FILE – Floyd Mayweather Jr. stands in the ring before Errol Spence Jr takes on Mikey Garcia in an IBF World Welterweight Championship bout at AT&T Stadium on March 16, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. Tom Pennington/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines—Floyd Mayweather Jr. showed his support for Errol Spence in his title defense against Manny Pacquiao, but did not give any predictions.
“I just want to wish both of those guys nothing but the best,” said Mayweather in a video posted on ES News. “But of course I’m behind Errol Spence. I’m always behind my people first.”
He even said he will be giving Spence some advice on how to deal with Pacquiao.
“Actually I will give him a call and give him some pointers,” said Mayweather, who retired with a perfect 50-0 record including a unanimous decision win over Pacquiao in 2015.
Spence (27-0) will defend his IBF and WBC World welterweight titles against Pacquiao (62-7-2) on August 21 in what is seen as a career-defining moment for the undefeated southpaw.
The 31-year-old Spence is considered as one of the top welterweights in the world along with WBO champion Terence Crawford but a victory over Pacquiao, who has held championships in eight weight classes, could propel the two-belt champion to the greatest heights of his career.
Mayweather, who will fight YouTuber Logan Paul in an exhibition match, has always sang praises for Spence even before the Dallas native captured any gold earlier in his career.
An IBF champion since 2017 when he knocked out Kell Brook in the 11th round, Spence unified his title with the WBC strap in 2019 when he scored a split decision win over former Pacquiao sparring partner Shawn Porter.