Floyd Mayweather leaves Muhammad Ali out from his top 5 boxers, puts himself at #1
Floyd Mayweather believes he's the greatest boxer to ever live, as he's revealed his top five list.
'Money' is widely regarded as one of the best boxers to ever lace up the gloves. Coming out of the Olympics, Mayweather was seen as an elite prospect with blistering hand speed. For the first decade of his career, he lived up to the hype.
Eventually, however, blistering hand speed and combinations were traded in for incredible defensive ability. When Mayweather began suffering from hand issues, he became less aggressive and had to find different ways to win.
#OnThisDay - In 2007, Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Oscar De La Hoya by SD12 to win the WBC junior middleweight title. https://t.co/vlKkmeK3Z3
The former champion continued to do exactly that as he went 50-0 in his professional career. Holding wins over names such as Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley, and more, Floyd Mayweather believes he's the greatest boxer ever.
During an appearance on Fat Joe's Instagram Live, Mayweather revealed that he believes he's the best boxer ever. However, he continued to give his entire top five and left off some interesting names, namely, Muhammad Ali.
The former champion stated that his top five include Pernell Whittaker, Roberto Duran, Larry Holmes, and Aaron Pryor. Explaining his list, Mayweather stated:
“We’ve got to go Pernell Whitaker. I’mma go Roberto Duran, man you put me in a tight predicament... “I’ve got to say Larry Holmes, he had the basic fundamentals, he had the jab and even right now he’s still living a great life because he made smart investments. “Aaron Pryor, the only reason why Aaron Pryor lost a fight was because of drugs. He lost only one fight because of drugs.”
Floyd Mayweather throws shade at Muhammad Ali
While Floyd Mayweather didn't discuss Muhammad Ali with Fat Joe, he's previously discussed 'The Greatest.'
📽 On this day in 1978, 10 to 1 underdog Leon Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali by split decision in Las Vegas, to become heavyweight champion of the world 👑 https://t.co/eKDSyOwrw4
During a 2020 appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast alongside Shannon Sharpe, the former champion gave his reasoning as to why Ali isn't a top-five fighter. There, Mayweather slammed the heavyweight for losing to Leon Spinks.
He also referenced Ali's rivalry with Ken Norton. The two fought on three occasions, with all three bouts being very close. According to Mayweather, that's a big stain on Ali's legacy. During the interview, Floyd Mayweather stated:
"Is Ali the same fighter that got beat by a fighter with seven fights? Leon Spinks beat Muhammad Ali when he only had seven fights. And, if we're really telling the truth, Ken Norton really beat Ali all three times. Go back and look at the fights. We're just telling the truth."
See his comments below (2:00):