When Floyd Mayweather was asked to name the five greatest boxers of all time, he did not hesitate to include himself among the greats.

The host – rapper and podcaster Fat Joe – nodded in approval before Mayweather even finished his list, though few would argue with that decision. Mayweather remains one of the most critical fighters of the 21st century and one of the few state-of-the-art champions to come out on top, finishing his career with a 50-0 record thanks to breakthrough victories over Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.

The other four names on Mayweather’s list span the golden era of boxing in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, when the sport flourished from heavyweight to lighter divisions. In a clip shared by Sweet science laboratoryMayweather started his draft with one of the best defensive fighters in the history of the sport.

“We have to go for Pernell Whitaker.”

Known as “Sweet Pea,” Whitaker was a defensive virtuoso and 1984 Olympic gold medalist whose mastery of distance, timing and footwork set a benchmark for generations to come. After a controversial loss to José Luis Ramírez in Paris in 1988, Whitaker went on a decade-long unbeaten streak, winning world titles at lightweight, super lightweight and welterweight. His draw with Julio César Chávez in 1993 – widely seen as a robbery – remains one of the most debated decisions in boxing and a defining moment of the era.

Mayweather’s subsequent selections ranged from lighter to heavyweight royalty.

“I’m going with Roberto Duran. If we’re going to fight at heavyweight, I’ve got to go with Larry Holmes because Larry Holmes has beaten everybody in his era. When Larry Holmes was beaten by Mike Tyson, he was beaten by a teenage, hungry champion – and he came out of retirement and got beaten by Tyson.”

Durán, a wild Panamanian nicknamed “Hands of Stone”, is considered one of the greatest lightweights in history and one of boxing’s most complete competitors, winning world titles from delicate to middleweight and famously dethroning Sugar Ray Leonard in Montreal in 1980. Meanwhile, Holmes ruled the heavyweight division for seven yearsmaking 20 successful title defenses and defeating the likes of Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers and Gerry Cooney in one of the most competitive eras in heavyweight history.

Mayweather’s final choice was perhaps the most intriguing and least mentioned in debates of all time.

“Aaron Pryor.”

“The Hawk” was a fierce, relentless super-lightweight fighter who is best remembered for two brutal victories over Alexis Argüello in the early 1980s. Pryor’s speed, durability and aggression made him one of the most fearsome fighters of his generation, and although his career was later overshadowed by controversy, his peak remains one of the most devastating the division has ever seen.

Mayweather’s list combines self-belief with respect for boxing history – a reminder that while eras change, greatness leaves a mark that future champions will never be able to escape.