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(CNN) – Since retiring from professional boxing with an unmatched 50-0 record, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has turned his attention to promoting and mentoring the next generation of fighters.
Despite being deeply involved in the sport on a daily basis, Mayweather says he is not tempted to come out of retirement.
“Right now, I’m doing exhibitions,” Mayweather told CNN en Español’s Raúl Sáenz. “I am 100% sure that I will no longer fight any boxer. So that is out of the question. I mean, just my abilities mean a lot to me. Money doesn’t make me earn money, I earn money and my health is more. important than money.
“As far as showing off and fighting MMA guys, will I do that in a boxing ring? Absolutely.”
Considered one of the sport’s all-time greats, Forbes estimates that Mayweather’s fight against Conor McGregor in Las Vegas in 2017 generated more than $ 550 million in revenue. Mayweather earned $ 275 million, a sum generated both from his roles as a wrestler and as a promoter.
Outside the boxing ring, Mayweather was arrested in September 2010 after authorities said he struck Josie Harris, the mother of three of his children, at her Las Vegas home, where she lived with her two young sons and a daughter.
The fighter pleaded guilty 14 months later to a reduced count of battery and two counts of stalking. He was sentenced to three months and served two.
‘The real environment’
Mayweather was speaking to CNNEE earlier about one of his fighters, Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who has an unbeaten record so far of 23-0, taking on Leo Santa Cruz this Saturday in San Antonio, Texas.
While the majority of sporting events around the world have been played without fan attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic, this weekend’s fight has moved from what would have been an empty Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut to the Texas Alamodome, where around 10,000 fans are expected.
The NBA was widely praised for the success of its Disney World bubble, during which only two Covid-19 cases were recorded, but Mayweather believes that one of the crucial elements that most impacts the sport at the highest level was missing.
“I’m happy that we were able to bring this to San Antonio so we can have the crowd, the real atmosphere,” Mayweather said. “Because when I’m watching boxing and there’s no crowd, I feel like I’m watching training boxing in a boxing gym. When there’s a crowd, there’s a different outcome.
“It’s no different from basketball. Congratulations to the Lakers, but it was like they were [playing] pickup ball because he was in a gym. But even if they were playing pick up, they are pickup champions. But I like it better with the crowd, because the crowd can shape things a bit.
“The crowd … if it’s on a basketball [court] or if it’s in an arena as far as boxing is concerned … the crowd can shape things and I like to see things shaken a little bit, it’s a little bit better. So you have to deal with the pressure when you’re on an elite stage. “
Davis, still 25, is widely regarded as one of the most exciting and explosive fighters in the lower weight divisions. In Santa Cruz, a four-division champion, he faces his most accomplished opponent to date by some distance.
Davis has dropped one weight class to fight Santa Cruz for his WBA super featherweight title, although Davis’s WBA lightweight title will also be on the line.
Being a smaller boxer guided by Mayweather has naturally put additional pressure and expectations on Davis’ shoulders. However, Mayweather believes it is time for these two fighters to create their own legacy.
“Anything that [do] now my money is guaranteed because my name is set in stone, “he said.” I’ve shown for over twenty years what I can do and the numbers I can do in both pay-per-view and streaming, so I’ve shown what I can do.
“Now is the time for these young fighters to come out on Halloween and show what they can do, and I’m pretty sure Leo is in top form, because Tank is in top form and they need to get out there and do whatever they do.
“They will have a crowd and we want the crowd to shake up some things to see what these guys can do under pressure.”
This story was first published on CNN.com, “Floyd Mayweather Jr. says he is ‘100% sure’ that he will never box professionally again”
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