Floyd Mayweather teased a shock return to professional boxing over the weekend after agreeing to face heavyweight legend Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout in early 2026.
The Tyson clash will be Mayweather’s ninth exhibition, but he has not had a professional fight since beating Conor McGregor in August 2017.
Over eight years on from that crossover bout, Mayweather is now interested in making a comeback as he approaches his 49th birthday.
But who could he face if he does put his perfect 50-0 record on the line next year?
Let’s take a look at five potential opponents Mayweather could target for his return to the ring.
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Manny Pacquiao rematch
It’s been 10 years since Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao first squared off in what was billed as the ‘Fight of the Century’.
The two men had long established themselves as the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet and should have faced each other sooner but negotiations stalled on multiple occasions.
They eventually fought one another in May 2015, and Mayweather prevailed on points, while Pacquiao complained that a shoulder problem had hindered him.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are now 48 and 46 respectively, but the latter made an impressive comeback of his own earlier this year.
Following a four-year layoff, Pacquiao returned to earn a draw with WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios as he came agonisingly close to regaining a world title in his mid-40s.
Pacquiao failed to rule out a rematch with Mayweather before and after that contest, and the fight would still generate plenty of interest despite both men being past their peak years.
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Mayweather could also see it as an opportunity to prove beyond doubt that he is better than his great rival after Pacquiao’s injury woes during their first fight.
Mario Barrios
If he doesn’t fancy taking on Pacquiao, Mayweather could turn his attention to getting one over the Filipino icon by fighting Mario Barrios instead.
Barrios clung on to his world title by the skin of his teeth against Pacquiao in July and may be regarded as the weakest champion at 147lbs right now.
Mayweather may have watched that fight and seen that he still has enough to beat Barrios, even at the age of 48.
Barrios has drawn his last two bouts after also failing to beat Abel Ramos on the undercard of Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson last November.
He has appeared vulnerable in recent outings and Mayweather could look to take advantage of this.
A victory over Barrios would give him bragging rights over Pacquiao as he would have achieved something his rival could not, and that may be all the motivation he needs to chase a fight with the WBC titlist.
Ryan Garcia
Mayweather remains one of the biggest names in boxing despite retiring from the sport almost a decade ago. He can sell a fight by himself.
But if he can land another huge media personality as his opponent, that would take his comeback to the next level. This is where Ryan Garcia could come into the mix.
Garcia has a huge social media presence, with around 12million followers on Instagram and over 1million on X.
He also splits opinion with his outspoken online rants, plus he failed a drugs test last year following his grudge match with Devin Haney.
Controversy sells, and this is something Mayweather and Garcia will know all too well. Garcia has also proven he is not afraid to step into the ring against the biggest names after facing the likes of Gervonta Davis and Haney.
Garcia is over 20 years younger than Mayweather and has some of the fastest hands in boxing today. His attributes would pose a threat to Mayweather, and the build-up would be fascinating to watch, with both men very unlikely to hold their tongues.
It could potentially be a coming-of-age moment for Garcia, or Mayweather may show he has still got it by beating someone young enough to be his son.
Gervonta Davis
The relationship between Mayweather and Gervonta Davis has been a complicated one over the years.
Davis fought under the Mayweather Promotions banner for several years after signing with them in 2015 and won multiple world titles with Mayweather guiding him.
However, the pair have also had their fair share of disputes and went their separate ways in 2022.
Davis then lashed out at Mayweather earlier this year as he accused his former friend of not wanting to see anyone do better than him.
There is now animosity between Mayweather and Davis, who is the current WBA lightweight champion.
Davis has shown he is not bothered about racking up title defences as he has chosen to face Jake Paul in an exhibition fight in November.
He may also be tempted by the prospect of jumping up in weight to fight Mayweather next year if the opportunity presents itself.
Terence Crawford
Terence Crawford joined Mayweather as a five-weight world champion by beating Canelo Alvarez earlier this month.
He has also been an undisputed champion in three different weight classes – something that Mayweather did not achieve.
This has created a debate over the respective legacies of Mayweather and Crawford, and who would have won in a mythical match-up.
Is it possible we could actually find out inside the ring?
It would be a huge risk for Mayweather to come back from such a lengthy layoff to face a pound-for-pound great in Crawford.
But his ego could get the better of him. Mayweather will not have liked some fans arguing that Crawford is better than him and may want to put the debate to rest.
The only way he can do this is to step up and challenge Crawford in a contest that could determine the best fighter of the 21st century.
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