A Tribute To Roger Mayweather, The Black Mamba of Boxing
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, the boxing world lost one of its most colorful names. Since 1981, for almost 40 years, Roger Mayweather, AKA ‘The Black Mamba’, had been an important part of the boxing world as a fighter, world champion, and Las Vegas trainer. Some considered him ‘The Mexican Assassin’ as Roger did well defeating many Mexican fighters, though not Julio Cesar Chavez. Roger was the brother of Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Jeff Mayweather, with all three boxers noted boxers in their own right.
Onn April 8, 2006, Roger became famous, not for his many world championship bouts, but for storming the ring and attacked Zab Judah for throwing a low blow at his nephew Floyd Mayweather Jr., then hitting Floyd on the back of the head with a low blow. As Roger attacked Zab, Yoel Judah (Zab’s father) entered the ring and attacked Roger. When the melee was all over, Roger got suspended from boxing for a year and was fined 200 thousand dollars by the Nevada Athletic Commission. It was not to be Roger’s only brush with the law, but it was the most public one. Most observers sided with Roger at that time.
Roger fought in 71 professional bouts between 1981 and 1999, winning 59 and losing 13, with 35 knockouts, a near 50 percent knockout ratio. A fine technical fighter as well to the bitter end, Roger won by twelfth round stoppage, and two 10 round decisions in his last three pro bouts. Mayweather figured into 18 world title bouts during his career, holding the WBA World Super Featherweight Championship, the WBC World Super Lightweight championship, the IBO World Super Lightweight championship, and the IBO and IBA World Welterweight championship titles.
Roger was in the corner as a trainer of Floyd and was a staple in the Las Vegas gym scene. Roger was a presence. Whether Roger was in the corner, or in the ring, one would know immediately Roger’s personality was in the house. Roger will always be a Mayweather in the ‘House of Floyd’. While ill from diabetes and other health issues for years, 58 was still an extraordinarily young age for the boxing world to lose Roger. The cause may not have been related to health issues. Unfortunately, last week, Josie Harris, who was the mother of three of Roger Mayweather’s children, was found dead in her car in front of her house in Valencia, California. The loss may have affected Roger emotionally. Most importantly, Roger was a human being, as human as the rest of us. He gave a lot to boxing, and is the biggest loss to the boxing world in 2020 for sure. After all, Roger was a Mayweather, and the name Mayweather will always have a magical ring in boxing, and Roger was a world champion before Floyd, helping pave the way for his nephew who followed.
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