s not going to do it. As your trainer, I’m your eyes and you have to make adjustments because all fighters don’t fight the same.”

Will you train Floyd any different for his fight with Zab?
“Floyd is an intelligent guy. He knows boxing and knows what he has to do. We will do some things different because he’s (Judah) a southpaw. We’ll kill the little confidence he has.”

Who would you say is the all time best Latino fighter?
“You don’t even have to ask me that, you know who that is. Julio Cesar Chavez was the best Mexican fighter, and Roberto Duran was the best Latino fighter.”

Roger Mayweather was known as the Black Mamba in the ring. He settled on the ring moniker after he found out how deadly the snake’s bite was. “One bite would kill you. I would hit you one time and you won’t be there for long!”

Mayweather tells us after numerous animal name suggestions, the Black Mamba just fit.