Muhammad Ali won’t be in Las Vegas to see the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight in person, but that won’t stop “The Greatest” from supporting one boxer from afar.
In an interview with TMZ, Ali’s daughter, Rasheda Ali, said: “My dad is Team Pacquiao all the way!”
Rasheda explained that her 73-year-old father greatly admires Pacquiao, both for his boxing abilities and for his charity work.
“My dad really likes Manny,” Rasheda said via TMZ. “He’s a huge fan of his. He knows Manny’s a great fighter … but it’s more about what he does outside the ring. He’s such a charitable person.”
According to Rasheda, her father and Pacquiao have been close friends for years, with the Filipino superstar even attending Ali’s 70th birthday party.
Rasheda also indicated that her father didn’t have such high regard for Pacquiao’s opponent.
“My dad stood for things. Mayweather … I don’t think there’s a comparison,” she said.
While Rasheda told TMZ that Ali won’t be in attendance when Mayweather and Pacquiao face off at the MGM Grand on May 2, she said that she expects him to still watch the fight on pay-per-view.
“There’s no question he’s going to order it,” Rasheda said. “It takes my dad way back to when he was fighting.”
