According to a recent interview from former light welterweight and welterweight champion Zab Judah, former pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather could be finished with boxing for good.
The shocking statement, revealed on the popular On the Ropes Boxing Radio show, indicated that Mayweather was either already retired or would be taking a two year break from the ring, presumably the first year of which is now almost over.
“Mayweather told me he?s finished. He said he was just going to chill. He?s thinking about taking a two-year break and I mean listen. The man worked hard for a long time.” -Zab Judah
If Mayweather was serious about taking two years away, then his side interests and legal issues could well be playing a part in his reluctance or inability to fight this year.
If however he later confirms that he is done completely with boxing, then using Judah as a medium certainly seems an odd way to break the news to the fans.
Only last week Mayweather was talking to fans via his Ustream account and saying that he would be back to beat arch rival Manny Pacquiao in the near future, and even found the time to make yet another remark regarding his suspicions that Pacquiao is using performance enhancing drugs. Hardly the kind of thing that a fighter on the verge of retirement would be saying under most circumstances and aside from the attention generated, not something he would stand to gain anything by.
Similarly, despite Mayweather’s claims that he is in the ‘check cashing’ business and isn’t worried about legacies or what people think of him, in his more candid moments he seems visibly annoyed both that many people regard Pacquiao as a better fighter than him and that he isn’t given as much credit for his achievements as he feels he should be.
To bow out of the sport right now would almost certainly mean being overshadowed in the history books by Pacquiao, and that isn’t something that Mayweather’s ego could easily handle. Even if that doesn’t necessarily mean that the two will meet and fight, Mayweather will need to continue to fight if he hopes to be regarded as the better of the two, and against stiffer competition than the opponents Pacquiao is currently taking on.
Clearly Mayweather isn’t a fighter who seems to enjoy fighting these days, often mentioning in interviews his need to find motivation before each of his bouts.
He certainly does however enjoy the fame and trappings that boxing gives him. His public appearances surrounded by a posse of staff scream out for attention.
With his lavish lifestyle including regular betting sprees, a team of bodyguards protecting him around the clock and his taste for luxury cars and garish jewelery, Mayweather almost certainly needs a maintain big income to support himself unless he cuts his spending.
An income boxing can provide but few of his other business ventures seem to have been able to.
To date none of Mayweather’s side companies, including his record label Philthy rich records, promotional entity Mayweather promotions, new film production company Mayweather productions and his new line of lottery number based soft drinks (see video, left), have proved to be a big enough success to provide him with the kind of money he likes to spend.
Contrastingly, Mayweather’s costs incurred just this year will eventually include several cases worth of legal fees, possibly settlements in one or more of those cases, and a law suit from the homeowners association he belongs to seeking damages. That isn’t to mention the cost of keeping his team of bodyguards, huge child support payments or keeping his mansion maintained.
Obviously Mayweather’s finances aren’t available to the public, and he almost certainly has other interests outside those listed, but on the surface without fighting again it looks as if he is in an untenable situation.
Mayweather’s history of money management is certainly not a good one, his last retirement allegedly having ended due to the fact that he was running out of money.
Meaning that before too long, Floyd Mayweather may have to fight again whether he likes it or not, either to confirm his place in the history books or just to balance the books.
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