If there’s a quid to be made, ‘Money’ is there . . .
Floyd Mayweather Jnr has revealed his plans to fight in the UK for the first time — as early as next month. The American boxing great has never fought in Britain but, in an exclusive interview with the Telegraph, has told how he is in talks over a February bout.
Since retiring from professional boxing in 2017, Mayweather has participated in a series of high-profile lucrative exhibition bouts.
He has fought in places as far-flung as Japan, Abu Dhabi and Dubai but now that world tour is set to move to Britain.
“A bout is planned in the UK for 2023,” he says. “In February we’re looking forward to coming here and putting on an exhibition for the fans in the UK, because I’ve never had a chance to come over here and fight when I was actively boxing as a professional — so hopefully in February I’ll come over and do an exhibition.”
The news came on the day his old rival Manny Pacquiao announced that he will fight in Japan this year after signing with promoters Rizin.
Mayweather, now 45, mighty have technically retired from boxing following the match against mixed martial artist Conor McGregor in Las
Vegas in 2017, which took in more than US$500 million ($787 million), but “Money” remains relevant to the sport. He still commands huge paydays around the globe, picking up cheques of up to US$10 million ($15.7m) for “fighting” in exhibition bouts.
His opponents are largely celebrities and YouTubers — his last bout was against YouTuber Deji Olatunji, the younger brother of Briton KSI, in November in Dubai — and Mayweather says his motivation now is to “pass on the science of boxing to a new generation”.
But debate over Mayweather’s ventures have divided the sport. Lennox Lewis, the former undisputed heavyweight champion, along with Eighties legend Sugar Ray Leonard, have described some of his ring appearances as “freak shows”.
“It shouldn’t happen. It’s ridiculous. It’s all about money but if I were Floyd I would take it,” Lewis says. “If people are paying, Floyd’s going to take it.”
And so he does. Time and again. Mayweather just offers his huge smile at the criticism, and has strong held views on how boxers should act.
“I don’t need to act like a tough guy,” Mayweather says. “I’m fighting all these new guys, and just showing a new generation what the skills of boxing are. Skills that pay the bills.”
And, to be fair to Mayweather, he is a man whose bills are higher than average. In the past month alone, Mayweather spent US$1.7 million at a Miami art fair and added to his vast classic and sports car collection with a US$330,000 Porsche — although that is not much when you consider that his two highest grossing fights, with Manny
Pacquiao and McGregor, took his earnings to US$700 million.
He has certainly earned a good living from boxing but now wants to give back. And his plan for doing so is to continue with the “freak shows” that may upset the purists but are wildly popular across the globe.
“I want to continue to help this sport grow, because without boxing I wouldn’t be where I’m at,” he adds. “But what’s also important to me is giving back to the sport of boxing and I will always give back to the sport of boxing. It’s a driving force to me.
“I want everybody in the UK to have fun, come and enjoy the entertainment boxing brings,” he says. “I’m proud of all these guys trying out in boxing, and thankful to everybody that’s been working on these events behind the scenes.”