Rocky Marciano Jr. says win for Floyd Mayweather in ‘exhibition match’ shouldn’t count toward pro record

As Floyd Mayweather looks to step into the boxing ring for the last time in his storied career against Conor McGregor this Saturday (Aug. 26, 2017) in Las Vegas, Nevada, one of the underlying stories is that “Money” has the chance to make history.

By defeating “Notorious” — which most believe he will — Mayweather will move to 50-0 in his professional boxing career, surpassing Rocky Marciano as the only man to leave boxing with the gaudiest mint record, as both men currently share the mark (49-0). According to Rocky Marciano Jr., though, should Floyd prove victorious, he shouldn’t get a win on his pro record as his bout against “Notorious” is nothing but a glorified “exhibition match.”

“No matter what happens, I don’t think it should go toward Mayweather’s professional career (record), win or lose,” Marciano Jr. told USA TODAY Sports. “This fight to me isn’t a true boxing match,” he added.

Marciano initially set the record in his last pro fight in 1955, knocking out Archie Moore to retain his Heavyweight titles. To that point, Jr. says his father set the mark in style, racking up 43 knockouts throughout his career, while Floyd only has 26 knockout wins.

“Heavyweights, most of them, hold the highest knockout percentage for a reason,” Marciano Jr. said. “They’re bigger, they’re stronger and one punch can take a heavyweight out. So it’s a lot more difficult to stay undefeated than it is for someone in the lower weight class, where it can be more of a type of match where you’re just outpointing your opponent.”

Still, Marciano Jr. isn’t discounting Mayweather’s career thus far, by says he has no interest in watching his match against McGregor.

“It’s not a fight that I’m interested in,” he said. “I see the interest in it, but I don’t think it’ll be an interesting fight.”

He’s not alone.