Boxing: Ali? I'm the best, says Mayweather

LOS ANGELES - Never one to talk himself down, Floyd Mayweather declared Wednesday that he isn't just good, he's better than Muhammad Ali, the man many call "The Greatest."

With just over a week to go before his super fight in Las Vegas against Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather said his career and flawless record - he has never been beaten - speak for itself.

"I feel like I have done just as much in the sport as Ali," Mayweather said.

"It is hard for a guy to be like me, still sharp at 38. No disrespect to Ali, but I feel like I am the best." Mayweather pointed out that while Ali lost to the unheralded Leon Spinks in 1978, among others, he has a perfect 47-0 record.

"Ali lost in his career to Leon Spinks. He lost some other fights and is still known as the greatest. That is what it is." Mayweather spoke to reporters Wednesday in a teleconference call for his May 2 welterweight showdown with Filipino superstar Pacquiao which is expected to generate a record $400 million in revenue.

In addition to being the greatest, Mayweather added that even boxing fans from Pacquiao's home country - where Pacquiao is an icon - will be cheering him on at the MGM Grand.

"I am pretty sure I got Filipino fans that like me," said the American boxer, who is arguably the current number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Pacquiao is a hero and celebrity in the Philippines, where he worked on the streets before his success in the ring helped launch careers in politics, music and film.

Mayweather said he has a solid game plan for this fight and had made sure not to go overboard.

"I have trained extremely hard. You don't want to overtrain. You want to train so you are completely ready," he said.