“I Am Proud of You”: Floyd Mayweather Shoutouts Boxing’s Star Prospects From His Promotion

Once a disruptor of the boxing realm, Floyd Mayweather is building a bigger army of fighters of the same nature. Think of Gervonta Davis, Curmel Moton, and Rolando Romero. The former welterweight champion’s company, Mayweather Promotions, has emerged as a space that allows fighters from humble beginnings to become legends, following in the footsteps of ‘Money’ himself. Considering how personally involved he is in ensuring that every young fighter on his roster reaches the highs of their career, Mayweather couldn’t contain his excitement about another three rising fighters.

A personal touch goes a long way

J’Hon Ingram, Jursly Carlos, and Jalil Major Hackett. All three fighters, still nascent in the sport of boxing, have picked up notoriety for being fighters to be looked out for. Glad of the distance they’ve traveled and the efforts they’re putting in, their mentor, Floyd Mayweather, wrote endearing personal notes for each of them on his Instagram story.

Mayweather addressed 19-year-old Jursly ‘The Gorilla’ Vargas, a Curacao native turned pro in November 2022. He fought another debutante boxer, Yanko Naydenov, in the Netherlands, winning the bout in a first-round knockout. That was the fight that got him on Mayweather Promotions’ radar. In an interview with Bradway Joel, Jursly described how “two weeks after the fight, I was on the phone with Mayweather Promotions. Two weeks after that, I was signed.”

Two years on from then, in early March of this year, he defeated Derrick Gates in a Hope Mills fight similarly. Seeing how far he’s come in the past couple of years, watching him grow, ‘Pretty Boy’ wrote to Jursly, “Stay focused and continue to work hard!”

“Keep up the good work,” wrote Mayweather to 23-year-old J’Hon Ingram. The North Carolina native fights from boxing’s bastion, Las Vegas, and is a rising name from the Mayweather stable. The lightweight turned pro two years ago in February 2022 against Jamiah Mays, winning that bout via a first-round knockout. Since then, he’s fought Marquese Steward, Hector Aguirre, and Jashawn Hunter, defeating all of them through knockouts.

Finally, Floyd Mayweather praised Jalil ‘Major’ Hackett. The Washington-based welterweight is a well-known fighter out of Mayweather’s clan of boxers. The 20-year-old turned pro in 2021 against Angelo Diaz, whom he dropped on the canvas in the first round, winning via TKO. Since then, he’s undertaken eight bouts, winning all of them (seven via knockouts). With immense pride, Mayweather wrote, “I am proud of you, young champ!”

All these fighters are being perceived as some of the brightest upcoming talents in boxing. Well, that’s the niche Mayweather Promotions chases. Today, it was Ingram, Vargas, and Hackett. Tomorrow, more people will join this moment of pride. On that note, ‘Money’ recently praised another one of his fighters, as well as someone who thinks of the former welterweight champion as his mentor and “uncle.”

Floyd Mayweather is a mentor through and through

For quite some time, Rolando Romero got increasing calls to defend his WBA super lightweight belt. So when he finally entered the ring with Isaac Cruz on March 30, most expected him to retain the belt. However, the boxer – who signed with Mayweather Promotions in 2016 – lost. In that state of disbelief, ‘Money’ became a motivating force for Romero.

Posting a picture of the Las Vegas native, Mayweather wrote, “I’m incredibly proud of you for achieving the remarkable feat of becoming a 2-time world champion in less than 18 fights, all without any prior amateur background, and in just 14 years of total fighting experience.” Explaining how losing is a part of life, the 47-year-old added, “When people try to knock you down, don’t let it keep you there. Get back up, stay true to yourself, and acknowledge just how much you’ve accomplished.”

Stepping away from the boxing circle, Floyd Mayweather expressed his pride in another one of his mentors: Jordon Crawford, who plays for the Tasmania JackJumpers in the National Basketball League. Recently, the Australian team claimed its maiden NBL championship after a remarkable 83-31 road win over Melbourne United in the fifth and final game of the series.

Sharing a picture of Crawford with the trophy, Mayweather wrote, “Congrats [Jordon Crawford]. I am proud of you!” Last year, the basketballer was asked about his relationship with the boxing icon. Crawford revealed, “[He’s] my uncle, my mentor. He took me under his wing and talked to me about the mental aspect of sports and life in general. He’s been a huge impact in my life, and I appreciate him.”

Seeing all these professionals’ relationships with Floyd Mayweather, there’s no question that, after an extremely successful career, he’s helping others do the best they can.

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