By Rick Reeno

MGM Grand, Las Vegas - WBC/WBA welterweight and junior middleweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (46-0, 26KOs) explained the difference between his rock star-status career and the very successful career of Oscar De La Hoya.

Mayweather stated that he plans to retire following his 49th fight , which takes place in September of 2015. Mayweather became a superstar with his pay-per-view blockbuster with De La Hoya in 2007.

In the last three years, Mayweather has been ranked (on two occasions) as the highest paid athlete in the world.

"Our statuses are totally different. Two totally different eras. Well not two totally different eras...I just sat back and waited on my turn. I don't have anything negative to say about Oscar, but there is a difference between being promoted in just one area....being big with just the Hispanics and the Latinos...when you are a worldwide figure its totally different," Mayweather said.

"Oscar De La Hoya, I think he was a solid guy but there are different levels to this. There is a difference between being a top fighter and a top athlete. He was one of the top fighters - I am the top athlete. And being a top athlete means that you are competing against everyone, not just in your sport. I don't think Oscar De La Hoya was ever known as one of the top athletes [in the world], he was known as one of the top fighters."