Floyd Mayweather Jr Reverts to Delusion, Says Nobody Cares About Manny Pacquiao

I hadn't seen this quote before just now when I was updating the TV schedule and swung by the Sky Sports site to make sure the time for Sykes vs Buckland II was correct, but here's something Floyd Mayweather Jr said a couple days ago:

"Pacquiao is only famous because he is attached to my name.

"When they say Pacquiao they say 'that's the guy they are trying to get to fight Floyd Mayweather'. When they say Floyd Mayweather they say the greatest ever.

"How can Pacquiao offer me anything? I do the offering. I just want an even playing field. That's it. If you've got nothing to hide then take the test.

"With or without Pacquiao any time Floyd Mayweather goes out there he is going to make $70 million. I don't need him."

This is fabulous. I will defend Mayweather against blatant Pacquiao-only folks, and Pacquiao against blatant Mayweather-only folks, but Floyd is off his rocker here. Manny Pacquiao is quite famous all by his lonesome. Retiring Oscar De La Hoya will do that for a guy. So will retiring Ricky Hatton the next fight out. So will breaking Antonio Margarito's face. Pacquiao does alright. A few people like watching him fight.

I do like Floyd's "they" here -- who the hell are "they"? Who on earth besides Floyd Mayweather thinks that Floyd Mayweather is the greatest ever?

He's kind of right about the negotiation aspect. But then he goes off the grid again by saying he always makes $70 million for a fight. Floyd Mayweather Jr has never made $70 million for a fight even once. Mayweather was reported as likely to earn about $40 million total for the Victor Ortiz fight on Saturday, or you know, about half of his claim here. Going back to the 2007 fight with Oscar, Floyd's biggest overall to date, he made a reported $25 million for that fight, while Oscar De La Hoya set an all-time record at $52 million taken away by himself for the fight.

It's like, no matter what Floyd might be right about, no matter what he might say that you understand and agree with, he always winds up quickly going off the deep end with ridiculous claims and quotes. Part is showmanship (as he recently admitted with the silly "Amir Khan must face Jessie Vargas" stuff), but some of this just comes off like pure insecurity. It's not enough that he already makes more money than anyone else for a fight; he has to claim he makes more than that. It's not enough that he can reasonably claim, if he works it right, that he's boxing's biggest star. He has to be boxing's only star.

Floyd being Floyd.