Mayweather, who turns 46 today, is scheduled to compete in his latest exhibition fight on Saturday as he faces former Geordie Shore star Chalmers at
The O2 arena in London. It marks the first time in Mayweather’s boxing career that he will compete in the UK having never fought in the region during his time in the professional ranks.
Both Mayweather and Chalmers were set to tip the scales at today’s weigh-in, but the former five-weight world champion did not attend. His rival was left to weigh-in at the event on his own, with Mayweather reportedly completing his own private ceremony.
This will be a worrying sign for Chalmers given the pair are set to do battle tomorrow, but the Newcastle-born star has insisted along with organisers that the show will go on. Mayweather today celebrated his 46th birthday which may signal the reason for his absence, with the undercard fighters still stepping on the scales.
Chalmers has experience in boxing and MMA, having previously fought in high-profile promotions such as Bellator and Wasserman Boxing. On Wednesday, the pair came face to face in London for the first time since the fight was confirmed and held a stare-down at the front and centre of their launch press conference.
Mayweather was in good spirits at the press conference, stating: “It’s great to be back in the UK performing, dreams come true. I’ve been coming to UK since 1993 – it’s good to be over here.
My advice to him [Chalmers] is to leave here with skills. He’s rough, tough and got experience in combat, so I’m pretty sure he’ll be at his best. I’ve got so much experience at the highest level. I’ve fought at the best events.”
Chalmers said his fight against the boxing legend: “I’m just excited. We’re here now, it’s been a whirlwind four weeks. I know his jab is unbelievable, can I handle that jab? You’ll find that out on Saturday.
I’ve tried to be sharp and fit, I’ve got a nutritionist and there’s no stone unturned when facing Floyd. He’s one of the best boxers, so I can’t get too carried away and get clipped. If you face the best of all time, the rest should be much easier.”
Mayweather retired from professional competition five years ago after improving his flawless record to 50-0 by stopping UFC legend Conor McGregor.
The 45-year-old has since earned tens of millions of dollars by going on an exhibition tour around Dubai, Japan and the US. Mayweather is set to pocket a ten-figure payday for his fight against Chalmers, if it goes ahead, having previously taken home nearly $30million for his exhibition bout against YouTuber Deji last November.
