MANILA, Philippines - Plano ni Floyd Mayweather Jr. na magretiro nang walang talo at sa kanyang gustong paraan bilang ‘The Best Ever’ sa pagtatapos ng kanyang boxing career sa Las Vegas sa susunod na linggo sa pagdedepensa niya ng welterweight title laban kay American Andre Berto.
Kung mananalo si Mayweather na inaasahan ng lahat at mapapantayan niya ang 49-0 record ni dating heavyweight great Rocky Marciano.
Nilinaw niyang wala siyang balak puntiryahin ang record na ika-50 panalo.
“Forty-nine is my last fight,” wika ng five-division world champion sa conference call.
“My health is more important. Anything can happen (sa boxing). I am not really worried about losing. You can make a lot of money but you still won’t be able to talk, walk and have a sharp mind,” dagdag pa nito.
Balak niyang magretiro bilang ‘The Best Ever’.
“Of course, it’s always about self-preservation. I come first but I appreciate the fans. I do. The only thing I can do is believe in myself. I’m going to be TBE (The Best Ever) until the day I die,” sabi ng 38-anyos na boxer.
Subalit marami ang naniniwalang hindi tatapusin ni Mayweather ang kanyang boxing career matapos ang Sept. 12 bout.
Ito ay matapos na rin siyang muling lumaban makaraan ang 21-month retirement para labanan si Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez noong September 2009.
“Like I have said and Floyd has said a number of times, this will be his last fight,” wika ni Leonard Ellerbe, ang CEO ng Mayweather Promotions. “Why can’t a man go out when he has had an illustrious career, accomplished everything that he needed to accomplish and be done? And he has done it his way.”
“Over the last week, I have received three major movie offers. We fully expect Floyd to be heavily, heavily involved in the entertainment industry because this is what he does right now ... that is going to occupy a lot of his time,” dagdag pa nito.
Tangan ni Mayweather ang 48-0 record kasama ang 26 knockouts at kilala sa kanyang mahusay na depensa bagama’t binabatikos siya dahil sa pagpili ng gusto niyang labanan.
“Every fight played a major key ... and number 49 is going to be important also. But my career’s not over yet,” sabi nito.