Floyd Mayweather: Could He Retire Before Facing Manny Pacquiao?

The highly anticipated clash between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is nowhere near happening anytime soon or in the foreseeable future. It’s safe to say a permanent retirement could be on the cards for the pretty one.

Speaking to ESPN, “Money Mays” manager and long time confidant Leonard Ellerbe pencilled in a May 5th meeting between the two welterweight pound-for-pound kings.

As at present, the chances of both fighters throwing leather on that date are between slim and none.

Pacquiao, who recently won a controversial majority decision in his trilogy battle with Juan Manuel Marquez, could be seeking a fourth bout in order to silence Marquez and his critics once and for all.

If that transpires, Money May, may be left with little or no choice other than to take on the current crop of fighters in the welterweight division.

Or, retire.

If that is the case, could he hang up his gloves knowing that the one fight that has eluded him thus far could jeopardize his everlasting immortality in the pantheon of boxing and alongside its greats?

The answer is a resounding yes.

Here are the reasons why Money May could retire before engaging in modern warfare with the Pac-Man.

Mayweather’s Titles

Since he captured the WBC and Lineal super featherweight titles by defeating Genaro Hernández back in October of 1998 at the young age of 21, Mayweather hasn’t looked back.

In his illustrious career thus far, he has won titles at super featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight thus making him a five-division world champion.

Only two other boxers surpass him in that sphere—Oscar De La Hoya (six-division world champion) and Manny Pacquiao (eight-division world champion).

He also resides as the current WBC welterweight champion after recently dispatching Victor Ortiz in the fourth round of their encounter back in September of 2011.

Mayweather’s Perfect Record

If Pacquiao isn’t available for the super-fight that the world has clamoured for, why wait around for some young buck, or any other fighter for that matter, to upend his perfect 42-0 record?

The answer is he doesn’t need to.

How many of Mayweather’s contemporaries have an (0) still attached to their names?

The answer is none.

Manny Pacquiao might be riding high at the minute with the moniker of No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter resting firmly on his shoulders, but his record, impressive as it might be, has suffered three defeats—two via stoppage.

Mayweather could retire with that record intact and hold court with likes of Ricardo Lopez (51-0-1, 38 KOs), Rocky Marciano (49-0, 43 KOs) and Joe Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KOs) to name a few.

Mayweather’s Fought the Best

Mayweather has taken on and defeated the best of whatever a specific division has had to offer.

He destroyed both Angel Manfredy and the late Diego Corrales whilst defending his WBC super featherweight title.

Philip N’dou and Sharmba Mitchell also failed in their quest to upend the Pretty Boy.

Mayweather put a clinic on the late Arturo Gatti and also the British “Hitman” Ricky Hatton.

He took on “The Golden Boy” and proved he could hang with the best of them.

Zab Judah, Carlos Baldomir, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley and most recently Victor Ortiz have all fallen to Mayweather.

Guys like Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito didn’t fit the “Money” script.

Needless to say, if those fights had ever taken place, the same fate would’ve befallen them.

Sure the likes of the young Amir Khan and Timothy Bradley are waiting in the wing, but those are fights he can take or leave—Mayweather has nothing to prove.

Money’s Wealth

Money May has always been about the money—if it makes money, then it makes sense.

Nonetheless, over the course of his storied career, he’s amassed a prodigious amount of wealth.

Not to mention his role in some of the highest grossing pay-per-views in boxing history.

The Oscar De La Hoya fight generated $2.45 million in buy rates, Shane Mosley $1.4 million, Victor Ortiz $1.25 million and Juan Manuel Marquez $1.05 million.

With the amount of money generated from those fights and his other business ventures, Money could easily sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labour for the rest of his life.

And that’s without bringing the interest earned into the equation.

Mayweather’s Legacy

Earlier, I alluded to the perils facing Mayweather’s lasting legacy amongst the prize fighting greats if he were to retire without fighting Pacquiao.

In some respects, how he’ll be judged, rests partly on the media, the pugilist purists and history itself.

Hence, his status as an all-time great might come into question.

In my opinion, if Mayweather were to call it quits now and walk away from the sport without having laid a glove on Pacquiao, he would’ve still cemented his place in the realm of fistic eminence.