FIGHT legend Floyd Mayweather has ignored the likes of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson in his list of top five boxers but unsurprisingly included himself.
The American has every right to put his own name on the list after ending his career undefeated with 50 wins.
Floyd Mayweather has revealed his top five fightersCredit: Alamy Live News
But he has left out a number of notorious names including arch rival Manny Pacquiao, Sugar Ray Leonard and Joe Frazier.
Revealing his ‘Mount Rushmore’ of greatest fighters to Fat Joe on Instagram, they included the likes of Larry Holmes who even endured defeat to Tyson in 1988.
PERNELL WHITAKER
Whitaker was a four-weight world champion having won titles at lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, and light middleweight.
He still holds the longest unified lightweight championship reign in boxing history with six title defences.
He has regarded as one of the best defensive boxers ever – a skill Mayweather was the master of throughout his career.
He won 40 out of 46 fights although three of his four defeats came in the final four fights of his career.
Pernell Whitaker holds the longest unified lightweight championship reignCredit: Getty – Contributor
ROBERTO DURAN
Panamanian legend Duran had a whopping 119 fights throughout his career – winning 103.
Like Whitaker, he held world titles in four weight divisions in a career that spanned five decades.
He is still widely regarded as the greatest lightweight of all-time and earned the nickname “Hand of Stone” was his remarkable punching power.
Roberto Duran held world titles in four weight divisionsCredit: Getty – Contributor
LARRY HOLMES
Feeling obliged to pick a heavyweight, Mayweather opted for the ‘Easton Assassin.’
He hed the WBC heavyweight title for five years and lineal titles from 1980 to 1985.
Overall, 19 fighters attempted to dethrone him and is one of five fighters to beat Ali.
Mayweather said: “Larry Holmes beat everybody in his era, when Larry Holmes got beat by Mike Tyson, he got beat by a young hungry champion and he came out of a year’s retirement and got beat by Tyson.
“I’ve got to say Larry Holmes, he had the basic fundamentals, he had the jab and even right now he’s still living a great life because he made smart investments.
“So he was good from the beginning of his career to the end of his career.”
Larry Holmes is one of fight boxers to beat AliCredit: Getty – Contributor
AARON PRYOR
American Pryor fought for 14-years until his retirement in 1990.
He is a light welterweight world champion and won 39 of his 40 fights.
Mayweather added: “Aaron Pryor, the only reason why Aaron Pryor lost a fight was because of drugs, he lost only one fight because of drugs.”
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
Mayweather needs little introduction having gone his entire career with an unblemished record.
He won nine world major titles across four weight classes and is regarded as the best defensive boxer in history.
Floyd Mayweather leaves out Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali in his list of five greatest boxers – but puts himself No 1
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
