Mayweather, who is gunning for his 48th win in as many fights against Manny Pacquiao on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, questions Ali’s dominance during his prime in a single weight class while he had dominated multiple weight classes.
“No one can ever brainwash me to make me believe that Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali was better than me;” Mayweather told ESPN.
The unbeaten American fighter also criticized Ali’s rope-a-dope tactic to tire his opponent and go on an offensive frenzy the moment he runs out of gas.
“Leon Spinks beat him when he had seven fights. They’d never put a fighter in there with Floyd Mayweather with seven fights. So are you going tell me that it’s cool to lay on the ropes and take punishment and let a man tire himself out from beating you and then he basically fatigued? Maywether asked Stephen A. Smith of ESPN’s “First Take” TV show.
“You hit him with a few punches and he go down and quit, and you want to be glorified for that?,” he asked.
Mayweather also talked about Ali’s defeats but despite those he is still called “the greatest” while he remains unbeaten in 47 fights.
“There were some other fights he lost and he’s still known as The Greatest because that’s what he put out there. It is what it is.
Mayweather said he know he will get criticized for what he is saying but he said he couldn’t care less.
“He called himself The Greatest and I call myself TBE (The Best Ever). I’m pretty sure I’ll get criticised for what I said, but I couldn’t care less. I could care less about the backlash,” he said.
Less than two weeks before fight night, Mayweather remains optimistic that he will score his 48th win against Pacquiao next Saturday.
