The tension between Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather is still alive and well—and it just got a new chapter.
Roy Jones Jr., a boxing icon in his own right, didn’t hold back during a recent interview where he dismissed the idea of Mayweather being one of the greatest of all time. In fact, he said he wouldn’t even put Floyd on the GOAT list.
“If you think Muhammad Ali isn’t the greatest of all time, you might as well spit in my face,” Jones declared. “If you don’t respect Muhammad Ali, how can I respect you?”
According to Jones Jr., greatness isn’t just about staying undefeated. It’s about sacrifice, impact, and the kind of cultural weight Ali carried—especially considering the fact that Ali gave up the best years of his career in protest of the Vietnam War and still came back to dominate. That, to Roy, is what greatness looks like.
Floyd Mayweather, who retired with an immaculate 50-0 record and victories over legends like Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, and Canelo Alvarez, has long called himself “TBE”—The Best Ever. But his comments from 2024 revealed a more complicated stance. While he credited Ali for paving the way, he couldn’t resist pointing out Ali’s loss to Leon Spinks, a boxer with just seven professional fights at the time.
“Ali’s a legend,” Mayweather said. “But if we’re talking stats and wins, I’ve never lost my title to a guy with seven fights.”
Roy clearly wasn’t impressed by Floyd’s emphasis on numbers. And Floyd? Well, he didn’t offer a formal response to Roy’s recent comments—but he did post a video clip of Roy Jones Jr. getting knocked out to his Instagram Story. Subtle? Not even a little.
The message was loud and clear: Mayweather prefers to speak with visuals—and shade.
The back-and-forth highlights the ongoing split in how greatness is defined in boxing. Is it about record and defense? Or legacy, activism, and influence outside the ring?
No matter how you slice it, one thing’s for sure—this beef has no expiration date.
