Floyd Mayweather Jr. has announced he is coming out of retirement and will make a return to professional boxing following his upcoming exhibition bout with Mike Tyson.
The 48-year-old boxing icon retired in 2017 with a perfect professional record of 50-0 but has remained active in high-profile exhibition contests. Speaking to AFP, Mayweather said he still believes he can make history in the sport.
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing. From my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next professional fight afterwards, no one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event than my events,” he said.
Mayweather confirmed that his first professional bout since 2017 is tentatively scheduled for this summer, though his opponent has yet to be announced. Additional details are expected in the coming weeks.
Nicknamed “Money,” Mayweather was once the world’s highest-paid athlete and widely regarded as boxing’s pound-for-pound king during his dominance of the welterweight division. His last official professional fight came against former UFC champion Conor McGregor in a blockbuster crossover bout.
Since retiring, Mayweather has taken part in several exhibitions, including a win over John Gotti III in Mexico in August 2024, as well as appearances against social media personalities and YouTube fighters.
According to The Ring Magazine, Mayweather’s exhibition bout with Tyson is expected to take place on April 25 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, although the date and venue have not been officially confirmed.
Tyson, 59, last fought in November 2024, suffering a loss to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a heavily publicised event.
Mayweather’s planned return to professional boxing is already generating major buzz and is expected to attract massive global attention.