Floyd Mayweather Jr. exchange punches with Manny Pacquiao during their welterweight unification championship bout, May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather defeated Pacquiao by unanimous decision. AFP PHOTO / JOHN GURZINKSI (Photo by JOHN GURZINSKI / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — Floyd Mayweather Jr. fought many of boxing’s greats throughout his flawless 21-year pro career.
But of them all, Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao stood out the most as the best one he shared the ring with.
“The best fighter I ever fought probably was Manny Pacquiao,” Mayweather told The Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast by rapper Gillie Da King. “It’s because of his movement. He’s a hell of a fighter and I can see why he won so many fights and I can see why he’s going down as a hall of famer. It’s just certain moves that he makes.”
It’s been six years since Mayweather and Pacquiao figured in one of the biggest fights in boxing history.
Mayweather beat Pacquiao by unanimous decision in their welterweight unification showdown—which reportedly generated $600 million in total—making it the most lucrative fight ever.
Mayweather, 44, has remained retired since stopping Conor McGregor in the 10th round in 2017 and stressed he has no plans of coming back.
“It’s crazy everybody keeps asking me, why you not coming back to fight?” said Mayweather. “So I look at the fight game and say okay, fighters fight and they make three million, four million, six million, seven million, some may even make 10 to 20 million, but I’m doing exhibitions and I’m making 20, 25, 100 million for exhibitions. So why would I come back to fight and get a guarantee of 35 million when I’m doing exhibitions and getting a 100 million.”
The former pound-for-pound king, however, has been doing exhibition fights instead.
He is scheduled for an exhibition bout against YouTuber Logan Paul on June 6 in Miami.
In December 2018, Mayweather reportedly earned $9 million in a three-round exhibition against Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in Saitama, Japan. A fight that lasted only one round with Mayweather decking the overmatched Nasukawa thrice.