Despite recent training footage, Showtime’s Espinoza denies Floyd Mayweather return rumors

For a certain level of fame, practically any action generates its own ecosystem of rumors. Conor McGregor gets called out by Oscar De La…

By: Zane Simon | 6 years ago
Despite recent training footage, Showtime’s Espinoza denies Floyd Mayweather return rumors
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

For a certain level of fame, practically any action generates its own ecosystem of rumors. Conor McGregor gets called out by Oscar De La Hoya, suddenly bookmakers are taking odds on a potential fight between them. Floyd Mayweather Jr. puts a few videos out of him hitting the heavy bag, and suddenly everyone is talking about the chance that he’ll be making another comeback.

Mayweather, of course, was last seen in the ring taking on UFC superstar Conor McGregor back in August. The former multiple time world champion took 10 rounds to TKO the Irishman, picking up his first stoppage win in 6 years. The fight was a massive spectacle, and generated huge fight purses for both men. Mayweather reportedly earned $300 million for his side of the bout.

Enough money to lure a man back for another taste?

Maybe. Mayweather has put out a number of videos lately, showing him seemingly in training gear, hitting the heavy bag. But, if he’s planning any sort of return, it sounds like Showtime Boxing doesn’t have a clue about it.

“I don’t think so,” SHO Sports executive Stephen Espinoza told TMZ, when asked about a potential Floyd Mayweather return. “You know, Floyd seems pretty happy retired. I don’t think we’ll see him in the ring again. And it seems like the UFC really wants McGregor back in the cage.”

“Floyd, it’s Floyd’s call at some point, but I haven’t heard anything from him that makes it seem like he’s thinking about McGregor or anything else.”

With Mayweather’s popularity, even Espinoza’s denial is unlikely to put any damper on the boxing rumor mill. Especially not as long as Mayweather keeps putting out clips of himself in the gym. Still, it looks like any talk of a return to the ring for ‘Money,’ is just talk at the moment.

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About the author
Zane Simon
Zane Simon

Zane Simon is a senior editor, writer, and podcaster for Bloody Elbow. He has worked with the website since 2013, taking on a wide variety of roles. A lifelong combat sports fan, Zane has trained off & on in both boxing and Muay Thai. He currently hosts the long-running MMA Vivisection podcast, which he took over from Nate Wilcox & Dallas Winston in 2015, as well as the 6th Round podcast, started in 2014. Zane is also responsible for developing and maintaining the ‘List of current UFC fighters’ on Bloody Elbow, a resource he originally developed for Wikipedia in 2010.

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