Remembering the Late Roger Mayweather, a Two-Division World Champion

Roger Mayweather, who held world titles at 130 and 140 pounds, died today (Tuesday, March 17) at his home in Las Vegas. The record books say that Mayweather was 58 although a close associate says he was actually one year older.

The second of three fighting brothers (older brother Floyd fought Sugar Ray Leonard; younger brother Jeff fought Oscar De La Hoya), Mayweather was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Nicknamed the Black Mamba, he turned pro at age 20 under the management of high-stakes gambler Billy Baxter and had his first 12 fights in Las Vegas.

In his 15^th pro fight, he sheared the WBA 130-pound world title from Puerto Rico’s Samuel Serrano with an eighth-round stoppage in San Juan. After two successful defenses, he was knocked out cold in the opening round by Rocky Lockridge, a 4/1 underdog, in Beaumont, Texas. The Sunday afternoon fight was nationally televised on NBC.

Sunday afternoons weren’t good to Roger. Six fights later, on Sunday, June 7, 1985, Mayweather was knocked out in the second round by defending WBO 130-pound champion Julio Cesar Chavez at the Riviera in Las Vegas in a fight televised by CBS.

Mayweather rebounded and on Nov. 12, 1987, he captured the WBC 140-pound title with an eighth-round stoppage of Rene Arredondo in Los Angeles. He made four successful defenses before risking the belt in a rematch with the great Chavez before a large and boisterous crowd at the LA Forum. Overcome by stomach cramps that woodened his legs, Mayweather gave in after 10 rounds.

Mayweather fashioned a seven-fight winning streak after his second meeting with Chavez, earning a shot at the vacant IBF 140-pound title where he opposed Rafael Pineda in Reno. The bout aired on HBO along with a 10-round contest between George Foreman and Idaho bruiser Jimmy Ellis.

The fight was even after eight rounds, but in the ninth Roger’s chin betrayed him again. Pineda put him to sleep with a frightening left hook. Mayweather was still wobbly when he left the ring eight minutes after the bout’s conclusion.

At the tail end of his career, Mayweather had five fights against carefully selected opponents at the Silver Nugget, a seedy joint in North Las Vegas where this reporter served as the boxing publicist and ring announcer. In 1994, I did a Q & A interview with Roger for a story in the bi-weekly newsletter “Flash.” Here are some excerpts.

• “My best sport isn’t boxing. It’s ping pong.”
• “I don’t doubt that Stanley Ketchel was a great fighter. He was the first world champion from Grand Rapids. I was next. Then came Tony Tucker and James Toney.”
• “People forget I gave (Pernell) Whitaker his toughest fight. In his hometown. He kept hitting me low.”
• “When I was young, I wasn’t always as disciplined about training, but I never ran with a bad crowd and I never put bad things in my body.”
• “I think I’m the world’s best trainer right now. By a trainer, I don’t mean a guy who comes in a few days before the fight. I teach kids as young as eight years old. That’s where the real satisfaction comes, seeing someone develop from scratch.”
• “How far will my nephew go? Little Floyd is the most talented amateur in the country and he’s only 17 years old.”

When “Little Floyd” was ready to turn pro, he hooked up with Uncle Roger in Las Vegas. (“Big Floyd” was then in prison.) It was an advantageous coupling. Roger and Floyd Mayweather Jr were a team for most of Floyd’s 50-0 career.

On March 12, 1997, the Mayweather brothers, Roger and Jeff, and their nephew appeared on the same card in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Roger TKOed Carlos Miranda in the 12^th round for a fringe welterweight title. Jeff Mayweather, in what would be Jeff’s final pro fight, out-pointed Eric Jakubowski. And Little Floyd, competing in his fifth pro bout, stopped his opponent in the opening round. It was a glorious homecoming for the Mayweather clan.

Roger Mayweather had two more fights and then called it quits, leaving the sport with a record of 59-13 with 35 KOs. Several years ago, he was diagnosed with dementia. An insatiable gym rat, he was forced to relinquish his duties as a trainer at the Mayweather Boxing Club.

R.I.P. champ.

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