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Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather said he is coming out of retirement after nine years away from the sport and will return this summer.
He will return to the ring for a bout under a promotional deal with CSI Sports/Fight Sports.
Boxer Floyd Mayweather of the United States throws a punch against mixed martial artist Mikuru Asakura of Japan in Saitama, Tokyo on September 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing,” Mayweather said in a statement. “From my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next pro fight afterward, nobody is going to generate a bigger gate, have a bigger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event (than) my events.”
The undefeated Mayweather, who turns 49 on Tuesday, has not fought in a real fight since 2017 against Conor McGregor. Mayweather declared himself retired after that fight with a record of 50-0 and 27 KOs.
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Floyd Mayweather in action against Aaron Chalmers (not pictured) during their exhibition bout at The O2 in London on February 25, 2023. (Zac Goodwin/PA Photos via Getty Images)
The former five-division world champion has remained in the ring regularly into his 40s, with a string of lucrative exhibition bouts against the likes of online influencer Logan Paul, YouTuber Mikuri Asakura and John Gotti III, the grandson of the infamous mob boss.
Mayweather has already announced another showdown coming up this spring against 59-year-old Mike Tyson, although no location or TV partner has been confirmed.
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Logan Paul, left, and Floyd Mayweather fight during an exhibition boxing match at Hard Rock Stadium June 6, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Mayweather spent more than a decade as arguably the biggest American star in boxing, beating Manny Pacquiao in 2015 in the richest fight in boxing history at the time. His exceptional defensive skills and quick hands were his ring strengths, but his stardom and wealth grew mainly due to his “Money May” anti-hero persona.
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Now he wants to give it another go as he approaches 50 and puts his unbeaten record on the line.
