Floyd Mayweather shuts down plans to fight again in 2020

Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather has shut down his plans to fight again in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and the recent deaths of his family members.

Many boxing and martial arts gyms have shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak sweeping the globe, making it hard for athletes to train for fights. Not only that, but venues can’t be booked and it’s difficult to get excited for big fights right now given what’s going on in the world. With the world economy in disarray, it doesn’t seem like the right time for a big-money combat sports event, which Mayweather’s return would qualify as.

But it appears more than anything that Mayweather’s recent losses in his family are the driving force behind his decision to shut down a comeback in 2020. According to a new report from TMZ Sports, Mayweather has been particularly hit hard by the death of his ex-girlfriend Josie Harris, who died last week at age 40. Harris was allegedly found dead by one of her children, with him she and Mayweather have three together.

Not long after Harris died, Mayweather’s uncle, the legendary boxing trainer Roger Mayweather, also passed away at age 58. Mayweather was very close with his uncle and his passing has hit him particularly hard as well, according to TMZ. The death of Mayweather’s friend Kobe Bryant has also weighed on Mayweather’s mind, making this the wrong time for a comeback.

Mayweather was hoping to return from a three-year layoff to compete in another boxing match as well as an MMA fight. There have been rumors of him taking on Conor McGregor in a rematch, Khabib Nurmagomedov in a mixed-rules match, and boxers such as Canelo Alvarez. However, none of those will be happening anytime soon with this new report of Mayweather delaying his comeback.

Do you think Floyd Mayweather will return in 2021?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 3/19/2020.