Floyd Mayweather is headed back to his true calling, as the champion boxer recently announced that he is officially going back into the ring and unretiring from the sport that made him millions.
Mayweather’s announcement comes ahead of his highly anticipated exhibition fight against legendary heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, which is set to take place this spring.
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Floyd Mayweather ‘Still Has What It Takes’ As He Announces Boxing Return
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Per ESPN, Floyd Mayweather formally announced that he is returning to the boxing ring to resume his championship-winning career after previously confirming his retirement.
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing,” Mayweather said in a statement, according to the outlet.
“From my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next professional fight afterwards — no one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event — then my events. And I plan to keep doing it with my global media partner, CSI Sports/FIGHT SPORTS,” he added.
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Mayweather initially retired from boxing 9 years ago, in August 2017, following his winning knockout bout with Conor McGregor. Since that time, he has only entered the ring via exhibition matches with opponents such as Logan Paul.
“Signing Floyd Mayweather to un-retire after he captures another world-wide audience with his Mike Tyson match-up, highlights our commitment to providing our global audience with the most high-profile fighters in the sport,” CSI Sports/Fight Sports co-founders, said in a statement obtained by ESPN.
“Floyd will once again continue to dominate boxing with the biggest audience and highest gross events of all time, and we are proud and privileged to be able to do with our global team at CSI Sports/FIGHT SPORTS,” the statement continued.
Mayweather Is Currently In The Middle Of A Multi-Million-Dollar Lawsuit Against Showtime
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mayweather filed a $340 million lawsuit against Showtime on February 3, in California State Court. In the filing, the boxer alleges that Showtime was a participant in a multi-year scheme of “financial manipulation and self-dealing” by Mayweather’s ex-manager, Al Haymon.
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According to Mayweather, Showtime and Haymon “intended to steal vast sums of money from him by funneling fight revenues into secret accounts he didn’t control,” per the outlet. Mayweather is claiming both parties engaged in breach of fiduciary duty and fraud.
The Lawsuit Breaks Down Showtime’s Role In Allegedly Defrauding Him Of Millions In Profits
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In 2013, Mayweather left rival cable network HBO for Showtime for a multi-year deal that was the most lucrative in boxing history at the time.
Instead of direct payment to Mayweather, Showtime wired the boxer’s fight winnings into a separate account he had no control over. Mayweather blames the loss of his boxing earnings on Showtime for the money stolen from him by Haymon, per The Hollywood Reporter.
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Mayweather obtained new management in 2024, and during that time, he requested to see a breakdown of his earnings for specific fights, but said Showtime refused to show them, according to the lawsuit.
Despite Haymon being the sole person accused of stealing from the boxer, he is not named in Mayweather’s lawsuit, in which he said that the cable network should have been aware of Haymon’s stealing because his behavior was not consistent with that of a “typical manager.”
Paramount, which owns Showtime, responded to Mayweather’s lawsuit via statement. “These baseless claims lack legal or factual merit. We strongly reject them and will respond accordingly through the court process,” the company said.
The Boxer Has Been At The Center Of Rumored Financial Trouble
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“Money Mayweather,” as he has long referred to himself, is allegedly in financial trouble, according to a lengthy report from Business Insider, which the boxer previously sued for defamation for reporting on his finances inaccurately.
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Mayweather has maintained that he is more than financially stable, proven by him repeatedly flaunting his wealth on social media.
Prior to Business Insider’s breakdown of his allegedly rocky finances late last year, Mayweather shared that he is financially “set.”
“I’m financially set, and I want to let everybody know this,” he said back in 2021 per the outlet. “Every property that I have is paid for. My jet is paid for. All my cars is paid for. I own billion-dollar buildings.”
The Floyd Mayweather And Mike Tyson Fight Is Still Moving Forward Despite Changing Dates
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On Friday, February 20, Mike Tyson confirmed to TMZ that he and Mayweather will still hit the ring for their exhibition match despite rumors that it was cancelled due to changing dates.
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Tyson confirmed the news to the outlet, stating, “Yeah, it’s happening. Sh—, yeah, it’s happening!”
As of now there is currently no specific date for the match, but it is said to take place sometime this spring.