Floyd Mayweather Jr. has announced that he will come out of retirement to resume his professional boxing career following his scheduled exhibition bout with Mike Tyson later this spring.
The 48-year-old former multi-division world champion retired in 2017 with a perfect 50–0 record but has since participated in several exhibition fights. In a statement to AFP, Mayweather expressed confidence in his ability to continue breaking records in the sport.
He said his upcoming Tyson event and subsequent professional return would generate unmatched gate revenues, global viewership, and overall earnings.
A tentative date has been set for his first official professional fight this summer, with his opponent yet to be announced. Further details are expected in the coming weeks.
Nicknamed “Money,” Mayweather was once ranked by Forbes as the world’s highest-paid athlete, earning $300 million in 2015. At the height of his career, he was widely regarded as boxing’s pound-for-pound king, dominating the welterweight division for over a decade.
Despite his achievements, Mayweather has faced criticism over his defensive fighting style and allegations that he avoided high-risk opponents to protect his unbeaten record. He has also served a jail sentence related to domestic violence charges.
Nonetheless, his discipline, conditioning, and tactical intelligence earned widespread respect within the sport. His last professional fight was against Conor McGregor in 2017.
Since then, he has taken part in exhibition bouts, including a win over John Gotti III in Mexico in August 2024, along with matches against social media personalities.
Mayweather has now signed an exclusive promotional deal with CSI Sports/Fight Sports ahead of his professional return.
Meanwhile, Ring Magazine reports that his exhibition with Tyson could take place on April 25 in Congo, though neither the date nor venue has been officially confirmed.
Tyson, 59, last fought in November 2024, suffering a one-sided defeat to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Texas — a Netflix-backed event watched by around 70,000 spectators in attendance and millions more worldwide.
