Ali picks Pacquiao over Mayweather

MANILA, Philippines - The man they call “The Greatest” is picking Manny Pacquiao over Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the historic May 2 clash at the MGM Grand.

Entertainment portal TMZ recently spoke to the daughter of Muhammad Ali, the great heavyweight champion, and she shared her father’s thoughts.

“My dad is Team Pacquiao all the way,” said Rasheda Ali, who had personally met the Filipino superstar.

She also recalled an instance when her father and Pacquiao met during Ali’s birthday celebration in 2012.

“My dad really likes Manny. He’s a huge fan of his,” added the daughter of the 73-year-old American legend.

Pacquiao came from poor, humble beginnings and rose to become one of the highest-paid athletes in history.

As a boxer, congressman and bible preacher, Pacquiao has looked after the poor and according to his promoter is a one-man social welfare department.

“He knows Manny’s a great fighter ... but it’s more about what he does outside the ring. He’s such a charitable person,” added Rasheda.

“My dad stood for things. Mayweather ... I don’t think there’s a comparison,” she told TMZ.

Meanwhile, Freddie Roach was singing a different tune yesterday inside the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

Just three days ago, he got “a little frustrated” with the way Manny Pacquiao sparred for nine rounds.

Roach didn’t like the way Pacquiao moved, according to an embedded GMA-7 reporter, and yes, he was frustrated.

Pacquiao took a day off Sunday and was back at the gym yesterday, marking the fourth week of training for the biggest fight of all time.

Roach was inside the ring with Pacquiao for an hour, and boxing’s dynamic duo did 12 rounds with the mitts – almost non-stop.

Pacquiao, according to his American publicist, Fred Sternburg, was like a machine.

Roach made sure Pacquiao got the message that he didn’t like how his famed fighter moved inside the ring last Saturday.

“I’m not gonna be nice to him. I’m gonna make him do what I want because that’s the way he can beat Mayweather,” he said.

Pacquiao does not take anything personally and walked out of the gym smiling.

Yesterday, they were back in each other’s arms, pounding the mitts, and along the way they must have kissed and made up.

“It was the best day of training we have had yet for this camp,” said Roach.

“Manny is the smarter, faster, and stronger fighter. He is going smoke ‘Mr. 47 and 1,’ Floyd Mayweather on May 2,” he added.

Pacquiao will be back to spar today and may go 12 rounds.

On the other side, one of Floyd Mayweather’s sparring partners described the undefeated American “as strong as hell.”

The jaded scribe for the Associated Press, Tim Dalhberg, also wrote something about Mayweather’s training.

Mayweather’s sparring, he said, goes for six minutes per round.

“Floyd, he explosive man, he strong as hell,” Don Moore, a sparring partner for Mayweather, told The Boxing Voice.

“I’m trying to wrap him up, learn from him, ducking and dodging and running off combinations man and he see everything. It’s like man, master of boxing,” said Moore.

They’re singing their own tune out there in Las Vegas.