Mayweather Announces Boxing Return After 9 Years
Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced he will return to professional boxing this summer, nine years after his retirement. The 49-0 champion last fought professionally in 2017 and has since participated in several exhibition bouts. His comeback announcement is generating massive speculation about potential opponents and the event's impact on boxing's landscape.
- Before his professional comeback, Mayweather is scheduled to face Mike Tyson in an exhibition match reportedly set for April 25, 2026, in the Democratic Republic of Congo; the combined age of the two boxing legends is 107. - This is Mayweather's fourth return from retirement, having previously stepped away from the sport in 2007 and 2015 before his last professional bout in 2017. - His final professional fight before this retirement was a 10th-round TKO victory over UFC star Conor McGregor in August 2017, which pushed his record to a historic 50-0, surpassing Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record. - Since 2018, Mayweather has fought in at least eight exhibition matches against a range of opponents including Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa, YouTuber Logan Paul, and John Gotti III, the grandson of the infamous crime figure. - A potential rematch with his former rival Manny Pacquiao, who also recently returned to the professional ranks, is being seriously discussed. Their first fight in 2015 was one of the highest-grossing bouts in boxing history. - Over his career, Mayweather won 15 major world championships across five different weight classes, from super featherweight to light middleweight. - The Boxing Writers Association of America named Mayweather the "Fighter of the Decade" for the 2010s.
