LAS VEGAS — The next day, as the boxing world tried to sort out the landscape following the biggest bout it had staged in years, Floyd Mayweather wasn’t interested in talking about a rematch or Amir Khan or exactly how
LAS VEGAS — The next day, as the boxing world tried to sort out the landscape following the biggest bout it had staged in years, Floyd Mayweather wasn’t interested in talking about a rematch or Amir Khan or exactly how he’d wrap up his stellar boxing career. He didn’t have much to say about the pre-existing shoulder injury Manny Pacquiao’s camp said cost the Filipino boxer the fight either.
“Only thing I want to do right now is go home and rest,” he said.
If his unanimous decision over Pacquiao on Saturday night was vintage Mayweather in the ring — all defense with some crafty counters wowing judges, if not boxing fans — his post-fight news conference was also ripped right out of the dog-eared Mayweather playbook. He was arrogant, grateful, defensive, contradictory and reflective. As he’d said in the days and weeks leading up to the Pacquiao bout, he intends to walk away from the sport following one final fight in September.
“My love and my passion for boxing is not the same,” he said, “like it once was. But this is my job. I have to go out there and be at my best doing my job.”
For now that means catching his breath. Mayweather said he intended to abandon his five world titles — three welterweight belts and two at light middleweight — to “give other fighters chances.”
“I’m not greedy,” said Mayweather, who collected a $100 million paycheck immediately after defeating Pacquiao and could potentially earn double that when all the dimes and quarters from Saturday’s mega-fight are finally counted.
“It’s about giving other guys opportunities,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “He’s accomplished everything in the sport. What more can he accomplish?”
There was no speculation about possible opponents for the final bout of his Showtime contract, though his father and trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., said he hoped his son would settle on an easy foe to minimize the risk of injury or a blemish on his perfect 48-0 record.
The Pacquiao camp, meanwhile, seemed to position itself to make a case for another shot, contending that Mayweather didn’t get to face Pacquiao at his best Saturday night. Pacquiao apparently suffered a right shoulder injury three weeks ago while training. While Pacquiao was allowed to take anti-inflammatory shots approved by the United States Anti-Doping Agency during camp, the Nevada Athletic Commission denied his request for a shot before the fight. The result was a Pacquiao who threw far fewer punches than expected and all but abandoned his jab.
Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, said the fighter’s camp had filed necessary paperwork to warrant the last-minute shot, “so the commission was well aware,” but Francisco Aguilar, the commission chairman, disputed Arum’s assertion. He said the commission had no evidence of an injury and wasn’t asked about the medication until barely one hour before the fight.
When asked about Pacquiao claiming injury, Mayweather was calculated, just as he so often is in the ring. He had injuries, too, he said, to his arms and hands, but never would have used that as an excuse.
“I will always find a way to win,” he said.
There appeared to be little momentum or immediate intrigue in pitting Mayweather and Pacquiao against each other again, even though Saturday’s bout was expected to generate more than $300 million in revenues. Even if Mayweather were to open to a rematch and another huge payday, Arum said Pacquiao wouldn’t be ready to return to the ring in September. “An impossibility,” he called it.
The anticipation and hype that preceded the opening bell Saturday night was years in the making, and the 12 rounds of action — or inaction, depending on one’s perspective — was unlikely to measure up to expectations. The bout was akin to inflating a balloon for five years and then watching it deflate over the course of an hour.
“A lot of people tried to turn this fight into good vs. evil. I didn’t really care to entertain that,” Mayweather said. “I believe in the good man, just like he do. I pray and I love my family.”
The one narrative that existed both before the fight and after revolves around Mayweather’s dominance. He needed a win over Pacquiao to erase doubts and legitimize his claim to being one of the all-time greats. If he really does retire after September — he’s certainly left himself wiggle room and kept the door open — he’d walk away with a 49-0 record, the same mark Rocky Marciano posted more than a half-century ago.
Mayweather was respectful of Pacquiao on Saturday night but stopped short of saying the Filipino fighter was his toughest opponent. For him, the much-anticipated bout was never a referendum on who Pacquiao was. If anything, beating Pacquiao offered further confirmation to something Mayweather already knew: He is without equal in the ring.
“Muhammad Ali, he called himself the greatest. This is my era,” Mayweather said, “and in my era, I’m TBE” — meaning, the best ever.
