Mayweather back in the ring in March... sort of

Those thinking Floyd Mayweather Jr (left) was taking a break could be in for a shock. A press conference is being held in Los Angeles today which is expected to announce that Mayweather, the WBC welterweight champion, is to return to the ring next month… to fight a 7ft wrestler.

WWE, the huge wrestling organisation, is expected to announce that Mayweather will be taking part in Wrestlemania XXIV at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando. And, as if that is not crazy enough, it is expected that his opponent for the match will be Paul Wight, who wrestles under the name of Big Show, claims to weigh more than 30st.

Mayweather, who was 31 today, has won world titles at five different weights. He was last in action when he stopped Ricky Hatton in ten rounds in Las Vegas in December. He is next expected to box on September 20 against Oscar De La Hoya, in either Las Vegas or Los Angeles, a rematch of their contest last May that became the richest bout in boxing history.

The news has not gone down well with Bob Arum, who promotes Miguel Cotto, the unbeaten WBA welterweight champion, whom Mayweather has shown little interest in facing. "He's a fraud," Arum said. "Mayweather won't fight anyone that has a chance to beat him. I've been saying that for two years."

He stoked the fires for the contest when he entered the ring during a WWE show last weekend and punched Wight, bloodying his nose. Afterwards, the 5ft 8in boxer was quoted as saying: “Pro wrestling is for real. My little sons got me into wrestling. Big Show grabs Rey [Mysterio] and tries to chokeslam him. So I got in there, hit Big Show in the face and broke the guy’s nose.”

He has been keen stretch his popularity beyond boxing circles in recent times – prior to the bout against Hatton, Mayweather took part in the US television show Dancing With The Stars.

The appearance will not be a first for a boxer. In 1998, Mike Tyson had a spell with the WWF, as it was then known, while he was banned from boxing for biting part of Evander Holyfield’s ear off. And in 1976, Muhammad Ali faced a Japanese wrestler named Antonio Inoki in Tokyo in a boxer versus wrestler match.

In a farcical affair, Inoki spent most of the match on the floor trying to kick Ali’s legs. It was declared a draw and Ali ended up in hospital with blood clots.

In the spirit of you can’t have too much of a bad thing, Chuck Wepner, who boxed Ali for the world heavyweight title in 1975, faced Andre The Giant, another huge wrestler, on the same bill.

Oddly, last year Wight, 36, took a break from wrestling, saying he wanted to become a professional boxer. However, he is unlikely to face Mayweather in a boxing match, as it would be unlicensed and Mayweather would risk being banned from the sport.