Floyd Mayweather announced on Friday that he’ll return from a nine-year retirement and fight professionally once again this summer, soon after his scheduled exhibition against Mike Tyson on April 25.
Mayweather also announced that his comeback will take place through an exclusive deal with CSI Sports/Fight Sports. An opponent, date, venue, and broadcast information will be announced in the coming weeks.
“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 afterward – no one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event – then my events,” Mayweather said in a prepared statement. “And I plan to keep doing it with my global media partner, CSI Sports/Fight Sports.”
Mayweather retired in 2017 after knocking out Conor McGregor in a blockbuster bout. He finished his 21-year career with a record of 50-0 and won titles in five weight classes. In recent years, Mayweather has engaged in a series of exhibition matches.
Mayweather was in negotiations in October for a rematch against Manny Pacquiao. At the time, Pacquiao said they were “almost in agreement,” but the aged fighters went their separate ways.
“Money” Mayweather turns 49 years old next week, and the announcement arrives on the heels of ongoing reports that he’s in financial trouble after earning an estimated $1.15 billion during his career.
Business Insider published a comprehensive story in December titled “Inside Floyd Mayweather’s lavish, debt-filled post-boxing life” and investigated a series of financial issues he’s reportedly dealing with.
Mayweather is also entangled in a series of legal matters. He sued former broadcast partner Showtime in February to recover $340 million in misappropriated funds. He is also being sued in a pair of separate matters that came to light this month, one for alleged unpaid rent totaling $330,000 for a luxury apartment in Manhattan, and another for an unpaid jewelry tab totaling $1.4 million.
Three minutes after a press release announced his comeback, Mayweather encouraged fans on social media to enroll in his branded credit card. He didn’t mention anything about his decision to unretire.
Richard and Craig Miele, co-founders of CSI Sports/Fight Sports, are bullish they can make a mark, and some money, with Mayweather leading the charge.
“Floyd will once again continue to dominate boxing with the biggest audience and highest gross events of all time, and we are proud and privileged to be able to do so with our global team at CSI Sports/Fight Sports,” Richard and Craig Miele said in a shared statement. “We look forward to even more announcements that will excite fans and continue to build the sport in 2026.”
Richard and Craig Miele claim that Fight Sports reaches more than 190 countries, with U.S. distribution through the Fight Sports branded block in more than 80 million households.
They also stated that CSI Sports controls global rights to the video library of HBO World Championship Boxing events and is also the exclusive owners of the USA Tuesday Night Fights series, acquired from Comcast/NBC Universal. They also own thousands of hours of content featuring Mayweather, Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya, among others.
“Signing Floyd Mayweather to unretire after he captures another worldwide audience with his Mike Tyson matchup highlights our commitment to providing our global audience with the most high-profile fighters in the sport,” said Richard and Craig Miele.
