“He’s only 5’6,” Floyd Mayweather passionately advocates for Roberto Duran hailing him as one of the greatest boxers of all time

Floyd Mayweather ranks Roberto Duran as the #3 greatest boxer and the best possible lightweights of all time.

“He’s only 5’6,” Floyd Mayweather passionately advocates for Roberto Duran hailing him as one of the greatest boxers of all time

Floyd Mayweather praises Roberto Duran (Source: IMAGO)

With 103 wins and 16 losses, Panamanian Roberto Duran is considered one of the toughest boxers in history. As such, even Floyd Mayweather has held him in very high regard. Mayweather, a boxing veteran himself, went 50-0 in his pro-Boxing career. While Mayweather still crowns himself as number #1, naturally, he holds Duran in a high place.

Appearing on episode 111 of the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Mayweather spoke on many things. He mostly deliberated on how he was raised and why he wouldn’t allow his sons, aged 21 and 16 back then, to enter the realm and scope of boxing. He also spoke about soft skills in life and famous boxers of all time. Speaking about Duran, he said:

This is the reason why Roberto Duran is so great; he's only 5 foot 6 -  he was able to go from 135lbs all the way to light heavyweight and he went the distance with Marvin Haggler. He was the first fighter ever to beat Sugar Ray Leonard. And he was only 5'6"...
Floyd Mayweather via Million Dollaz Worth of Game
YouTube video

Speaking previously in an exclusive interview, Mayweather had revealed who his top choices were as boxers. He would naturally go on to rank himself first. But he ranked Duran third, omitting most other valued names in the sport. According to his choice, Duran was only preceded by Pernell Whittaker. The boxer mentioned Duran as one of the greatest lightweights ever. He also alluded to Duran becoming the ‘four kings’ at welterweight and middleweight.

‘Money‘ retired from pro boxing. His last fight was with the Irishman Conor McGregor in a crossover boxing bout in 2017. Mayweather won that fight and fulfilled his exit from the sport.

Floyd Mayweather is interested in working alongside Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou took on lineal boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in Riyadh Season this October. While Ngannou lost the match to the decision, he won the hearts of peers and fans alike. Since then, He has garnered much praise for his athleticism and striking. He even knocked Fury down in one of the subsequent rounds. This has also piqued the interest of Floyd Mayweather. Before the match, Mayweather had shown interest in signing up the MMA star.

Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury
Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury (Source: Twitter)

The former boxing champion and promoter recently announced his interest in signing Ngannou to Mayweather Promotions, a move that could change the course of Ngannou’s career path. He was impressed by Ngannou’s skills even way before his boxing debut performance. Speaking to Bet Online back in April, Mayweather had said:

I would love to work with (Ngannou), I would love to sign him to Mayweather Promotions. He’s a very skilled guy, unbelievable, and if he wants to fight one of the top heavyweight guys, he should do it.

Since his exit from the UFC earlier this year, Ngannou has been very candid about his desire to venture into boxing while at the same time keeping the door open for a return to MMA. Ngannou could return to boxing sometime next year.

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