Floyd Mayweather Needed Just 3 Words When Asked If Muhammad Ali Is The Greatest Of All Time

Ali was an enigma inside and outside of the ropes, bringing a fresh style to the heavyweight division with a supreme confidence and becoming a cultural icon for his actions away from the sport.

Though ‘Money’ Mayweather hasn’t had the same impact as Ali away from the sport, he changed the game in many ways. Perhaps the best defensive fighter of all time, Mayweather claimed four of the top five biggest selling pay-per-view events ever on his way to a perfect 50-0 record and titles in five divisions.

Like Ali, his self-belief is unwavering. It perhaps doesn’t come as a surprise then that, when put to him by ESPN that Ali was the greatest fighter of all time, he had a simple response.

“It’s Floyd Mayweather.”

Elaborating, the 47-year-old looked at the criteria for the tag.

“What are we judging fighters on? If we’re judging them on standing up for a cause, then it’s Ali, hands down. But if we’re talking about taking less punishment and breaking all records then it’s Floyd Mayweather.

“Muhammad Ali paved the way for me to be where I’m at today. He’s a legend. But if we’re talking about record-breaking, we have to look at Ali losing his world title to a fighter with only seven fights [Leon Spinks].

“So, these are the things that we don’t look at. We only look at him standing up for a cause, which is the great thing because if Ali didn’t stand for that cause, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. So, I have to take off my hat to Ali. But I didn’t get into this sport for forty years to say there’s another fighter better than me.”

Mayweather doesn’t buy that the more thrilling the fight the better the fighter, rather that he proved he was the greatest by completely outclassing those who stepped in the ring with him.

“For me to be known as the best, I have to be in a drag-out, knockout fight? I can make the extraordinary look ordinary; that’s what’s so great about my career.”

Many have taken serious issue with Mayweather’s comments, including Mike Tyson and James Toney.