Klitschko an admirer of Mayweather's skill, expects Floyd to fight again

Wladimir Klitschko, who faces Tyson Fury later today in Düsseldorf, Germany, for the world heavyweight championship, recently spoke about Floyd Mayweather, saying that he doesn't think the announced-as-retired Mayweather will stay on the sidelines for long.

From ESPN.com:

"I still really believe that he's not going to retire for some reason, even if he announced it. But I think he's going to go ahead and do at least one more."

Klitschko (64-3, 53 KO) says he's not a fan of Mayweather outside of the ring, but he does greatly admire his focus and professionalism over his in-ring career:

"You have to give him credit. I am not his fan, but for boxing, hands down, he never became cocky to where he lost focus. He was always a true professional and did his job. He was disciplined. Many fighters are talented and good but can't match that success. He was disciplined. I'm not like a Floyd fan outside of [the] ring but he is absolutely disciplined and a true professional inside the ring. I have three failures on my record. He didn't have any and that takes a lot of concentration. I have more fights than him but still, what he did was impressive."

Mayweather (49-0, 26 KO) last fought on September 12, routing Andre Berto in a fight that was panned and did -- for Mayweather -- very poor business. But it followed what was by far the biggest money fight in history on May 2, when Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao in a fight five years in the making.

It seems most expect that the 38-year-old Mayweather will fight again, in part because it's boxing, and retirements are so often not really retirements, and in part because, to that effect, Mayweather has announced retirements before, only to come back. But after making truly enormous, unheard of levels of money against Pacquiao, and the fact that he's getting older, there is some reason to believe that Floyd is really done, and that this isn't just another brief break from the sport.

As for Klitschko, 39, there has been no serious retirement talk to date. That all could change at any time, if he loses again or just has a bad night, but for now, he's rolling on as the heavyweight champion of the world.