Whom does Belev Echad, an organization which supports injured Israeli soldiers, name, during its annual fundraising gala, as its guest of honor? None other than famed boxer Floyd Mayweather, who, in retirement, has taken up a new cause — Israel. 

And what a knockout. On Monday evening, the legendary fighter swapped out his boxing gloves for a tuxedo to accept the “Gloves of Healing” award at Cipriani Wall Street and offered, before a crowd of some 1,200 attendees, a humbling message: “When I stood with Israel, I wasn’t after an award — I did what’s right.”

Added he: “And when you choose your side, you stay on that side, and this is the side that I chose,” he said, to a thunderous applause. Mr. Mayweather, who did away with a scripted speech to “speak from the heart,” expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to support the soldiers.

He told the audience that he’d had a “great career inside the ring, but my guys in this room are helping me have an even better career outside of that ring.” He ended his speech by pledging to “continue to stand behind this side right here.” 

The boxing legend, who is neither Israeli nor Jewish, has been an supporter of the Jewish state — which he calls his “home away from home” —  for years, but ramped up his pro-Israel activism following the start of the war in Gaza in October. 

Since then, Mr. Mayweather has visited Israel at least four times, even using his private plane to deliver medical supplies to the country. During his most recent trip this past March, he paid a visit to Belev Echad’s rehabilitation center in Kiryat Ono to extend his support to Israeli soldiers recovering from battle wounds. Mr. Mayweather shared images from his time at the center on his Instagram, calling the experience “deeply emotional.” 

Belev Echad’s founders, Rabbi Uriel and Shevy Vilger, said that Mr. Mayweather’s visit provided “hope and a renewed sense of strength to those who have sacrificed so much for Israel.” His support and compassion, they added, “mean the world to these soldiers.” 

Mr. Mayweather’s philanthropic spirit was on full display during Monday’s gala, with him kicking off the evening’s fundraising effort by donating a generous $100,000 to the center. By the end of the event, the organization raised $4.7 million — without including ticket sales — which will go directly to providing wounded Israeli soldiers with critical physical and emotional care. 

The crowd gave a rousing welcome to several young soldiers who took the stage to tell stories of their heroic actions on October 7. One of the soldiers, Noam Ben Shlush, 21, who received Belev Echad’s “Heart of Courage” award, was seriously injured while defending Kibbutz Alumim from Hamas terrorists. 

Though he lost a leg during the onslaught, with Belev Echad’s help, he learned to walk again with a prosthetic. “Life is beautiful,” he said while accepting his award. “Enjoy it. With a leg, without a leg — it’s nonsense.” He, like the many other soldiers who chronicled their defense of Israel during October 7, were engulfed by a standing ovation.