Floyd Mayweather Comes Out of Retirement

Former undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather announced Friday that he will come out of retirement to return to professional boxing after his upcoming exhibition fight with Mike Tyson this spring.

Mayweather, 48, retired from professional competition in 2017 with a perfect 50-0 record but has since participated in several exhibition bouts.

“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing,” Mayweather said in a statement to AFP.

“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 (sic) my events.”

The first professional fight following the Tyson exhibition is tentatively scheduled for this summer, with the opponent yet to be announced. Details are expected in the coming weeks.

Nicknamed “Money,” Mayweather was once the world’s highest-paid athlete, earning $300 million in 2015, according to Forbes. He dominated the welterweight division for more than a decade and was widely considered boxing’s pound-for-pound king at his peak.

Mayweather has been a contentious figure despite his achievements. His defensive approach was frequently criticised as unduly cautious, and some claimed he avoided risky opponents to maintain his perfect record. Also, he was behind bars for incidents of domestic abuse.

(FILES) US boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. smiles during the weighing ceremony for his upcoming exhibition fight against John Gutti III in Mexico City on August 23, 2024. Floyd Mayweather is coming out of retirement and will return to professional boxing after his exhibition fight with Mike Tyson this spring, he announced on February 20. Former multi-weight world champion Mayweather retired from boxing in 2017, unbeaten in 50 bouts, though he has appeared in several exhibition fights since. (Photo by ALFREDO ESTRELLA / AFP)

Nonetheless, Mayweather’s fitness, work ethic, and boxing IQ have earned him respect from peers and fans alike. His last professional bout was against UFC star Conor McGregor in 2017.

Since retiring, he has continued to participate in exhibition fights, including a win over John Gotti III in Mexico in August 2024, and has also fought reality TV and YouTube fighters.

Mayweather has signed an exclusive agreement with promoter CSI Sports/Fight Sports for his post-Tyson professional bouts.

Reports from Ring Magazine indicate that the exhibition fight with Tyson is scheduled for April 25 in the Congo, though neither the date nor the location has been officially confirmed.

Tyson, 59, last fought in November 2024, losing a heavily one-sided bout to YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul in Texas. The fight was attended by around 70,000 spectators live and watched by millions worldwide.