Floyd Mayweather admits he no longer enjoys boxing ahead of Manny Pacquiao fight

ByReuters

Updated 15/04/2015 at 10:01 GMT

Floyd Mayweather Jr. put on an open training session in Las Vegas but made a surprise admission ahead of his bout with Manny Pacquiao.

WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. hits a heavy bag as he works out at the Mayweather Boxing Club on April 14, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada (AFP)

Image credit: AFP

Flanked by his own camp and the media, the 38-year-old went through a workout at his Mayweather Boxing Club in what was the last scheduled public appearance in advance of his fight against Pacquiao on May 2.

After the Pacquiao showdown, Mayweather has one more fight to fulfil the sixth and final instalment of his multi-million dollar Showtime pay-per-view contract – and, while he confirmed that he would fulfil that obligation, he also made a surprising admission.

“I'm pretty much done with all this,” Mayweather was reported as saying by the Daily Mail.

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“It's not fun like it was back then. It’s a business now. I don't really enjoy it any longer.”

Eleven-time, five-division world boxing champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather (L) and eight-division world champion Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao attend a news conference ahead of their upcoming bout, in Los Angeles, California March 11, 2015 (Reuters)

Image credit: Reuters

The welterweight bout, which has been five years in the making, is the richest in boxing history and Mayweather had previously claimed the "world would stop" for their bout.

"May 2 - the world stops. Mayweather v Pacquiao is the biggest fight in history," Mayweather said. "This is a fight that the world can't miss. I'm in the gym working right now, pushing myself to the limit because I never wanted to win a fight so bad in my life."

However, he insists that his career should not be judged on one fight.

“One fight won't define my legacy. What about the 47 I've already won? It's an important fight. It wraps everything together – the money and my boxing.

“But if one fight defined everything this would be the only one I'd have needed.”

WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. works out at the Mayweather Boxing Club on April 14, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather Jr. will face WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in a unification bout on May 2, 2015 in Las Vegas (AFP)

Image credit: AFP

Mayweather and Pacquiao faced off for a press conference last month but have since retreated to their separate camps to prepare for the highly anticipated clash.

Pacquiao will hold his own public workout on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Mayweather's showing was a light effort built for show and he did not do much talking as he worked the speed bag but occasionally offered words to his camp.

Surrounded by photographers, Mayweather delivered body shots to a sparring partner who wore body armour but did not throw any punches back. He then worked a body bag and seamlessly went through a series of light exercises.

WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (L) works out with co-trainer Nate Jones at the Mayweather Boxing Club on April 14, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Image credit: AFP

"I've seen (Mayweather) do things (in the ring) without looking. He just knows, and he has a sense and a feel for things," said Mayweather's strength coach Alex Ariza.

Ariza formerly worked with Pacquiao and cannot see the Filipino beating Mayweather.

"Unless (Pacquiao) has a dramatic difference in how (he has prepared himself in the past) I can't see anything different. I see the same routine."

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