Mike Tyson on Mayweather: ‘He’s a very small, scared man’

MANILA, Philippines – Floyd Mayweather Jr. has never been shy to hold his tongue, so it didn’t come as much of a surprise when the undefeated boxer proclaimed that he’s greater than Muhammad Ali, whom many regard as the greatest the sport has ever seen. 

“No one can ever brainwash me to make me believe that Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali was better than me. No one could ever brainwash me and tell me that,” Mayweather told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. 

When Smith asked Mayweather if he didn’t believe Ali was better than him, this was his response: 

“Leon Spinks beat him when he had seven fights. They’d never put a fighter in there with Floyd Mayweather with seven fights. So you gonna tell me that it’s cool and take punishment and let a man tire himself out from beating you?”

Spinks beat Ali, who was past his prime, in 1978 in only his eighth professional bout. The latter exacted revenge later that year

On Thursday, April 30, another one of boxing’s greatest, Mike Tyson, reacted to Mayweather’s claim, calling him “delusional.”

“He’s very delusional. Listen, if he was anywhere near that realm of greatness with Ali he’d be able to take his kids to school by himself. He can’t even take his kids to school by himself, and he’s talking about being great?” Tyson said.

“Greatness is not guarding yourself from the people, greatness is being accepted by the people. He can’t take his kids to school alone by himself.”

“He’s a little scared man,” Tyson also said. “He’s a very small, scared man.”

Watch the entire clip here:

Ali himself responded to Mayweather’s claims, going to social media and saying, “Don’t you forget, I am the greatest.”

"Don’t you forget, I am the greatest!" #MuhammadAli pic.twitter.com/HXaTz39RPM

— Muhammad Ali (@MuhammadAli) April 27, 2015

Ali went 56-5-0 in his career with 37 knockouts, while Mayweather currently stands at 47-0-0 with 26 knockouts. Ali spent his career fighting at the heavyweight division, while Mayweather has fought at super featherweight, lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, light middleweight. 

– Rappler.com