Dubai: Floyd Mayweather has characteristically addressed the debate over who is the world’s greatest boxer by boasting that he is better than Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson.
Speaking ahead of his mega $300-million (Dh1.10 billion) May 2 fight against Filipino great Manny Pacquiao, the 38-year-old American welterweight, who is unbeaten in 47 professional fights since making his debut in 1996, believes he has surpassed the legends in what he has achieved.
“No one can ever brainwash me to make me believe that Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali were better than me,” Mayweather told ESPN.
“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.”
Ali is considered one of the greatest in boxing history, winning both the coveted Golden Gloves title and an Olympic gold medal, while Robinson is considered the greatest ‘pound-for-pound’ fighter among non-heavyweights with 173 wins in 200 professional bouts.
Mayweather was also quick to remind everyone of his self-proclaimed invincibility, when referencing Ali’s 1978 defeat to Leon Spinks as a pointer to his dominance over his rivals and his unbeaten record.
He also hit out at the much publicised ‘rope-a-dope’ tactics that the heavyweight great famously used in his 1974 world heavyweight title win over George Foreman.
“Leon Spinks only had seven fights,” he said. “Never put a fighter in there with Floyd Mayweather with seven fights.
“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 made his debut on October 11, 1996, at Las Vegas, where he displayed his now legendary defensive skills and precision strikes to beat Roberto Apodaca 37 seconds into the second of four scheduled rounds.
Although he was genuinely tested by Reggie Sanders in his next fight on November 30, 1996, in New Mexico, his quartet of wins over Jerry Cooper, Edgar Ayala, Kino Rodriguez and Bobby Giepert in a single year, 1997, announced him as potential champion.
More recently the biggest wins of his career came against major rivals like Oscar De La Hoya (2007, split decision, 12 rounds), Ricky Hatton (2007, technical knockout in Round 10), Juan Manuel Marquez (2009, unanimous decision, 12 rounds) and Miguel Cotto (2012, unanimous decision, 12 rounds).
Pacquiao’s resume is equally impressive.
The Filipino is the first boxer in history to win ten world titles in eight different weight divisions.
Not only has the 5ft 6in fighter beaten bigger men, he has defeated the top fighter in each division such as: Marco Anonio Barrera, Marquez, Erik Morales, De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto and Antonio Margarito. He is also rated as the best fighter at any weight in the ring today and is considered one of the sport’s all-time greats.
