By Declan Taylor
FLOYD MAYWEATHER insists he has no intention of returning to the ring because he finally feels like a father now he no longer worries about boxing.
Mayweather officially retired from the sport after beating Andre Berto in Las Vegas in September but it is widely expected that he will return at some point in order to break Rocky Marciano's 49-0 undefeated record.
The 38-year-old, however, says there are currently no plans to come back to boxing because he does not miss the sport which has engulfed his life ever since he was a small child.
So much so, in fact, that Mayweather concedes that his role as a father to his four children - Zion, Koraun, Iyanna, and Jirah – has taken a hit from the many hours spent in the gym preparing for combat.
Now he is fully focussed on making up for lost time – and not making a comeback.
While attending a fans' Q&A session in London, England, Mayweather reaffirmed his desire to stay tied with Marciano and not go for the half century.
“I don't really miss it,” he said. “I fought for 37 years.
“I'm just happy to be back in the UK - not fighting. I'm meeting the fans, shaking hands and signing autographs, eating dinner, walking around and showing love to the fans that have embraced me for so many years.
“I don't miss the gym – I'm happy that I'm not training. I'm happy to just be at home resting, I'm happy to just be at home with my children.
"This time in my children's life is very very valuable. I have three children that are about to go to college really soon so that's very important for me now.
“I missed a lot of valuable time where I could have been spending time with my children because I gave boxing my whole life. But it's never too late. I love my children and I have a very very close relationship with my children and the only thing I can do is learn and get better.”
Excitement swept across the British boxing community this week when it was announced that Amir Khan will draw a line under nearly a year of inactivity by jumping two weight divisions to face Saul Canelo Alvarez for the WBC middleweight title in Las Vegas on May 7.
The fight is scheduled to be the first boxing match at Las Vegas' brand-new, 20,000-seater T-Mobile Arena just off the famous Strip.
Mayweather became so synonymous with the MGM Grand Garden Arena that the hotel decided to put a huge picture of the boxer on the side of the building alongside the words: 'home of the champ'. However, when asked whether he would one day like to grace the new venue, he remained coy.
“I can't really say,” he added. “I'm just really happy to be embracing the fans at the moment.
“My fans came to all different arenas in the US to see me perform for the last 20 years, to see me do what I do best, fight my heart out and be victorious.”