Floyd Mayweather might have retired undefeated, but Manny Pacquiao had the better career.
That’s the word according to former two-time welterweight world champion Shawn Porter.
“I’m going to go with Manny,” Porter said on Impact Network’s Stars and Champions.
“Even though Manny has taken a lot of punishment and been in a lot of wars, you know me, I like the wars, and I like the battles. So for that reason, I would choose Manny.
“If you look around the world, most people respect Manny more than they dislike him.
“Even me, as a boxer, when I get in the ring, I get people on their feet, and that’s what Pacquiao did. Floyd has done it too, but it was a different type of excitement… They’re two different fighters.
“But again, at the end of the day, when Manny Pacquiao goes out and he walks up and down the street, more people are willing to shake his hand and say hi to him than make a mean mug or wanna confront him or anything like that.
“Which I think a lot of people nowadays don’t appreciate Floyd Mayweather for everything that he’s done for this sport, because it’s been overshadowed by some of the things that he’s done outside of the sport.”
The 32-year-old Porter, who lost his WBC belt to IBF champion Errol Spence Jr in his last outing in September, is champing at the bit to get back in the ring.
“I want to be one of the first fighters back in action,” he said.
“I understand the sacrifice of not having a gate and a walk-up crowd and things of that nature. I think the networks will make the necessary adjustments to do pay-per-view, and I get compensated, and we put on a great show, even without a walk-up audience.
“In order for the boxers to maintain the lifestyle that we have, we got to be back in the ring.
“I don’t think many fighters will want to take so much time from being active in the ring. You talk about the pay cheque, but it’s about other sports overshadowing us.
“I definitely want to get back in the ring. I want to put on a great performance even without an audience I’m used to having.
“I don’t know about guys like Canelo and GGG. Guys like that, in a lot of ways, are spoiled. They have to have that big show. I’m spoiled too but get me back in the ring.”
