“No Disrespect To Muhammad Ali But I’m The Greatest”: Boxing Legend Says He Is The Best Ever

Ali exploded onto a bustling heavyweight scene in the early 1960s, shortly after he captured an Olympic gold at the 1960 Summer Games in Rome, Italy.

He defeated Sonny Liston in a famous victory in 1964 to become world heavyweight champion for the first time, stopping him in the sixth round of their showdown at the Convention Center in Miami.

Ali got the better of Liston once again in their rematch a year later, before going on to make just shy of ten defences of his crown before he was forced to put his career on hold after refusing to be drafted for the Vietnam War.

He returned several years later, and it wasn’t until 1974 when he would regain the heavyweight championship in that iconic victory over George Foreman, known more commonly as ‘The Rumble In The Jungle’.

Despite his unfathomable greatness, there is one fighter who believes he should be regarded as the greatest fighter of all time ahead of Ali. That man is Floyd Mayweather Jr, who retired from boxing unbeaten back in 2017.

Speaking to First Post, Mayweather claims his name should be mentioned ahead of Ali’s in the conversation for ‘greatest ever’ due to the defeats that the heavyweight icon suffered throughout his tenure.

“I feel like I have done just as much in the sport as Ali. It is hard for a guy to be like me, still sharp at 38. No disrespect to Ali, but I feel like I am the best. Ali lost in his career to Leon Spinks. He lost some other fights and is still known as the greatest. That is what it is.”

‘Money’ Mayweather won world titles in five divisions throughout his accomplished career, defeating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez along the way.

He drew the curtain on his career shortly after he beat MMA superstar Conor McGregor in August 2017, with an unbeaten record of 50-0.