Floyd Mayweather Jr., the consensus top pound-for-pound fighter in boxing, may not have many fights left. In fact, he has three bouts remaining on his Showtime contract, and manager Leonard Ellerbe doesn't believe there will be any fights beyond the contract's end.
"Absolutely not," was Ellerbe's short, direct response when asked about fighting past his current deal.
Mayweather hasn't ruled out the possibility so emphatically, but revealed in a recent interview that he does think about how the end may be near.
"There's different days you feel different ways," Mayweather said. "I had a brilliant career, an unbelievable career - I don't want to say a brilliant career, I had a brilliant team. It's safe to say I had a brilliant team."
There has been speculation that Mayweather, who could be 49-0 if he finishes the final three fights on the Showtime deal with victories, may decide to go for 50-0 against Manny Pacquiao before hanging up the gloves for good.
Mayweather's legacy to some would be tainted if he never faces Pacquiao, but that would be viewing his career through a fighting lens only. Mayweather explained that he views himself as a businessman as well as a boxer, so never facing Pacquiao doesn't register as a failure at all.
"You look at fighters and say, 'Oh, yeah, he fought this guy, he fought that guy.' ... You just look at legendary fighters," Mayweather said. "I want to be known as being one of the smartest businessmen that came through the sport of boxing, not just the best fighter.
"George Foreman is one. Oscar (De La Hoya), he's not bad at all. Larry Holmes. And that's really it."
For now, Mayweather says the specter of 50-0, or retiring isn't on his mind though. "It's really hard to tell right now," Mayweather said.
"Some days, I feel like I will go the six fights. Some days, I say I don't know. But as of right now, I'm just focused on Sept. 13th."
Mayweather will face Marcos Maidana on September 13, whom he defeated by split decision in May. It was a more competitive fight than most imagined, but not nearly close enough for any judge to give Maidana in Mayweather's mind.
"What you guys have to realize is that I'm not just fighting the fighter, I'm fighting the critics. If a guy wins two rounds, they're like the guy beat Mayweather. Things happen this is the sport of boxing."
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