Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather got his thoughts on Manny Pacquiao’s career wrong to his record enhancement.
Mayweather had predicted that Pacquiao would overtake him in the stakes of beating the most world champions in a career.
Mayweather toppled 23 world champions in his exceptional tenure from 1996 to 2015. At one point, Mayweather defeated 16 in a row, also a record.
But it’s the overall mark that Pacquiao, who defeated Keith Thurman to oust a 22nd career world title-holder in July 2019, would ‘probably’ overhaul – according to the ‘Money’ Man.
However, after losing more than a year of his career to the pandemic and facing Yordenis Ugas in 2021, Pacquiao retired with a loss. Any chances he had of overhauling Mayweather’s mark disappeared.
Floyd Mayweather prediction
Speaking about the record before Pacquiao retired, Mayweather told Fighthype.com: “See, they say, ‘the great must fight the greats.’ Well, look in the history books. 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.
“With everything he has accomplished. Hopefully, he’s made some smart investments.”
Before facing Andre Berto in his final professional bout in 2015, Mayweather stated his belief that his C.V. wouldn’t be appreciated until he was gone.
Gearing up to tackle Berto in a final bow, Mayweather said his achievement was better than that of Julio Cesar Chavez due to the number of bouts.
“If I’m not mistaken, I don’t know, and you guys let me know. But I think I beat more world champions than any other fighter at 22. This is going to be 23,” said Mayweather.
“Guys like Chavez, it took guys like him 100 fights where it took me less than half of them. And that was one of the guys I looked up to.
“I loved to see him fight. He was a remarkable fighter. He’s a guy who paved the way for me in boxing.
“When I retire, I think they will appreciate me more. When I got into the sport, it was all about heavyweights. I brought in all big money to the smaller weight classes.
“Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Canelo. You can go down the list. All of them got their biggest payday with Floyd Mayweather.”
World champions record
Mentioning Oscar, who had 19 victories over world champions on his record, that was the night that changed everything for Floyd.
A fight on May 5th of 2007, the headlining event in Las Vegas, represented a changing of the guard. The ex-pound-for-pound king was seen as the new Pay-Per-View top dog.
In contrast, Pacquiao missed out on Errol Spence, Mikey, Danny Garcia, and Terence Crawford from 2020 to 2021. Those would have allowed the ‘Pacman’ to equal his arch-rival.
Of course, Pacquiao will fight again in 2023. However, it looks to only be on the exhibition circuit.
Mayweather will forever keep that world champions record ahead of his rival.
