Fighting Floyd Mayweather is no easy task—whether it’s under the bright lights or in the gym. Claressa Shields’ promoter, Dmitry Salita, found that out the hard way. Long before he made the switch to promoting fighters, he himself was a boxer—albeit, his career wasn’t as successful as others. Regardless, the Ukraine-born American promoter recently appeared in an interview with Cigar Talk’s Naji, where he went back in time to recall a sparring session with Mayweather in the early 2000s.

“I trained, had spent many training camps with Floyd,” Salita told Naji. “He was one of the hardest workers, probably the hardest worker I’ve ever seen, but always very gracious and very kind to me, and I’m always grateful for those experiences. But yes, that was a tough, tough sparring session.

“I was like 20, 21 years old, this is like 2001 or 2002,” Salita recounted. “We were training in Vegas, and I was training for one of my fights. Floyd, I think, was training for his rematch with Jose Luis Castillo. So he was super focused. Anyway, so we’re training in the gym, and every day I [ask Mayweather’s manager] Leonard(Ellerbe), can I get some boxing with Floyd, man?

“For a couple of weeks, no work, no work. Then I’m running one day, Leonard called me. He’s like, Dmitry, 4 o’clock, you got work today… I show up to the gym, and Floyd will box four-minute rounds with 15-second breaks… So, Floyd’s in the ring, he’s like, oh, you’re Top Rank. Boy, I’mma get you… And it was a rough sparring session. We went four rounds.

“Great experience for me. I got a little black eye. Got a little bloody nose.”

Salita continued fighting until November 2013, compiling an impressive 35-2-1 record before fully transitioning into a career as a boxing promoter. In addition to guiding Claressa Shields, he also represents fighters such as Shohjahon Ergashev, Jarrell Miller, and Vladimir Shishkin, among others. Mayweather, meanwhile, enjoyed a legendary career that concluded in 2017. 

Like Salita, he moved into promoting, expanding his presence in the sport beyond the ring. He is currently scheduled to face Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout on April 25, 2026, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is also set for a professional rematch against longtime rival Manny Pacquiao on September 19, 2026, at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

But that’s not all!

Floyd Mayweather will face a kickboxer before ‘Pacman’

The undefeated boxing legend is set to face veteran Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis in an exhibition bout this June as he gears up for his rematch with Manny Pacquiao. The fight will take place in Athens and serves as preparation for Mayweather’s first professional boxing match in nine years.

“2026 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for me,” Mayweather wrote on Instagram. “I’m on the way to entertain!! Athens, Greece, get ready. This summer will be a legendary battle.”

Zambidis, 45, owns a 157-24 kickboxing record with 87 knockouts, though he has not fought officially since 2015. This string of fights for Floyd Mayweather comes amid multiple lawsuits filed against him, which could mean ‘Money’ Mayweather might be running out of money. 

That being said, it appears Dmitry Salita had one of the rare opportunities to face Floyd Mayweather, albeit in a sparring session. He is clearly proud of the beating he took. But what did you make of his story?