Nothing if not a consummate showman, Floyd Mayweather continues to provide the motor mouth that any prize boxing match requires, let alone one of the most hotly anticipated bouts in the history of the sport.
“No one can ever brainwash me to make me believe that Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali were better than me. But one thing I will do, I’m going to take my hat off to them and respect those guys that paved the way for me to be where I’m at today.”
In particular, Mayweather attacked Ali, citing his defeat at the hands of Leon Spinks in 1978 as a specific example.
“Leon Spinks only had seven fights. Never put a fighter in there with Floyd Mayweather with seven fights.”
Additionally, Mayweather took aim at Ali’s “rope-a-dope” fighting tactics which were used with great effect against heavyweight slugger George Foreman in the historic Rumble in the Jungle bout of 1974.
“Take punishment and let a man tire yourself out from beating you? You hit him with a few punches and go down and quit and you want to be glorified for that?”
Mayweather enters the bout with Pacquiao carrying an undefeated record of 47-0, whilst Manny carries five losses, but more division world championships, with a career record of 57-5-2.
