Errol Spence Jr. andManny Pacquiao met recently ahead of their high-profile summer showdown.- Pacquiao said Spence was a better boxer than Floyd Mayweather at the media event.
- Mayweather recently said he'd help Spence prepare - which Pacquiao said the American wouldn't need.
Errol Spence Jr. is "better than Floyd Mayweather," the American boxer's August 21 opponent Manny Pacquiao has said.
The two welterweight fighters met the media in Los Angeles on Sunday to promote their high-profile showdown later this summer.
"I believe Errol is better than Mayweather," Pacquiao said, according to Boxing Scene. "He's a [better] fighter than Mayweather."
As a former champion in eight weight classes, the veteran boxer Pacquiao is one of the most decorated combatants in the sport's history and in search of another legacy-defining win.
Spence, 11 years younger than Pacquiao, is America's best boxer and could enhance his box office profile with a victory over the 42-year-old.
"It is a great compliment," Spence said, though he suggested he was wary of being lulled into a false sense of security.
Pacquiao is not known for his pre-fight trash talk but has still obliterated many elite opponents en route to his extraordinary pro
"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," Spence said.
But he added of Pacquiao's compliment: "I will take it."
Mayweather remains at the forefront of boxing because of his Mayweather Boxing Club and Mayweather Promotions companies, both of which are headquartered in Las Vegas.
The retired fighting icon became a hot topic at the weekend's media event because he had reportedly offered to help Spence Jr. - who is unbeaten with 21 knockouts from 27 wins - prepare for Pacquiao.
"Errol don't need to have advice from Mayweather," Pacquiao claimed.
Mayweather out-pointed Pacquiao in a 2015 fight that became the best-selling pay-per-view of all time.