Floyd Mayweather Says Manny Pacquiao Is 'The Best Fighter I Ever Fought'

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao's legendary boxing careers have long been intertwined from the moment they reached mainstream popularity and established respective legacies inside the ring.

The culmination of that link was the super-fight between the two future Hall of Famers in May 2015, six years after the first negotiations took place.

The undefeated Mayweather went on to beat Pacquiao decisively via a lopsided unanimous decision.

Throughout their journeys, the two boxing greats have fought several of the best names the sport has seen in the past two decades, including Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley, to name a few on the long list.

But in a recent appearance for the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast, Mayweather told rapper Gillie Da King that Pacquiao was indeed the best fighter he has faced in the squared-circle.

"The best fighter I ever fought probably was Manny Pacquiao,” Mayweather said, explaining the Filipino's incredible fighting style.

“It’s because of his movement. He’s a hell of a fighter and I can see why he won so many fights and I can see why he’s going down as a Hall of Famer. It’s just certain moves that he makes."

Pacquiao has been widely regarded for his unreal hand speed and blinding combinations, keys that helped him surprise opponents and win title belts in eight different weight classes.

Currently a senator in the Philippines, Pacquiao picked up dominant knockout wins over Cotto and Hatton. He overwhelmed and retired De La Hoya, and even injured Antonio Margarito's eye socket after battering him for 12 rounds.

As far as the strongest and toughest boxers, the Grand Rapids product mentioned the lesser-known Emmanuel Augustus, whom he fought early in his career, and the Puerto Rican legend Cotto.

"The roughest fighter probably was a guy named Emmanuel Augustus. The 'Drunken Master' was tough. He was just tough. Miguel Cotto was very, very, physically strong," Mayweather shared.

With his size advantage, Cotto did manage to connect several powerful punches and make Mayweather bleed from the nose during their light middleweight encounter in May 2012, before losing via a unanimous decision.

Mayweather, 44, is scheduled to fight YouTube sensation Logan Paul in a six-round exhibition fight this June in Miami.

In spite of the general perception that Mayweather is boxing's king of smack talk, he always has the highest level of respect for his past foes. He never fails to let it be known.