Sunday 4 May 2014 07:22, UK
Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather has contemplated calling it quits and insists it is only legacy which is keeping him from throwing in the towel.
Mayweather has admitted he is in two minds about whether he wants to continue boxing, with the allure of adding to his already glittering résumé preventing him from bringing the curtain down on an 18-year career.
The 37-year-old takes on Marcos Maidana in Las Vegas this Saturday night but Mayweather admits his affluent lifestyle is making it harder to motivate himself.
"I'm contemplating everyday getting out the sport now," said Mayweather. "I'm very, very comfortable. It’s not really hard for me to get up when I get to the boxing gym, it's just getting to the gym. I go into my garages and think, do I want to drive you, you, you or you.
"[But my motivation] is fighting for legacy because when you mention boxing all I want you to mention is Floyd Mayweather. That's what I’m here to do. When my career is over I don’t want you talking about nobody else," he said.
The 10-time world champion, in five different weight divisions, goes up against Maidana at the famous MGM Grand, home to some of boxing's biggest nights.
Mayweather has become a permanent resident at the iconic Las Vegas hotel and casino, fighting there since 2007, with the MGM keen to make their multimillion-dollar superstar feel right at home.
"This hotel [MGM Grand] has given me everything I’ve asked for and even more. They bought me a $1.6m Bugatti the first day my fight sold out. They bought me a $400,000 watch the day of the Pacquiao-Bradley fight," said Mayweather.
"The Rolex that they bought me only 10 have been made around the world, and there’s only four in the US. I was looking at that watch for 3 years and contemplating ‘should I buy it or not’.
"The MGM Grand stepped right up to the plate and said ‘Floyd whatever you want, we want you comfortable and to treat you like you’re family’. It was a Rolex Submariner watch with emeralds," he said.
Such a flashy and extravagant way of life doesn’t come without sacrifice, with the rugged and hardened Maidana looking to be the first man to hand the marvelous Mayweather his first defeat.
The Michigan born star is not taking the man who decimated Adrien Broner last December lightly, believing that he could be the first fighter to really test him.
"I want this guy to bring his best because he could actually be the first guy that makes me dig into my bag of tricks and bring out my A-game,” said Mayweather.
"So hopefully he makes me pull out my A-game because my whole career I’ve only had to use a D and C-game to beat every guy. I’ve never had to use an A-game or B-game so we’ll just have to see.
"It's not just the Broner fight [that got my attention]. I’m judging him off his last four fights, he’s done a superb job and that’s the guy we chose. He’s got an 80% knockout ratio so I can't sleep on this guy," he said.
Mayweather is looking to dazzle this weekend, on a show which will see the WBA and WBC welterweight world titles up for grabs.
“I want to look impressive when I go out there on Saturday. I want to put on a good show. I’m not looking for this fight to go the distance, so if Maidana is talking about a knockout, and if I’m looking at the fight not going the distance, you’re going to get a hell of a fight on Saturday I can guarantee you that,” he said.
The show will see former unified light-welterweight world champion Amir Khan face off against the skilled Luis Collazo as the chief-support, with Broner making his ring return when he steps in with Mexican-American Carlos Molina.
