Spence is better than Mayweather, says Pacquiao
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 11: Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr pose for the media following their press conference at Fox Studios on July 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Their fight is scheduled on Aug. 21, 2021 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Michael Owens/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Michael Owens / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — Manny Pacquiao thinks getting pointers from Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the last thing Errol Spence needs.
Pacquiao and Spence will meet in a welterweight title showdown on Aug. 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The two faced off for the first time in a press conference in Los Angeles on Monday.
“Errol doesn’t need advice from Mayweather,” Pacquiao said. “I believe Errol is better than Mayweather. He’s a [better] fighter than Mayweather.”
“He could teach Mayweather how to fight toe-to-toe.”
In a video by ES News last month, Mayweather said he will call Spence to “give him some pointers” on how to beat the Filipino boxing legend.
Mayweather, who has been retired since 2017, defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision back in 2015.
Pacquiao, 42, had said the bout against Spence is “perhaps the the most difficult of my career.”
Spence acknowledged the high praise with caution.
“It is a great compliment,” said the 5-foot-9 Spence, who is also a southpaw. “But Manny Pacquiao is the kind of guy that can lull you to sleep. He’ll give you a lot of compliments, gratitude and things like that. Then as soon as the bell rings, he’s jumping all on you.
The 31-year-old Spence, who is number six in the The Ring’s pound-for-pound list, will stake his WBC and IBF titles as well as his unblemished record of 27-0 with 21 knockouts. He is coming off a dominant win over Danny Garcia last December in Dallas, Texas.
Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) is fighting for the first time since beating Keith Thurman back in July 2019.
