Even though it hadn't been made official, it was widely assumed that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya would do battle for a second time this fall. Now it looks like Mayweather won't be fighting the Golden Boy. Or Miguel Cotto or anyone else for that matter.
The AP is reporting that Floyd has decided to permanently retire from the sport of boxing. He cited a lack of passion and personal happiness as the reasons for hanging up the gloves.
The timing is unquestionably strange given that Mayweather stood to enjoy a huge payday for a rematch with De La Hoya. Apparently, though, even the man who nicknamed himself Money can see beyond his bank account.
“I am sorry I have to leave the sport at this time, knowing I still have my God-given abilities to succeed and future multi-million dollar paydays ahead, including the one right around the corner,” Mayweather told the AP. “But there comes a time when money doesn’t matter. I just can’t do it anymore. I have found a peace with my decision that I have not felt in a long time.”
Of course, boxers "retire" all the time, so it remains to be seen if this decision will stick. But there's no question it will reverberate through the sport in the short term, as De La Hoya is suddenly left without an obvious dance partner for his own supposed retirement tour.
Expect to hear more here and around the internet as this story plays out.
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