I don’t have to fight, says Floyd Mayweather as he shuts down Manny Pacquiao bout
The American is enjoying retirement too much to return to the ring and is happy with where his career ended
Manny Pacquiao was impressive in his defeat of Jessie Vargas, but all the public could talk about afterward was Floyd Mayweather.
“Money” Mayweather – who rarely attends fights even though he resides in Las Vegas – strolled over to ringside just before Pacquiao and Vargas were introduced.
Mayweather was even seen exchanging pleasantries with executives from Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank.
Following the victory, Pacquiao revealed he invited Mayweather to his fight, and the Filipino senator has been calling for a rematch of their revenue-record shattering affair ever since.
Not so fast, says Mayweather.
The all-time great told USA Today Sports in Brooklyn – where he was on hand to promote his fighter Badou Jack’s unification title fight against James DeGale on January 14 – that in no uncertain terms he’s retired for good and that he doesn’t have the itch to fight ever again.
He enjoys travelling the world too much to give it up.
“A lot of fighters in the sport of boxing may want to retire, but they have to fight because they have to,” said Mayweather, wearing dark shades and a polka dot suit.
“I don’t have to fight. I just made US$300 million for fighting Pacquiao. I’m OK. Like I said before, I’m happy with my position. Once again, the money don’t make me; I make money. I’m well off. I make smart moves, and like I said before, I’m happy with where my career has went.”
So if Mayweather is so content away from the bright lights, why show up to the Pacquiao fight?
The former five-division champion says he simply decided to go “at the last minute” to “do something different” with his daughter.
Oh, and he had great seats, too, which he thanked the Pacquiao side for.
It was Mayweather himself, though, who stated earlier this month the door is “absolutely” open to a ring return.
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The 39-year-old hung up the gloves after running his record to a sparkling 49-0 following a comprehensive clowning of Andre Berto in September 2015. Doesn’t 50-0 have a nicer ring to it?
Mayweather often says “if it makes dollars, it makes sense,” and a rematch with Pacquiao undoubtedly would generate big business even if the first fight offered little in the way of entertainment value.
“Different days, I say different things. Different days, I feel different ways,” Mayweather said in response to his comments that he’s open to a ring return.
“I feel different each day. Can Floyd Mayweather contradict himself? Absolutely. So that’s why I know when I contradict myself, it doesn’t mean I’m crazy.
Floyd Mayweather defends decision to take on ‘softy’ Andre Berto in boxing career finale
“When someone puts up something I said in the past like, ‘Oh you said this, this day, well you said this, that day,’ I can contradict myself. I’m only human. I’m not perfect. God only made one thing perfect: my boxing record.”
But will that record forever stand at 49-0? Or will it be a 50 in the win column?
