Jeff Mayweather on Floyd's past and present opponents
Best Sports Betting Canada spoke with former IBO super featherweight champion and famous uncle, Jeff Mayweather, who said Ricky Hatton could hurt his nephew in the ring if they meet a second time in an exhibition bout. The 58-year-old also said that Floyd Mayweather Jr beats Manny Pacquiao every single time at their peaks, and could tell how special the 50-0 former world champion would be when he was sparring him at just 16-years-old.Aaron Chalmers is a more sensible opponent than Ricky Hatton
“It would be great for Floyd to do an exhibition with Ricky Hatton but I think Floyd is a lot smarter than wanting to fight someone who he had a real fight with as opposed to these YouTubers where there's no chance of him getting hurt and he can still make that sort of money.
“That makes more sense than trying to fight Ricky Hatton or Oscar De la Hoya. They want to fight Floyd to avenge their loss but I don't think Floyd will take a fight like that, he doesn't have to. Well l wouldn't say he [Chalmers] has no chance, any man with two hands has two chances. But l would say it makes more sense fighting YouTube guys and making millions while you're retired rather than fighting Oscar Dela Hoya or Ricky Hatton.
“That makes no sense at all, he beat them both when it counted and certainly doesn't owe anyone a rematch, maybe they should fight each other instead of trying to avenge a loss many years ago. Floyd's professional boxing career is over and he's found a way to still make extremely big paydays because of the work he did while he was a professional. People still want to see him and lots of people want to say l was in the ring with him win lose or draw.”
Floyd would beat Manny Pacquaio ‘every time’
“Floyd would have beat Manny every time he fought him, in their primes or not in their primes. Floyd is just better than him.
“Floyd was better than him at anypoint in his career. Manny was an amazing fighter and he'll go down in the history of boxing, and their fight was a huge fight, but because Floyd's skillset was so good he made Manny look ordinary.”
Floyd was built to be a champ at six by chopping trees and road running
“Our entire family thought Floyd was special before he was six years old. The skills you see him with now, he could do those things as a kid.
“At five years old he could do the shoulder roll because from the day he was born his dad didn't give him a chance to choose to do anything but box. You're born and this is what you're going to do as a career. His dad prepared him. At six years old you had a kid out running three miles with his dad following him in a car and people would think it's crazy and ask who is this little kid out here running?
“His dad was braggadocious. He'd say ‘my son will be the best fighter to put on a pair of gloves’.
“His dad would have him chopping trees, running, boxing and he started so young it became second nature. He was in the gym everyday after school instead of playing other sports like other kids, he never got that chance to even think about playing basketball.
“Floyd never picked up a basketball until he was a teenager, he could play other sports very well too, but he didn't know because he did not do anything else but box.
“Boxing was embedded in him from the day he was born. He had no choice in the matter. And his dad would yell it to anybody that would listen, he would say my son is going to be one the greatest fighters ever.
“I think his dad helped build the ego but I also think when you're a young kid and you're fighting kids much older than you and you're much better than them, you get confidence.
“By the time he was 15 he was boxing older guys. He'd be in there with guys who were 25, even 30 and he'd handle them.”
He beat me up in sparring at 16 – I was a world title contender
“I remember one time we boxed – we had boxed from him being a young kid and of course I'd play with him – but after he was in the Olympic trials it was different. He came out here to Vegas and Roger was training him and I sparred with him. And it was nothing like before, he had become a man.
“I could not play with him any more. I was a professional fighter and he was 16 years old and he got the better of him. That's how special he is.”
Top five greatest pound-for-pound fighters ever
“Floyd Mayweather Jr, Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Joe Louis.”
