LAS VEGAS ? Floyd Mayweather the businessman sometimes catches himself talking about his boxing career in the past tense. At those times, it’s striking even to him how close the end is.
Mayweather faces Marcos Maidana on Sept. 13 in a fight that, in and of itself, may be a concession to the 37-year-old legend’s age.
He got in a tussle the first time, which is not his habit, and his May 3 majority-decision win at MGM Grand was both fitting after Maidana’s close-but-not-quite upset bid, and telling for an aging fighter who reached deep to fend off a different sort of history.
Mayweather has three more fights on his Showtime contract and potentially could be training for his career finale at this time in 2015, if he follows his May-September fighting schedule again next year.
“A year from now, of course, I’ll be 39 (actually 38), my last fight,” he said. “I’m knocking at that door.”
Whether Mayweather might retire undefeated, and abdicate his throne as the world’s highest-earning athlete, will be one of the hottest sports debates of 2015 ? assuming he beats Maidana again, of course.
He is 46-0. His Showtime contract will expire after his 49th fight.
Maybe there will be a 50th fight.
Or maybe not a 49th.
“It’s really hard to tell right now,” Mayweather said, when asked if he is certain he will retire next year. “Some days, I feel like I will go the six fights. Some days, I say I don’t know. But as of right now, I’m just focused on Sept. 13th.”
Does that mean Mayweather may retire before completing the Showtime deal?
“I’m not saying that,” he said. “I’m saying there’s different days you feel different ways.”
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, asked if he thinks Mayweather might fight beyond the end of the current Showtime contract, replied, “Absolutely not.”
Floyd Mayweather’s goal: Top boxing businessman Floyd Mayweather wants his legacy to be more than just his perfect record in the ring. (Video by Josh Slagter | MLive.com) Mayweather already is prone to reflecting more on his 18-year resume than musing about his limited future as an active boxer. He won his first world championship in 1998. He so rarely has been in a close fight that Maidana earned a rematch by losing a decision few would dispute.
“I had a brilliant career, an unbelievable career ? I don’t want to say a brilliant career, I had a brilliant team,” Mayweather said. “It’s safe to say I had a brilliant team.”
While his career will be pocked if he never fights Manny Pacquiao in the most desirable matchup of his era, Mayweather’s stack of championship bouts otherwise satisfies the competitive element of his career measure, which he considers only part of the equation.
“You look at fighters and say, ‘Oh, yeah, he fought this guy, he fought that guy.’ … You just look at legendary fighters,” Mayweather said. “I want to be known as being one of the smartest businessmen that came through the sport of boxing, not just the best fighter.”
For years, Max Schmeling was considered the preeminent boxing businessman. The former heavyweight champion retired in Germany, where he struck it rich as a Coca-Cola executive and owner of a bottling company.
There have been others.
“George Foreman is one,” Mayweather said. “Oscar (De La Hoya), he’s not bad at all. Larry Holmes. And that’s really it.”
