Floyd Mayweather is frequently heralded as one of the greatest pugilists in the history of the sport. Over the course of his illustrious career, he vanquished a litany of elite adversaries, captured world titles across five weight divisions, and—perhaps most impressively—retired with his undefeated record, mental acuity, and financial empire fully intact. It’s no surprise he earned the moniker ‘TBE’—The Best Ever. But!

Despite his accolades and unblemished resume, not everyone is convinced that the five-division world champion truly lives up to the legend that surrounds him. Four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr. has consistently downplayed Floyd Mayweather’s accomplishments, particularly when comparisons are the subject. But now, it seems Mayweather has finally reached his breaking point.

Floyd Mayweather goes tit-for-tat

Jones’ criticism of Mayweather stretches back years, even before his initial retirement in 2018. Proudly touting his own accolades, the former four-division champion has never shied away from downplaying Mayweather’s legacy. “Floyd Mayweather was TBE at making money, but look at his highlights and look at mine,” Jones Jr. said in a February 2018 interview. “You can’t pretend it’s the same. You can’t pretend there’s ever been anyone [who] came close to doing what I did.”

He doubled down, adding, “Nobody you could name could touch me—and I’m talking about nobody who’s around now, nobody who was around in my prime, and nobody who was around any time you can mention outta your mouth.” Though those words were spoken years ago, Jones Jr.’s stance on Mayweather remains unchanged. More recently, in an appearance on All The Smoke Fight, ‘Captain Hook’ reignited the debate, this time drawing comparisons between Mayweather and the great Sugar Ray Leonard.

“To me, people don’t give him enough credit. People always say ‘Well, Floyd would have beaten Sugar,’ no baby, Floyd is not as nearly as mean as Sugar was,” Jones Jr. said, clearly placing Leonard above Mayweather. “How? How you gonna keep him off him? Sugar is a dog. People don’t understand. Just because his name’s Sugar don’t mean nothing! Sugar is a dog, people don’t give him enough credit for that.”

Now, it seems Mayweather has had enough—and he’s responded in the most Floyd way possible. Earlier today, the undefeated legend posted several clips to his Instagram story, showing himself watching Roy Jones Jr.’s knockout losses to Glen Johnson, Antonio Tarver, and others. And judging by the reactions online, fans are thoroughly enjoying Mayweather’s characteristically petty clapback.

Roy Jones Jr. should have seen the clap back coming

It’s not often people get to see two boxing legends beef despite hanging up the gloves, but when it happens, everyone has something to say. One user laughed as he highlighted that Roy Jones Jr. should have seen it coming. “Listen, Roy should have known that Floyd is going to get him back. He can’t say nothing, man,” the user commented. Floyd Mayweather was the king of trash talk in his prime, and it seems he hasn’t lost those skills yet. 

Another user explained why Floyd Mayweather was better than Jones Jr. “Not only did Floyd never get knocked out/down, he also never tested positive for any PED. Roy did,” the user wrote. Notably, Jones tested positive for androstenedione after his light heavyweight title fight against Richard Hall in May 2000.

Meanwhile, one user appears to have taken note of Jones Jr.’s repeated jabs at Mayweather over the years “Roy been talking bad about Floyd for several years,” the user wrote. While it’s possible that Jones Jr. doesn’t harbor any personal animosity toward Mayweather, his philosophy on boxing clearly doesn’t align with Mayweather’s.

Someone else revealed Jones’ potential intentions behind dissing Mayweather. “He’s trying to be relevant as he becoming broke…,” the user wrote. Well, an exhibition between Mayweather and Jones might not be received well, but it can make them good money.

The next user seems to have sided with Jones Jr., leaving a sarcastic take on the matter. “Roy should’ve just took easy fights like Floyd n he would’ve been tbe before Floyd ✅,” the user wrote. However, Floyd has fought the likes of Canelo Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao, Marcos Maidana, Miguel Cotto, just to name a few. 

At the end of the day, both Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather have achieved feats that only a select few in boxing history can lay claim to. While public opinion may lean toward one over the other, the truth is—no one will ever truly know how a fight between them would have played out. It’s one of those great ‘what ifs’ the sport loves to debate. So, what’s your take on it all?