MANILA, Philippines - Floyd Mayweather Jr. yesterday declared, for the nth time, that he’s done with boxing, a sport that he has ruled as an unbeaten champion.
He said the Conor McGregor fight was his last, and in the process closed the door on any hopes of a rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
“That was my last fight. Tonight I chose the right dance partner,” said the 40-year-old Mayweather, the richest athlete ever.
He stopped McGregor, a UFC champion who entered the ring yesterday as a boxer, inside 10 rounds, and raised his ring record to 50-0, eclipsing the feat of the late Rocky Marciano.
“Conor you were a great dance partner tonight,” said Mayweather.
It was not the first time Mayweather had announced his retirement, which he first did, very briefly, in 2006 and then in 2007 and then in 2015.
This time he sounded sure that he was going to retire – permanently.
There was no word from Team Pacquiao whether or not the fighting senator watched yesterday’s fight.
Pacquiao, who’s turning 39 in December, looks on his way to a rematch with Jeff Horn of Australia.
Pacquiao lost his WBO welterweight crown to Horn last July, in a fight where he had hoped to impress and perhaps lure Mayweather, who defeated the Filipino superstar in 2015, into the rematch.
But Mayweather didn’t bite, and went on to fight McGregor. Now, he’s leaving the sport.