Mayweather mulls over farewell fight

MANILA, Philippines - Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s next fight in September will be his last.

This after Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports which holds the rights to air Mayweather’s bouts, confirmed that the undefeated American has no intention of extending his contract with the network.

In a report by Rick Reeno of boxingscene.com, Espinoza said Mayweather is keen on hanging up his gloves.

“There is not a shred of truth in all of these reports about an extension being negotiated. From every conversation the two sides have had, Mayweather is sticking to his guns – for the moment – that September 12 will be his final pro-fight,” said the Showtime official.

Mayweather will reportedly fight welterweight contender Andre Berto, eyeing to retire with a perfect 49-0 record. His showdown with Manny Pacquiao last May ended up as the richest boxing match ever, bringing both fighters millions in salaries.

The financial success of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight prompted observers to speculate that a rematch between the two superstars is inevitable. Mayweather outpointed Pacquiao to become the undisputed welterweight champion and cement his reputation as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.

But Pacquiao entered the fight nursing an injured shoulder, which somehow put Mayweather’s victory in question. The Filipino icon is expected to return to the ring next year as he completes his recovery.

Nevertheless, chances for a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch are now slim with the American plans to end his career after September.

Espinoza, for his part, isn’t closing the door on another possible Mayweather comeback.

“We have a great relationship with Floyd. Our deal has been very successful for him and very successful for us. We’ve done five fights and generated nearly 10 million pay-per-view buys,” he said.

It can be recalled that Mayweather announced his retirement after knocking out Ricky Hatton in 2007, only to return after a 21-month hiatus to take on Juan Manuel Marquez.

Only time will tell if Mayweather will indeed stay retired for good after his September fight.

“We’re very confident that Floyd’s happy and if he decides to come back in the future – we believe that we’ll be the first call,” Espinoza said. – Dino Maragay/Contributor