Mayweather defends exhibition fights, says he's 'creating wealth and legacy'

Don't expect Floyd Mayweather's exhibition boxing matches to go away anytime soon.

Mayweather, one of the greatest boxers of his generation, retired from professional competition in 2017 but has since taken part in several exhibition bouts.

The fights have garnered some criticism for being glorified sparring matches - most recently, Oscar De La Hoya called Mayweather's Aug. 24 bout against John Gotti III "embarrassing" and said that "nobody wants to remember" Mayweather "like this."

But Mayweather, 47, defended himself Friday in an Instagram post, saying he can choose how he spends his time and that he's making large amounts of income.

"Retirement isn't about slowing down, it's about living on your own terms," Mayweather wrote. "I've worked hard to build a life where I can choose my adventures, and if those adventures still bring in multi-millions, even better. Success isn't something you retire from, it's something you refine.

"Exhibitions are my way of giving my fans, old and new, the opportunity to witness my greatness on any stage I choose. That's what any successful businessman and boss would do."

Mayweather has stepped into the ring eight times since his final pro appearance. His most notable exhibition match came against YouTube star Logan Paul in 2021.

In his last bout, Mayweather went the eight-round distance against former MMA fighter Gotti in Mexico City, showing off his boxing skills but not chasing a knockout. No winner was announced because it wasn't an official contest but, in a moment that went viral, Mayweather yelled at the referee for a bad call in the second round, causing a new official to step in for the rest of the fight.

In his post, Mayweather urged his "naysayers" to stop complaining about his post-retirement endeavors.

"Bottom line, there's too many of you busy pocket-watching while I'm busy still creating wealth and legacy," he wrote.