Floyd Mayweather has insisted that he will not underestimate Don Moore when the pair meet in an ‘over the top’ fight on the helipad of a Dubai hotel this weekend.
Mayweather retired from professional boxing in 2017 with a record of 50-0 (27 knockouts), but the American has fought in three exhibition bouts since then.
In 2018, Mayweather stopped kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa in the first round, before going the distance with YouTuber Logan Paul last summer.
Now the 45-year-old is set to take on Moore, 42, on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hotel in Dubai. Moore, also American, has an unbeaten record of 18-0-1 (12 KOs) but has not competed – in a professional capacity, at least – since 2016.
Nevertheless, Mayweather has said he will not overlook his compatriot this Saturday.
“I’ve known Don for a long time and I know that he’s a very smart fighter who I can’t take lightly,” Mayweather said this week, per the Mirror.
“I believe that he’s coming to prove something in this fight. On top of this fight being at a one-of-a-kind venue, you’re going to see a guy coming in to take his shot at the best ever.
“I promise you’ve never seen a boxing event like this. I’m going to continue to break barriers on 14 May. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event and I’m a once-in-a-lifetime fighter. There’s no one else in the sport who could headline an event this over the top. I’m going to give the fans what they paid for.”
Speaking about his preparations for the fight with Moore, Mayweather stressed that it was not a matter of getting back in shape, as he has not stopped training since retiring.
“It was business as usual,” Mayweather said. “It always feels good to be in the ring and around familiar faces in the boxing gym.
“I’ve spent so much of my life in the gym, so I always feel comfortable getting back into it. Training for any fight, and even this exhibition, is something I am always going to do. No one ever saw me take a day off during my career. Why would I start now?”
Mayweather also opened up on the intrigue of the opportunity to fight atop the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hotel.
“I love displaying my talents for the whole world and doing something new that interests me,” he said. “Boxing is entertainment, and that’s what I’m all about. I worked hard to accomplish more than anyone during my career, and now I’m going to enjoy the fruits of my labour, while still giving fans something exciting to watch.
“They always say the sky is the limit, well I feel like I’m pushing the limit in the entertainment world once again, going up and literally fighting in the sky. These are the kinds of opportunities that I’m always going to jump at.”
