“The best fighter I ever fought was probably Manny Pacquiao. I can also see why he’s going down as a Hall of Famer”— these are the words of praise from the legendary 50-0 boxer Floyd Mayweather directed at the eight-division champion. Both fighters shared the ring in an epic showdown that was billed as “Fight of the Century” at the MGM Grand Arena in Nevada in 2015. Floyd won the bout via unanimous decision, nevertheless, both fighters broke records on fight night.

The clash between the two boxers roped in 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and garnered $411 million in revenue making it the highest-grossing PPV boxing fight of all time. Recently, in an interview with DAZN Boxing, ahead of his exhibition match against John Gotti III on August 24, Mayweather labeled Pacquiao with a phrase that he often uses for fighters he admires.

Iconic phrase for an iconic man!

Manny Pacquiao is an 8-division champion, a feat never before achieved by any boxer in the history of the sport. Recognizing Pacquiao’s brilliance, his former rival Mayweather called him, a “Hell of a fighter”. Subsequently, DAZN, cut out a reel on Youtube, showcasing stills from Pacquiao’s iconic boxing matches against Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Márquez following ‘Pretty Boy’s’ proclamation.

Starting his professional boxing journey at junior flyweight, Pacquiao made his way up to super-welterweight, winning twelve major world titles in eight divisions defeating elite boxers like Marco Antonio Barrera, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Márquez, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, and Keith Thurman. Safe to say, Pacquiao’s feat is as commendable as Mayweather’s 50-0 record,

Meanwhile, fans flooded the comment section to poke fun at Mayweather’s often-used phrase to describe fighters that he likes.

Does Mayweather only talk in catchphrases?

One fan joked that Floyd Mayweather wasted no time in using his iconic catchphrase, saying, “Legend has it Floyd said ‘you a helluva fighter’ to his mom after he was born.” The humor underscored how deeply embedded Mayweather’s signature line has become in boxing culture. Another fan took a moment to give both legends their due, calling Mayweather the “best defensive fighter” while hailing Pacquiao as the “one and only 8-division world champion.”

Yet, not everyone was ready to let Mayweather off the hook. One fan agreed with Floyd’s assessment of Pacquiao’s skills but couldn’t resist pointing out the timing of their long-awaited bout, commenting, “Of course he is, Floyd. That’s why you avoided him for a whole decade.” This sentiment echoed the lingering debate over whether Mayweather faced Pacquiao at his peak.

Meanwhile, another fan couldn’t help but have some fun with Mayweather’s famous phrases, rattling off a list of them: “He a true champion. Helluva fighter, you know money may. I made smart investments.”

So, do you agree with Floyd’s take that Pacquiao is “one helluva fighter,” or do you have a different view? Share your thoughts in the comments below!