Professional boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr on Monday said he is eager to participate in an exhibition fight in India this year and the possibility of an opponent from the host nation cannot be ruled out.
The 47-year-old former boxing champion boasts of a perfect 50-0 record in the professional circuit, which includes 27 knockouts.
“It’s possible. I look forward to having an exhibition over here in 2024. We are looking for a solid name as a solid opponent,” Mayweather told PTI over the phone from Mumbai.
“I’m pretty sure that I’ll find the right opponent. It’s all about taking things to the next level, with all the amazing people here anything is possible,” he added.
Asked if he would be open to taking on a challenger from India, Mayweather replied in the affirmative.
“I have a team, they take their time, do their homework, and choose the best opponent. We don’t know who the opponent will be maybe he’s from India, or America, the UK or he could be from Japan. We just want to put on a show for the people.” The US pugilist, who has 15 major World Championships title, retired in 2017, but has competed in several exhibition bouts since then.
Before ruling the professional circuit, Mayweather enjoyed a successful stint in amateur boxing, winning a bronze medal in the featherweight division at the 1996 Olympics, and three US Golden Gloves championships.
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He advocated for the return of the headgear in men’s amateur boxing, which was scrapped by amateur boxing’s governing organisation in 2019.
“I would like to see in amateur boxing guys wearing headgear. We need to protect these fighters. Without headgear you see a lot of eyes are getting cuts, you see a lot of scarring tissue and when these young fighters turn professional they are all bruised up already,” he said.
Mayweather said that young boxers, who are getting battered and bruised in the absence of the headgear, need to be protected.
“I had such a remarkable career because I was wearing a headgear. Head gears do protect the fighters,” he said.
He is on his maiden trip to the country and visited popular tourist attractions like the Siddhivinayak Temple and Gateway of India.
Mayweather is partnering with Jas Mathur from Limitless X. The trip marks the expansion of the Limitless X brand into the Indian market, promising to elevate health consciousness and spread the message that health is indeed wealth.
“I always preach about this. Health is your real world. I have spoken about this on numerous occasions. I want people from all around the world to make sure they are working out. Sometimes you don’t get all the nutrients, that’s when we step up and get people what they need,” he said.
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