Floyd Mayweather has retired from boxing at least three times, but this time it just might stick. The 42-year-old boxing great recently told Reuters that he’s officially done for good.
“I’ve got calls to get back into the ring, but my health is my wealth,” Mayweather said to Reuters. “Boxing is a very, very brutal sport. In the last few years a lot of fighters have died inside that squared circle.”
A lot of fighters have died even more recently than that. Three boxers died in the last six months from injuries sustained while they were in the ring, including American Patrick Day. Those deaths seem to have affected Mayweather, who is now putting his health ahead of his love of serious, competitive boxing.
Mayweather’s last official fight came against Conor McGregor in 2017, a win that netted him a reported $300 million. He did fight in a three-round exhibition on New Year’s Eve 2018, and he told Reuters that he still plans to fight in those from time to time.
“I’ll still travel and do exhibitions. I make great money doing exhibitions — between $10 [million] and $30 million,” he said. “I think I make more doing that than most fighters make fighting.”
Besides exhibitions, Mayweather has plenty to keep him busy in retirement. He has his lifestyle brand, Money. He has Mayweather Promotions, which promotes boxing matches, other sporting events, live concerts, and more. And he has Mayweather Boxing + Fitness, which just opened its fourth location in the U.S.
Mayweather’s passion for his gyms is obvious, and so is his passion for introducing people to boxing and all its benefits — especially for stress relief.
“We want you to come here, burn calories, be positive and have fun and in due time we will see the great results,” he told Reuters. “If you had a bad day at work, come here. Let some steam off, hit the heavy bag, run a little bit.”
Mayweather hopes to have 50 of his gyms open nationwide by the end of next year, and that certainly won’t be the last or only thing he does. He’s barely over 40 and is looking forward to the opportunities of the future. He’s even considering building an MMA brand. And when he does look back on his years in the ring, he feels nothing but satisfaction.
“My career went great,” he said. “I’m happy with how everything played out.”
Considering he’s hanging up his gloves with a perfect 50-0 record, it’s hard to argue.
Source: Yahoo