Floyd Mayweather Jr. Has Every Right to See Himself as the G.O.A.T

Is Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. the greatest of all time? That's debatable, but the 38-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan, has as much right to see himself as the G.O.A.T as anyone who has come before him.

Audacious confidence is a trait most great athletes possess. It takes an alternative personality to even fathom being the person who is the best at any one thing.

Most of us are corralled by an element of modesty when speaking about our own accomplishments—even if we truly believe ourselves to be superior.

Michael Jordan likely believes he is the best basketball player ever. Then again, LeBron James may have the same thought. They existed and exist in a different sports universe than Mayweather does. As basketball players, it wouldn't necessarily be cool for them to outwardly make such statements. For a fighter, bragging is part of the job to a degree.

Mayweather drew the ire of some fans—which is nothing new—when he said in an interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that he believed himself to be better than Muhammad Ali. Saying such a thing is considered taboo. It's like a basketball player proclaiming he's better than Jordan or a baseball player saying he is superior to Willie Mays.

Even if it's potentially true, it's one of those things you just can't say without gaining a ton of backlash.

We all know that Mayweather could care less about backlash. When prompted to clarify his statement about Ali, Mayweather didn't back down. Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Mayweather said:

"

He called himself The Greatest and I call myself TBE (The Best Ever). I'm pretty sure I'll get criticized for what I said, but I could care less. I could care less about the backlash.

"

See, I told you he doesn't care.

He thrives on the controversy and seemingly encourages it to a degree. The thing is: With a record of 47-0 having beaten the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Diego Corrales, Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley and others, Mayweather has a resume that is nearly unrivaled in the sport's history.

Laura Rauch

The only other fighter to compete as an undefeated champion longer than Mayweather is Rocky Marciano. The latter retired with a perfect 49-0 record. As great as Ali was, he did lose five times. Many will point to the fact that Ali fought what some would regard as better competition. Mayweather has long been criticized for fighting opponents that he can easily handle.

That concept is debatable. One might also say the same thing about Roy Jones Jr. in his prime. The one thing to consider is that it's possible both Jones and Mayweather simply made good fighters look ordinary while in the ring with them.

Ali had far more competitive fights, which made for more exciting action and a more storied career, but does that mean he was better? The answer to that question is: No, but it also doesn't mean that Ali wasn't superior to Mayweather.

We'll never really know the answer to that question, but one of Ali's most famous foes believes Mayweather is superior. Per TMZ, George Foreman says Money is better.

There's no disputing Mayweather's speed, instincts, punching accuracy and defensive prowess. His lightning-quick punches find their mark with stunning accuracy. He's also displayed one of the most invaluable skills a fighter can have, and that's the ability to adjust mid-fight. He did it against Zab Judah, Mosley and others.

Mayweather didn't invent the Philly Shell defensive stance, but he has used it with such success that those who don't know any better believe that he is the author of the technique.

It is peculiar and perhaps telling that the man who is most often regarded as the G.O.A.T among boxing aficionados isn't getting the attention from those looking to attack Mayweather's bold claim.

Per the late boxing historian and former editor of Ring Magazine and Boxing Illustrated and contributor to Sports Illustrated Bert Sugar, ESPN.com's Kieran Mulvaney and The Telegraph's Gareth A. Davies, Sugar Ray Robinson is considered the G.O.A.T.

Quite honestly, if boxing's purest were going to cry foul about Mayweather's claims, they should have been just as loud—if not louder—when Money erected himself above Robinson.

Robinson's 173 wins and 108 knockouts are simply mind-blowing statistics, but then, of course, there's the number in the loss column. Robinson lost 19 times in his career. Granted 10 of them came after he turned 40 years old and when he should have already retired, but they exist nonetheless.

We can criticize Mayweather's level of competition, his inactivity—seeing as though he fights just twice a year—and we can simply hate his persona. The fact is: He's never been beaten, and that's something that only one other man can say.

If Mayweather defeats Manny Pacquiao on May 2, it'll add yet another layer to the argument for his inclusion in the G.O.A.T conversation. Some will never give him his props because they hate him too much to recognize his in-ring brilliance and business savvy. Others don't like his defensive style.

The name of the game is to hit and to make your opponents miss—and oh yeah—to make a ton of money in the process. No one has ever done a better job at both things than Mayweather. Does that compound skill make him the G.O.A.T? Maybe not, but he's definitely in the conversation.

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