Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson of Washington D.C. (L) gets a count from referee Kenny Bayless after being knocked down in the eighth round by WBO bantamweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez of Mexico City at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada February 25, 2006. Reuters/Steve Marcus

Former flyweight champion Mark Johnson believes Floyd Mayweather Jr. will have a hard time staying retired because the lure of the bright lights of boxing will be too much for the undefeated American.

“It's going to be very hard for Floyd to stay retired. As you see, he's still getting the bright lights now, but it's nothing like competing. It's nothing like getting on the stage for a weigh-in and showing people you are back," Johnson told FightHype.com.

"It's nothing like walking up in a ring and it's a one-on-one fight and it's like, 'I'm here!' It's nothing like that. That's the biggest excitement you're ever going to get," he added.

Johnson, a southpaw, was the first African-American boxer to win a world flyweight title during his career, which spanned from 1990 to 2006. Johnson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012.

Like Mayweather, Johnson was also a standout during his amateur boxing days as he became the U.S. amateur light flyweight champion in 1989, a year before he turned pro. Johnson finished his boxing career with 44 wins, 5 losses and 28 knockouts.

Meanwhile, Mayweather beat Andre Berto last September in the final fight of his undefeated career. However, Mayweather has a history of reneging on his word; it can be recalled that he returned to boxing after his first retirement in 2008.

The Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight last May 2 drew record numbers both in gate attendance and pay-per-view numbers, and both fighters took home a big pay. A rematch between the two could once again pique the interest of fight fans and draw big numbers, especially with the controversies surrounding the fight.

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.

RELATED STORIES