Mike Tyson: Floyd Mayweather Jr. is ‘delusional,’ not greater than Ali

Floyd Mayweather Jr. thinks he’s the greatest boxer of all time, even better than Muhammad Ali.

Mike Tyson thinks Mayweather is “delusional.”

Surely, many people agree with Tyson’s assessment, although it’s kind of tough to follow his argument after that initial point.

“He’s very delusional,” Tyson told the Undisputed Champion Network earlier this week when asked of Mayweather’s statement. “Listen, if he was anywhere near that realm of great Ali, he’d be able to take his kids to school by himself. He can’t take his kids to school by himself and he’s talking about he’s great?

“Greatness is not guarding yourself from the people, greatness is being accepted by the people. He can’t take his kids alone to school by himself. He’s a little scared man, he’s a very small, scared man.”

Tyson reiterated his stance in a much more succinct manner to USA Today at Wednesday’s press conference for Mayweather’s megafight with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas: “The guy is going around saying he is better than Ali. I don’t want to hear that ... .”

If you’re starting to get the impression that Tyson doesn’t have a very high opinion of Mayweather in general, you are correct. USA Today reported that Tyson was given the opportunity to move closer to the stage at the news conference, but he responded, “I try to stay as far away from dirt as possible.”

The newspaper also quotes Tyson as saying of Mayweather, “I was always told by my mother that if you can’t say anything nice about someone, don’t say nothing” and of his former friendship with the undefeated boxer, “I try not to remember that.”

The result of Saturday’s fight with Pacquiao may sway some people’s opinions as to whether Mayweather is the greatest of all time. But it seems like it might be hard to change Tyson’s mind at this point.

Read the Los Angeles Times’ special edition Flipboard digital magazine Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.

Twitter: @chewkiii