20.03.09 – by James Slater – As soon as Floyd “Money” Mayweather Junior announced he would be retiring, right after he’d beaten Ricky Hatton in December of 2007, the sceptics came out in force. Sure the then 30-year-old’s talk was just that, talk, the experts felt it was only a matter of time before the pound-for-pound king boxed again. Well, it looks like this line of thinking was correct after all.
Making headlines on various web sites now is the story ESPN.com broke yesterday, in which unidentified sources contacted the site’s writer Dan Rafael and told him that “Money” will definitely be coming back, and that we could see the 32-year-old great back in the ring doing his stuff as early as July 11th.
Rumours about Mayweather having been seen training in his Las Vegas gym have been circulating for a while now, and according to the two faceless guys in the know who spoke to ESPN, Floyd has indeed been working out, and he has been looking sharp in doing so..
“He is coming back. I’ve been around him,” one of the two guys with the inside knowledge said to Rafael. “He’s ready to dance again very soon. He’s itching to go. The way he sounded, he is willing to take on whoever they throw in his face. He would do the Pacquiao-Hatton winner, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez. The only one he doesn’t have an interest in is (a rematch with) Oscar De La Hoya. But in Floyd’s mind he knows there is one Godzilla, and that’s a fight with Pacquiao.”
It seems then, if this word can be believed, that the 39-0(25) all-time great is yet another superb fighter who cannot walk away from the sport while on top. Who can blame him? When you’re as gifted as Mayweather is, it must be tough not wanting to use your talents as much as possible. The only question is, why has Mayweather, if he planned on boxing again all along, wasted over fifteen months of his prime? As great as he is, Mayweather will surely need a tune-up fight to regain his former sharpness, yet had he not taken time off his sharpness would have stayed with him. Maybe Floyd really did want to retire, but tried it and simply got bored. Or, big spender that he is, maybe Floyd could do with the cash. In any case, it will be good to see him back.
Mayweather against any of the fighters the source mentioned would be huge. And, revealing more details, the source said Mayweather’s team have spoken to HBO about the availability of a July 11th date. It seems we won’t have to wait too long to see the five-weight world champion back in the ring.
Mayweather may have given hanging up the gloves a shot, but if he does box again in July his ‘retirement’ will have lasted just over a year-and-a-half!