LAS VEGAS ? He hasn?t been beaten, but Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be known as a former champion before he fights again.
Mayweather revealed Sunday morning that he plans to relinquish each of the five world titles he owns, perhaps as soon as today. The highest-paid athlete in sports has won the WBA, WBC and WBO welterweight titles (147 pounds), and the WBA and WBC super welterweight titles (154) in recent years.
Overall, he has won championships in five weight classes, yet feels as though he doesn?t need titles anymore.
“Other fighters need a chance,” Mayweather said following his unanimous decision victory over Manny Pacquiao at MGM Grand. “I?m a world champion at two different weight classes right now. ? It?s time to let other fighters fight for the belts.”
Mayweather, 38, added that his next fight, a September bout he claims will be the last of his 18-year pro career, still will be a 12-round fight.
SHOULDERING BLAME: Pacquiao?s handlers petitioned the Nevada State Athletic Commission to allow a doctor to inject Pacquiao?s injured right shoulder with anti-inflammatory medication before the fight Saturday night.
Their request was denied. Pacquiao said he aggravated the injury in the third round against Mayweather, which prevented him from throwing as many right hooks and jabs as planned.
Before Pacquiao?s condition improved, Freddie Roach, Pacquiao?s Hall of Fame trainer, suspected Pacquiao would need to postpone the fight at one point last month.
“He was doing a lot better sparring and I [felt] he could get through the fight,” Roach said. “I never want to put a fighter into a fight injured that badly, but I thought the progress was good enough and that?s why we stayed with the fight.”
WAKE-UP CALL: Mayweather admitted he was hurt by Pacquiao?s straight left hand in the fourth round.
“He hit me with a solid shot,” Mayweather said.
Mayweather attributed the damage done by the punch, which knocked him into the ropes and forced him to cover up, to his 7 1/2-month layoff between bouts.
“When you?re in a contact sport and you?re always engaging in battle, you can take a shot a lot better,” Mayweather said. “Whereas I?m sitting off six, seven, eight months and when I get in a big fight, I get hit with a big shot, it?s like, ?Damn!? It wakes me up. Like, ?OK, now I know where we?re at.? ??
KHAN?S JOB: England?s Amir Khan wants nothing more than an opportunity to dethrone Mayweather in September.
“I think it would be a great fight for me,” Khan, 28, said following Mayweather?s win against Pacquiao. “Mayweather obviously needs an Amir Khan fight. The public is demanding to see that fight.”
Khan (30-3, 19 KOs) needs to beat Chris Algieri (20-1, 8 KOs) of Huntington, N.Y., in their 12-round, non-title fight May 29 at Barclays Center before he can try to land the Mayweather fight.
JOINT VENTURE: As part of this rare production partnership between the premium-cable rivals, HBO and Showtime both will air replays of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight at 9 p.m. Saturday.
HBO?s replay will precede live coverage from Houston?s Minute Maid Park of an intriguing junior middleweight match between Mexico?s Canelo Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) and James Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs) of Austin, Texas. Showtime?s rebroadcast of the fight will be followed by “Inside Mayweather vs. Pacquiao,” a look at the promotion and fight.
