MANILA, Philippines—Manny Pacquiao is now a “has-been” and his career in boxing “is over,” Floyd Mayweather Jr. said in a recent media tour of his fight against Canelo Alvarez.
In a video posted on American boxing website FightHype.com on July 2, Mayweather said that “Pacquiao is a has-been” during a public event after one fan shouted “fight Pacquiao.”
“His career is over,” the undefeated Mayweather added.
Another fan was heard shouting,“Why didn’t you fight him?” But Mayweather went on to praise Mexican boxers Juan Manuel Marquez and Julio Cesar Chavez.
Pacquiao, who was recently reelected as congressman of the province of Saranggani in Mindanao, lost his last two fights to American Timothy Bradley (via split decision) and to Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez (via a knockout in the sixth round.)
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. AP/INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
He is set to fight American Brandon Rios on November 23 in Macau.
Pacquiao was named as the Fighter of the Decade in 2000 by several boxing organizations and was rated as the “best pound-for-pound boxer” in the world by various sports publications such as The Ring Magazine, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated.
The title is closely contested by Mayweather, who previously held it.
The widely anticipated “super fight” between Pacquiao and Mayweather never happened after they failed to reach mutually agreeable terms of the brawl.
Mayweather has been widely criticized for talking more about Pacquiao instead of his opponent whenever he is promoting a fight.