Love him or hate him, but you can’t ignore him. The legendary Floyd Mayweather‘s undefeated boxing record meant he picked up hordes of haters along the way. They rooted for his opponents to show the smug boxer his place. Many came and went but they all failed to put a loss in ‘Money’s’ record.

Some combat sports specialists hesitate to put him alongside all-time boxing greats like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and Roberto Duran. Mayweather’s extravagant display of wealth and his egotistical behavior might have played a part in coloring people’s perceptions of him. But, one NBA analyst was willing to give him his flowers for the amazing career he has had. “When you talk about dominating the sport, he did that. He didn’t handpick his fight, he fought whoever was in his path.” 

But, fans on the internet are hard to please. They are willing to poke holes at his stellar career, and even bring his inability to read into the discussion. So, what did the critics have to say of Mayweather’s long list of accolades?

Is Floyd’s greatness not recognized enough?

It all started with a panel discussion on “Who is the best athlete you have ever seen?” on ESPN’s First Take. Former NBA basketball player Kendrick Perkins took the cue to remind everybody on the panel about Floyd’s greatness.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again @FloydMayweather

is the Best Athlete I’ve ever seen!!! Carry the on… pic.twitter.com/wcWfSB1gXx

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins)

June 21, 2024

“You gotta respect him. His resume is longer than a holiday weekend, It’s Floyd Mayweather Jr….the sacrifice that he put in, the body of work that he did. When it came down to Marquez, he got his feet hot with him. Canelo, he got to know him. When it came down to Cuotto, the list goes on…Pacquiao. If you look at the wins that Floyd Mayweather had in his prime, throughout his journey, throughout his venture, I think there is no other record stacking up to it in boxing,” 

The long rant of appreciation caught Mayweather’s attention who thanked him for putting him on the list of great athletes America has ever witnessed. Mayweather took to X, and wrote, “Thanks so much for acknowledging my work. It means a lot to be recognized, especially since I’ve done it all without the support of major brands or sponsors. My priority has always been to invest in my craft and give the fans the best matches possible.”

Even though many boxing fans and analysts have accused Mayweather of carefully choosing his opponents, his record would state otherwise. His long list of vanquished opponents includes luminaries in the sport like Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez, Miguel Cotto, Marcus Maidana, and Zab Judah to name a few. Mayweather’s defense was impregnable, with no opponent ever able to knock him down in his career with a punch. Yet, it still isn’t enough to earn the respect of his hard-core critics.

‘Pretty Boy’ has quite the reputation

Mayweather’s detractors had a field day commenting on Floyd’s response to Perkins’ acknowledgment of his list of achievements. Poking fun at Floyd’s alleged inability to read and write, 0ne fan commented that ‘Money’s’ reply must have been generated by AI.

One fan referenced the ducking allegations made by boxer Amir Khan in 2014. Reportedly, both pugilists couldn’t meet each other in the ring due to Mayweather’s refusal to budge on the fight date. Commenting on the issue, Khan said, “Maybe my religious beliefs give Floyd an excuse not to fight me. If he offers the fight in September, he knows it will get turned down.” Unfortunately, Amir Khan wasn’t going to fight in the month of Ramadan. “They’re aware of all this, so why can’t they wait a couple of months?” he queried. Eventually, the fight didn’t materialize.

Then there was another dig at Floyd leaving school early to pursue boxing. The speculations about his inability to read and write stem from a widely publicized spat between him and rapper 50 Cent where the latter challenged him to read a page from a Harry Potter book.

Meanwhile, another fan lauded Perkins for giving the 50-0 boxer the praise he deserved while he was still alive.

Floyd got people to write tweets for him 🙂

— Cosy (@mbottdk) June 22, 2024

Meanwhile, one fan lauded Mayweather for delivering the biggest blockbuster pay-per-view hits during his career. To put things into perspective, the top two PPV-earning events in boxing history feature Floyd! His fights against Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor generated $410 million and $396 million in PPV buys respectively.

Do you think Floyd should get more praise for what he did for the sport of boxing? Or, do you think his critics have a valid point not to include him in their P4P list? Moreover, do you think Floyd is the greatest athlete alive, let alone a boxer? Let us know in the comments below.