Floyd Mayweather began his professional boxing career in 1996 and has spent the years since building a convincing case that he belongs among the greatest to enter the ring.
His record remains perfect at 45-0 with 26 knockouts.
Now, however, Mayweather is beginning to place an expiration date on that perfection.
Speaking at a gala dinner in South Africa, the undefeated champion says he plans to fight for the final time in September 2015.
“September 2015 will be my last,” Mayweather says.
Boxers have announced retirements before, of course.
Sometimes they even remain retired long enough to clean out a locker.
Still, Mayweather’s announcement gives each remaining fight greater significance. Every opponent now represents one of the final opportunities to place a blemish on a record that has survived 45 professional contests.
Who Gets the Next Shot at Floyd Mayweather?
Before reaching September 2015, Mayweather plans to return to the ring May 3 in Las Vegas.
He identifies Amir Khan and Marcos Maidana as the two possible opponents.
Both fighters present a different kind of argument.
Khan brings speed, name recognition and an established international following. A fight against Mayweather would also give him the largest stage of his career.
Maidana enters the discussion with considerably more momentum.
In December, the Argentine fighter handed Adrien Broner his first professional defeat. Maidana knocked him down twice and claimed the WBA welterweight title by unanimous decision.
That performance immediately made Maidana more difficult to ignore.
Two Opponents, Two Different Problems
Khan’s speed could create an interesting technical matchup against a fighter known for controlling distance and avoiding clean punches.
Maidana offers something less orderly.
He applies pressure, throws with power and appears perfectly comfortable turning a boxing match into a fight.
Neither man enters as the favorite against Mayweather. At this stage, no one does.
That is part of the difficulty in evaluating his possible opponents.
Every challenger arrives with a reason he could make the fight interesting. Then Mayweather usually spends 12 rounds removing that reason one adjustment at a time.
The Beginning of Mayweather’s Final Chapter?
Mayweather’s retirement timeline also creates an obvious question: How many meaningful fights remain?
If September 2015 truly marks the end, the list cannot be long.
Fans will continue asking about Manny Pacquiao, the opponent whose name seems permanently connected to Mayweather’s even though the two have yet to share a ring.
For now, the immediate decision appears to be Khan or Maidana.
One offers speed and international appeal. The other arrives after producing one of boxing’s most memorable upsets of the past year.
Mayweather has built his career around making difficult opponents look ordinary.
With retirement now visible in the distance, either Khan or Maidana may receive one of the last chances to make Mayweather look human.