He calls himself TBE – The Best Ever – and many boxing fans agree Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is one of the finest athletes ever to grace the noble art, but the American’s wait to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame rumbles on.
Mayweather was scheduled to finally take his place alongside the sport’s elite at a ceremony in New York this year but plans were shelved due to coronavirus restrictions. It is the second time Floyd has missed out due to CoViD-19 but a new date of June 09–12, 2022 has been set with Canastota providing the backdrop.
Pretty Boy could return to the ring
Despite being 44 years old and retired since beating Ireland’s UFC star Conor McGregor approaching three years ago, leading bookmakers across the world offer odds on Pretty Boy to return to action. Rumours suggest Floyd could record a 51st professional bout before becoming a Hall of Famer and you can check out the best American betting sites for free at Online Sports Betting.
Mayweather famously defeated Andre Berto on points to win the WBC and WBA world titles back in September 2015 and many thought they had seen the last of the Michigan born fighter. He shocked the sport two years later, however, returning to battle McGregor in Las Vegas, stopping Notorious in round 10 of a bout scheduled for 12. That moved his CV to a perfect 50 wins, 27 by knockouts.
If fighting a mixed martial arts champion on his professional debut with millions of dollars in prize money on the line upset some of the boxing purists, it is nothing compared to the latest news coming out of Team Mayweather. He is about to face YouTuber Logan Paul.
No lack of interest
Five-weight world champion Mayweather was originally scheduled to fight internet sensation Paul live on online platform Fanmio in February but plans were put on ice due to coronavirus restrictions. Boxing lovers may think they have dodged a bullet there but organisers are planning to press ahead with the fight and will announce a new date and venue as soon as possible.
This is due to what Fanmio founder and CEO Solomon Engel called an absolutely tremendous response to the bout. Logan Paul backed that up when rubbishing claims in certain sections of the media there was a lack of interest in the match. He blamed a leak in his camp for causing the confusion and vowed he was on course to share a ring with Mayweather when a capacity crowd can be in attendance.
Fight broke all records
It is easy to believe what has been billed as a “Super Exhibition” will happen in the coming months after reports in major media outlets across the world stated Mayweather vs Paul had broken all combat sports records before the postponement. Pre-sale pay-per-view numbers for the bout shattered all previous numbers set by professional boxing and MMA.
Paul first appeared in a boxing ring when fighting British rival KSI under amateur rules in a bout that ended as a draw. Unsatisfied, the pair made the necessary arrangements to sign as professional boxers before confirming the rematch.
Logan lost the second fight by split decision but appears to have caught the boxing bug. What else would he do on the back of losing to another novice than call out one of the best boxers that ever lived? It was a fight that did not seem to faze the YouTube icon who told fans every day he gets a little better while Mayweather gets a little older.
Class of 2020 finally recognised
Since debuting in 1996 with a second-round TKO win over Mexican Roberto Apodaca in Las Vegas, Mayweather went on to win 15 major world titles. His achievements in the ring also include owning The Ring belt in five different weight classes and the lineal championship in four. Some of the fighters Floyd has beaten over the years include Arturo Gatti, Juan Manuel Marquez and popular Briton Ricky Hatton.
When arriving in New York next summer he will be joined by other members of the class of 2020 being added to the hall of fame. Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manual Marquez and “Sugar” Shane Mosley will all secure a deserve.
