Floyd Mayweather says Manny Pacquiao will beat one of his boxing records, and the Filipino fighter says Floyd is jealous
- Floyd Mayweather said Manny Pacquiao might break one of his boxing records.
- Mayweather has beaten 23 opponents who once held world champion status.
- Pacquiao, currently on 22, could match that tally should he win his next fight.
- Pacquiao said Mayweather is jealous.
Floyd Mayweather believes his old boxing rival Manny Pacquiao will break one of his fighting records, and the Filipino responded by saying the American is jealous.
Mayweather defeated 23 opponents who had a championship-winning status at one point in their career, finishing 50-0 when he stopped the UFC striker Conor McGregor on his feet in the 10th round in a landmark, 2017 bout.
Mayweather recently told Fight Hype that no fighter in history beat more champions than he did, but said Pacquiao might surpass him in the coming years.
"See they say, 'the great must fight the greats.' Well, just look in the history books," Mayweather said. "You'll see nobody beat more world champs than Floyd Mayweather.
"Even with that being said, Pacquiao eventually probably would [beat that record]. But guess what, Pacquiao was a professional before me."
In the same interview, Mayweather appeared critical of younger athletes in boxing challenging Pacquiao to a fight, saying that Pacquiao is an "old man" at 41 and should be left alone.
Pacquiao has beaten 22 world champions but is yet to retire from the sport and is the current WBA welterweight world champion.
"Mayweather is just envious because he's already retired," Pacquiao told The Manila Times, according to Boxing Scene. "We're still active and have a crown."
Pacquiao is linked with a 2020 fight against Mikey Garcia
Pacquiao could equal Mayweather's tally of 23 champions beaten should he defeat one of the three fighters he named earlier this year, who he said would be suitable opponents for his next fight.
"There are a lot of possible opponents — either Mikey Garcia, Errol Spence Jr., or [Terence] Crawford," Pacquiao said in March.
He said in The Manila Times that he has no problems competing again when the coronavirus pandemic subsides, and has even been training.
"I just finished hitting the punching bag. No retirement yet. Yes, I'm still training. God is good all the time," Pacquiao said.
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