By Lyle Fitzsimmons

Will Floyd come back? Will Floyd fight Conor?

Will Floyd wake up tattooed from head to toe in a code only Larry Merchant can decipher?

(Dammit… I guess NBC already beat me to that one.)

Regardless of the storyline, it’s still all about the Mayweather soap opera.

When the 39-year-old indicating an interest in tangling with chatty MMA phenomenon Conor McGregor, the Internet was instantly ratcheted up to Code Level: Kardashian.

And somewhere in the lap of ostentatious retirement, the man known as Money smiled.

Even though he, McGregor and anyone this side of lucidity knew there’s zero chance it happens, it's got to be a rush to realize you can jerk three free world’s chain with a well-timed tweet.

And McGregor, who fancies himself an octagonal Floyd, played along by tweeting out a would-be fight poster of the two kingpins above a cryptic caption simply reading “MMA Vs Boxing.”

It's a tack emblematic of the 21st century, an era when an athlete can sit back, punch up a favorite device and fire off 140-character smart bombs that’ll feed the social media monster for days.

Even when -- as with Mayweather and a UFC foe -- the athlete knows it’s nonsense.

But beyond signaling a new technological world order, it reveals another reality, too.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. simply cannot survive without a spotlight.

Though he was as convincing while promising to exit after a masterful defeat of Andre Berto last September, each of his recent media appearances has been marked by a nod, a wink and a maddeningly open-ended response when it comes to clarifying a future.

And no, there’s no way it’s just a coincidence.

He told Spike TV's Antonio Tarver in early April that he wasn't specifically considering a ring return, but left with an "as of right now" cliff-hanger that ensured it would not go away quietly.

Jim Gray's subsequent Showtime inquiries drew replies that implied discussions had occurred and a nine-figure payday was possible, but offered neither names nor timelines.

But that’s really no surprise, is it?

Until attached to a time, a date and a venue, the McGregor silliness is just the latest proof that a constant buzz seems as vital to Mayweather's well-being as shelter, water and air.

He was a phenomenal fighter. He’s a manipulative genius.

Lest anyone think otherwise, the spectacle of a Mayweather-McGregor press conference, let alone an actual altercation – were it a legitimate possibility -- would be a guilty pleasure of epic proportion.

I’d watch it. You’d watch it. And anyone who claims they wouldn’t watch it is probably lying.

Almost to the point where it’s sad it’s not more than hot air.

We all know Floyd would embarrass him in a ring. We all realize Conor might maim him in a cage.

But even if they couldn’t agree on combat rules, there'd still be plenty who'd drop 70 bucks to watch them go at it in a pay-per-view tennis match, or one of those ridiculous TV poker games.

Problem is, when every indicator shows it’s little more than a bored multi-millionaire’s plaintive wail for attention, paying it any mind whatsoever feels a lot whole more like a waste of time.

And until that reality changes, deal me out.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

This week's title-fight schedule:

SATURDAY

IBF/WBA cruiserweight titles - Moscow, Russia
Victor Ramirez (IBF champ/No. 7 IWBR) vs. Denis Lebedev (WBA champ/No. 4 IWBR)
Ramirez (22-2-1, 17 KO): Second title defense; One victory outside Argentina (1-1, 1 KO)
Lebedev (28-2, 21 KO): Fourth title defense; Nine knockouts in Moscow (15-0, 9 KO)
Fitzbitz says: I’ll be far more surprised if we get to the end of the year and this isn’t among 2016’s top-10 fights than if it is. Lebedev’s a rugged dude and I think that’ll be enough. Lebedev by decision

IBF junior middleweight title - Las Vegas, Nevada
Jermall Charlo (champion/No. 4 IWBR) vs. Austin Trout (No. 7 WBA/No. 5 IWBR)
Charlo (23-0, 18 KO): Second title defense; Sixth fight in Las Vegas (5-0, 4 KO)
Trout (30-2, 17 KO): Seventh title fight; Held WBA title at 154 pounds (2011-13, four defenses)
Fitzbitz says: Trout’s got more going for him and can do more things than anyone Charlo has faced. But the kid is good. Really, really good. And he’ll shine against a guy who can push him. Charlo in 9

Vacant IBO light heavyweight title -- Moscow, Russia
Bob Ajisafe (No. 23 IBO/No. 42 IWBR) vs. Umar Salamov (No. 25 IBO/No. 27 IWBR)
Ajisafe (16-2, 7 KO): First title fight; First fight outside the United Kingdom
Salamov (15-0, 12 KO): First title fight; Only two fights have gone past six rounds
Fitzbitz says: They’re just two spots apart on the IBO computer. But when it comes to the rankings we look at here, there’s a 15-spot gap favoring the Nevada-based Russian. Good enough. Salamov in 8

IBO/WBA super welterweight titles -- Las Vegas, Nevada
Erislandy Lara (champion/No. 3 IWBR) vs. Vanes Martirosyan (No. 15 WBA/No. 8 IWBR)
Lara (22-2-2, 13 KO): Second IBO title defense; Tenth fight in Las Vegas (6-1-2, 3 KO)
Martirosyan (36-2-1, 21 KO): Second title fight; One win in scheduled 12-round fights (1-1-1, 1 KO)
Fitzbitz says: Martirosyan put up a good fight when they met five years ago, but the intervening time has seen Lara evolve into what might be the best full-time 154-pounder in the world. Lara by decision

Vacant WBC super welterweight title -- Las Vegas, Nevada
Jermell Charlo (No. 1 WBC/No. 7 IWBR) vs. John Jackson (No. 2 WBC/No. 46 IWBR)
Charlo (27-0, 12 KO): First title fight; Two knockouts in six Las Vegas fights
Jackson (20-2, 15 KO): First title fight; One KO in last five wins, 14 KOs in first 15 wins
Fitzbitz says: Charlo isn’t the best 154-pounder in the world, or his own family. But he’s certainly the better of the two men who’ll be in the ring or this one. Welcome to the belted class. Charlo by decision

Last week’s picks: 1-0 (WIN: Haskins)
2016 picks record: 32-8 (80.0 percent)
Overall picks record: 764-256 (74.9 percent)

NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body's full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA "world championships" are only included if no "super champion" exists in the weight class.

Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. He is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.