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GRAND RAPIDS -- Floyd Mayweather Sr. said his presence in Oscar De La Hoya's corner largely was responsible for his son's retirement, which he predicted will be short-lived.
The younger Mayweather announced his retirement from boxing last month and concluded a weekend-long retirement celebration Sunday, though his father predicted he "definitely" will fight again.
"He'll have to fight," Mayweather Sr. said Wednesday, in a telephone interview from Las Vegas. "But fighting's a short game. You hit 33, 34, 35, it's over. It depends who you are. But you can't play this game until you're 50 years old.
"He'll be back. No question, no doubt."
Mayweather-De La Hoya II was expected to occur in September, until the pound-for-pound king abruptly retired June 6, at age 31.
Mayweather Sr. said he believes there were several reasons his son retired.
The timing forced De La Hoya to cancel September plans and proceed with a December career finale.
"He might have wanted to shut everybody down," said Mayweather Sr., who trains De La Hoya, "but he shut himself down, too."
Mayweather Sr. said his son had not reached financial terms for the rematch.
"He asked for $50 million and they told him no, but he was at least going to get $35 million," he said. "It's unbelievable that he walked away from that kind of money for 45 minutes' work, but money was one reason.
"And another reason, believe me, was he knew with his daddy in Oscar's corner, he had problems. He didn't want his daddy to whip him. He'd rather walk away than to have that. A lot of people don't believe that but it's true. If Little Floyd knew, legitimately, that he could win the fight, of course he would've taken the money."
Mayweather Sr. did not train De La Hoya in the first fight, in May 2007, but said he could make the difference in a rematch.
"My son knows he couldn't stand a close fight with Oscar," he said. "With his attitude, if it's a
close fight with Oscar, there's no way he can win."
The younger Mayweather's claim that he should be a billionaire by the end of the year also was dismissed by his father.
"How can he tell all the people in Grand Rapids he's a billionaire?" Mayweather Sr. said. "He won't be a billionaire in a billion years. Mark my words, someday he'll be running through the streets of Grand Rapids broke."
GRAND RAPIDS -- Floyd Mayweather Sr. said his presence in Oscar De La Hoya's corner largely was responsible for his son's retirement, which he predicted will be short-lived.
The younger Mayweather announced his retirement from boxing last month and concluded a weekend-long retirement celebration Sunday, though his father predicted he "definitely" will fight again.
"He'll have to fight," Mayweather Sr. said Wednesday, in a telephone interview from Las Vegas. "But fighting's a short game. You hit 33, 34, 35, it's over. It depends who you are. But you can't play this game until you're 50 years old.
"He'll be back. No question, no doubt."
Mayweather-De La Hoya II was expected to occur in September, until the pound-for-pound king abruptly retired June 6, at age 31.
Mayweather Sr. said he believes there were several reasons his son retired.
The timing forced De La Hoya to cancel September plans and proceed with a December career finale.
"He might have wanted to shut everybody down," said Mayweather Sr., who trains De La Hoya, "but he shut himself down, too."
Mayweather Sr. said his son had not reached financial terms for the rematch.
"He asked for $50 million and they told him no, but he was at least going to get $35 million," he said. "It's unbelievable that he walked away from that kind of money for 45 minutes' work, but money was one reason.
"And another reason, believe me, was he knew with his daddy in Oscar's corner, he had problems. He didn't want his daddy to whip him. He'd rather walk away than to have that. A lot of people don't believe that but it's true. If Little Floyd knew, legitimately, that he could win the fight, of course he would've taken the money."
Mayweather Sr. did not train De La Hoya in the first fight, in May 2007, but said he could make the difference in a rematch.
"My son knows he couldn't stand a close fight with Oscar," he said. "With his attitude, if it's a
close fight with Oscar, there's no way he can win."
The younger Mayweather's claim that he should be a billionaire by the end of the year also was dismissed by his father.
"How can he tell all the people in Grand Rapids he's a billionaire?" Mayweather Sr. said. "He won't be a billionaire in a billion years. Mark my words, someday he'll be running through the streets of Grand Rapids broke."
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