Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a heavy favorite heading into his clash with Andre Berto this Saturday, Sept. 12, and regardless of what people think, this will be his last fight as a professional boxer.
At stake on Saturday is the 49–0 record which would place the undefeated American boxer on equal footing with the great Rocky Marciano and as Mayweather reiterates, his boxing career will end there.
Of course, many are left unconvinced. Had his opponent been a big name, then perhaps the retirement claim would have been acceptable. But the fact that he selected a fighter who is way past his prime makes the whole setup pretty much sneaky.
Berto is indeed a two-time champion but the thing is the Haiti-born boxer is nowhere in the list of top boxers in the welterweight division as we speak. Many believe that Mayweather will fight in 2016. If he does go on to fight, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonardo Ellerbe says a rematch with Manny Pacquiao would not happen in any scenario.
"Absolutelty not," says Ellerbe in an interview with Sports Illustrated, when asked on a possible Mayweather vs. Pacquiao rematch.
Not even if he would be guaranteed another big payday?
Ellerbe cites that Mayweather's case is a bit different. A lot of fighters have come out of retirement mostly for the money. He singles out that Mayweather has already generated millions in dollars and has done practically anything possible. Hence, he adds that Mayweather is better off into the sunset.
At this point, nobody from Mayweather's camp will, of course, say that he will continue to fight, except for his father. But we all know how that relationship is and how Floyd Jr. doesn't really listen that attentively to his father.
Ellerbe does have a point when he claims that Mayweather has done it all; so if Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and the Pacquiao camp want a rematch, what could they possibly offer to gain the interest of Mayweather? Right now, there doesn't seem to be anything that comes to mind.
