Floyd Mayweather Jr. is about to be a professional boxer again.
The former five-division world champion announced he will come out of retirement following his upcoming exhibition bout against Mike Tyson this spring, putting his undefeated 50-0 pro record on the line as he nears his 50s.
Advertisement
The last time Mayweather fought professionally was his 2017 bout against former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor, which he won with a TKO in the 10th round. He has participated in eight exhibition bouts since then, including his unscored sideshow against Logan Paul in 2021.
Mayweather’s comment, from his release:
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing — from my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next professional fight afterwards — no one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event — then [sic] my events.”
Mayweather’s 51st professional fight is reportedly scheduled for this summer, with CSI Sports as his media partner. The fight’s exact date, venue, broadcast information and opponent will reportedly be in the coming weeks, though we’re also still waiting for Mayweather to nail down the official date for his Tyson exhibition.
Advertisement
The decision to return to professional boxing comes amid rumored financial troubles for Mayweather, after years of “Money” making his wealth a central part of his identity. He also recently filed a $340 million lawsuit against his former partners at Showtime Boxing, alleging aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, civil conspiracy to commit fraud, conversion and unjust enrichment.
Mayweather first retired in 2017 with a strong argument as the best boxer of his generation, with wins over Oscar De La Hoya, Arturo Gatti, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao, and titles from super featherweight to super welterweight. He was the sport’s biggest pay-per-view attraction in his prime and for some time after it.
However, Mayweather will also be 49 years old by the time he steps in the ring again. He figures to be a different fighter, while hopefully retaining his trademark defense and accuracy. The identity of his next opponent will be telling when it comes to his goals in his second act as a professional.
Read the full article here
