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| Floyd Mayweather Jr. |
Love him or hate him, you should probably watch Floyd Mayweather’s fight against Andre Berto this weekend.
If we take the boxing champion’s words at face value, his 49th fight will be the last time you’ll see him fight in the ring professionally.
The 12-time world champ is retiring, mostly because he has witnessed the damaging effects caused by his chosen sport. His uncle Roger Mayweather’s mental condition has been the main factor in his decision to retire.
Roger’s mind has rapidly deteriorated due to his time spent in the ring. Mayweather said Roger is only in his 50’s, but mentally, his uncle is closer to an 80-year-old.
“My health is more important,” Floyd Mayweather said. “If you stick around anything too long, anything can happen. I’m not worried about losing, but I want to have a sharp mind. You can make a lot of money, but you still want to be able to talk, walk and have a sharp mind.”
Mayweather will put his WBC and WBA world welterweight championships on the line one more time when he faces off against Andre Berto.
After the fight Floyd is leaving behind big business if he does indeed retire. But it’s not like he needs the money. Mayweather’s last five fights for Showtime alone have pulled in over 10 million pay-per-view buys and grossed $750 million in receipts.
“No fighter in history has been in bigger fights than me. No fighter in history has beat more champions than I’ve beat,” Mayweather said. “But it’s not over yet. I’m going to push myself. I can go to places where no fighter can go mentally.
Mayweather acknowledged he had a tough opponent to take down before his retirement. Andre Berto is a two-time world champion with a record of 30–3, with 23 of those being knockouts.
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| A sexy girl, Floyd Mayweather, Andre Berto and another cutie. |
Berto is not taking things lightly. He has spent months in training camp preparing for the attempt to put a loss on Floyd’s unblemished record of 48-0.
Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s fight, Floyd’s legacy in boxing is solidified. So, he wants to turn his attention to business after his fight with Andre Berto.
“I want my legacy to be of a remarkable fighter inside the ring and a great businessman outside of it,” Mayweather explained.
He will not venture too far away from his core competency – boxing. His company Mayweather Promotions is currently grooming a new crop of fighters.
“I have fighters that I’m working with on a daily basis,” Mayweather continued. “There’s still going to be the next world champions coming from Mayweather Promotions. We got a lot of fighters.”
In addition to his gym, a rapper is going to focus on his label, The Money Team Music Group. He also plans to expand into concert promotions and is busy launching his own shoe line.
Other than that, Floyd plans to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor and watch his “kids go through college. I think their school is very important.”
Floyd Mayweather fights Andre Berto on Saturday, September 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
