Floyd Mayweather, Jr., according to the most recent reports out of the Mayweather camp, will make his final fight an easy one — and at the same time, he will use the fight to milk his fans for a steep pay-per-view fee one more time.
Britain’s Amir Khan has been ruled out by Mayweather, reports say. At the same time, earlier reports stating that the fight would be Mayweather’s gift to fans, allowing the fight to be aired on free, over-the-air television via CBS, rather than on Showtime pay-per-view, appear to be inaccurate as well.
All indications continue to point toward 31-year-old former welterweight champ Andre Berto as in line to get the scheduled September 12 fight against Mayweather, but boxing experts will wonder how many fans will actually shell out what will likely be $60 or more to see Mayweather spend 36 minutes toying with an over-the-hill opponent who poses no serious threat.
So what happened to Amir Khan, who appeared to be perhaps the most logical for for Mayweather’s final bow — if indeed Mayweather keeps his pledge to retire once and for all after September 12?
According to Los Angeles Times boxing correspondent Lance Pugmire, Khan simply talked too much, taking every possible opportunity to blast Mayweather and plead for the fight.
“Khan was removed from consideration,” Pugmire wrote, citing an unnamed boxing official, “because he kept publicly criticizing Mayweather after being told to keep his opinions quiet.”
If Pugmire’s report is accurate, this would be the second time Mayweather has snubbed, or, depending on one’s point of view, ducked Amir Khan. In 2014, Mayweather chose to fight a rematch against Argentine slugger Marcos Maidana rather than accept a challenge from the 28-year-old Briton.
Mayweather’s uncle, trainer, and former fighter Jeff Mayweather, agreed that his nephew chose to leave Khan hanging as punishment for the 31-3 welterweight.
“I think he killed the fight, because he started talking too much,” Jeff Mayweather said.
“It got to the point where he probably got under Floyd’s skin enough for him to say: ‘F*** you, I am not giving you a fight, not because I can’t beat you, just because I am not gonna give you the payday like everyone else is begging for.”
Of course, the world will never know whether or not Mayweather “can’t beat” Khan if the two never meet in the ring.
Pugmire also reported that while Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has been investigating whether advertising revenue from CBS could make the September 12 fight — whether against Amir Khan, Andre Berto or anybody else — viable, there is now a “90 percent chance” that the fight will be carried on Showtime pay-per-view.
[Images: Al Bello/Getty Images]