“I feel like I have done just as much in the sport as Ali,” Mayweather said.
“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.”
Mayweather pointed out that while Ali lost to the unheralded Leon Spinks in 1978, among others, he has a perfect 47-0 record.
“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.”
Mayweather spoke to reporters in a teleconference call for his May 2 welterweight showdown with Filipino superstar Pacquiao, which is expected to generate a record $400 million in revenue.
In addition to being the greatest, Mayweather added that even boxing fans from Pacquiao’s home country – where Pacquiao is an icon – will be cheering him on at the MGM Grand.
“I am pretty sure I got Filipino fans that like me,” said the American boxer, who is arguably the current number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Mayweather said he has a solid game plan for this fight and had made sure not to go overboard.
“I have trained extremely hard. You don’t want to over train. You want to train so you are completely ready,” he said.
Mayweather said he is trying not to get caught up in the hoopla surrounding the blockbuster fight which is expected to be the richest in boxing history, with Mayweather’s purse topping $180 million.
“I am not going crazy,” he said. “I know it is the biggest fight in boxing history. I can’t approach it like that. I don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on myself, my thing is to just be Floyd Mayweather.
“This one is a little over the top. I just try to stay relaxed.
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