Retired boxing legend Floyd Mayweather has lifted the lid on why a ‘real fight’ with Manny Pacquiao won’t be happening in 2020.
Despite fans urging Mayweather to give Pacquiao a rematch on the back of a surge in form, ‘Money’ has decided against full-blown contest.
Mayweather did offer Pacquiao an exhibition earlier this year and this may well be the only way the two share a ring in the future.
Citing his reasoning, the 42 year-old blamed part of his decision on the death of five boxers over the last four months.
Speaking at the grand opening of his Mayweather Boxing+Fitness Gym venture, the five-weight world champion confirmed his intentions.
Floyd Mayweather retired
“I’ve got calls to get back into the ring, but my health is my wealth,” Mayweather told Reuters.
“Boxing is a very, very brutal sport. In the last few years a lot of fighters have died inside that squared circle.”
Australian Dwight Ritchie died in sparring recently, adding to the sad passings of Patrick Day, Boris Stanchov, Hugo Santillan and Maxim Dadashev in the second half of 2019 alone.
Approaching his mid-forties, Mayweather believes ending his two-year exile would be the wrong move.
“You have got to know when to hang it up. I had a great career,” he pointed out, before revealing his intention to accept any lucrative offers for bouts similar to his win over Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year’s Eve.
“I’ll still travel and do exhibitions. I make great money doing exhibitions. Between $10 and $30 million.
“I think I make more doing that than most fighters make fighting,” added the American.
PACMAN
Pacquiao now looks set to face a Garcia in his next outing. Either Mikey or Danny is expected to be in the opposite corner for a return in April 2020.
A Texas Stadium showdown with Errol Spence Jr. had been earmarked for the summer until the unified title holder was involved in a car accident.
It could be some months before Spence is ready to get back to full-time training for any three-belt battle with the ‘Pacman’.
This leaves the pair of Garcia’s, WBO ruler Terence Crawford and old sparring partner Amir Khan as the main targets for the Filipino Senator.
