WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter to discuss his departure from HBO to sign a six fight, multi-million dollar deal with network rival Showtime. The interviewer of course switched gears and focused the majority of the boxing related questions to the never ending debate about a potential fight with Manny Pacquiao. Floyd is his usual cocky self but his points make sense. Read more after the jump.
On whether he can continue fighting to the end of the 30-month Showtime contract.
Mayweather: My body hasn’t took any abuse. I’m still comfortable. I still feel good. The less you get hit the longer you last.
At age 36, whether he thinks his best boxing is still to come.
Mayweather: We have to see, we don’t know at this particular time. With my new deal [with Showtime], I can’t wait to get out there and perform and push myself to the limit.
Thoughts on facing Manny Pacquiao
Mayweather: I don’t think the fight really holds that much weight anymore. At one particular time I wanted the fight to happen. In the past I wanted to fight Manny Pacquiao. The only thing I asked for is random blood and urine testing. I feel that I’m the first, one of the pioneers that talked about random blood and urine testing. And you see, since Floyd Mayweather spoke about blood and urine testing, you see athletes in baseball, in cycling and in boxing – constantly getting caught using enhancement drugs.
Thoughts on Pacquiao using performance enhancers.
Mayweather: I never said Manny Pacuqiao was using anything. I just asked for both of us, me and him, to have random blood and urine testing. He didn’t want to do it.
Thoughts on a Pacquiao fight ever happening.
Mayweather: I don’t know if it will or if it won’t happen. If my legacy was defined off one fight, then I feel that I didn’t even have to fight 43 fights. I could have came in to the sport of boxing and had one fight if my legacy is defined off one fight.
What has to happen for a Pacquiao fight to happen.
Mayweather: First Manny Pacuqiao has to get past [Juan Manuel] Marquez, a guy that I beat with ease. That was one of my easiest fights. Manny Pacquiao still has Timothy Bradley problems, he has Marquez problems. First he has to get past those guys and then he can step in the lion’s den with Floyd Mayweather.
Mayweather makes his Showtime debut on May 4th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas against Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero.
Transcript: Boxing Scene
