Manny Pacquiao Cuts Floyd Mayweather Jr. Down To Size: ‘Ex-Con’ Jab Counters Instagram Attack

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are still fighting, more than two months after their megafight which was won by Mayweather but which made the fighters the top two highest-paid athletes in the world. But after that fight, Pacquiao announced that he entered the contest with an injured shoulder — and Mayweather hasn’t been able to let the claim go.

Still feeling, apparently, that Pacquiao’s self-proclaimed injury was nothing more than the Filipino champion’s way of diminishing his unanimous decision victory, Mayweather posted an Instagram video this week in which he talks to a human-like dummy, pretending that he’s speaking to Pacquiao.

After taunting the phony Pacquiao, Mayweather finishes off the dummy with a slap to the face.

The entire video may be viewed at this link.

Perhaps self-conscious about appearing bitter or insecure for his seeming inability to move on with his life after what he considered Pacquiao’s excuse-making following the May 2 Las Vegas fight, Mayweather captioned the Instagram post, “I love having fun, joking and living life #SenseOfHumor.”

But even over in the Philippines, where he serves as a member of his home country’s congress representing the southern province of Sarangani, word got back to the fighter about Mayweather’s latest insult, and he didn’t really see the joke.

Pacquiao responded either with admirably gracious restraint, or in the most passive-aggressive way possible, depending on one’s point of view, taking a jab not only at Mayweather’s own criminal record and history of domestic violence allegations — but swiping at Mayweather’s whole family as well, calling the Mayweather clan, “a family of ex-convicts.”

Pacquiao also said that the Instagram face-slap “reminds me of what he did to his ex-wife.”

Pacquiao’s comments came in an official statement, released through his public relations agents.

“We should understand Floyd Mayweather Jr. because of his family background. He hailed from a family of ex-convicts and he himself is an ex-convict,” Pacquiao said in the statement. “We could not blame him because his action just showed the kind of family upbringing he had. It only reminds me of what he did to his ex-wife. I hope he would find time to reflect on his life and repent for the sins he committed in the past.”

Pacquiao concluded with perhaps the most cutting remark of all, at least as far as Mayweather might be concerned, questioning the 38-year-old undefeated boxer’s credentials as a “real champion.”

“A real champion is gracious both in his words and conduct. Someone who is a champion not just in his chosen field of endeavor, but even in his own home and private life,” Pacquiao said.

As of Saturday, Floyd Mayweather Jr. had not yet returned the verbal punch from his former ring foe Manny Pacquiao.

[Image: Al Bello/Getty Images]