By Scott Gleeson

Floyd Mayweather Jr. criticized Manny Pacquiao after he impressively defeated a previously unbeaten Keith Thurman by split decision to claim the WBA welterweight title last weekend. Then Pacquiao fired back as the two traded trash talk.

As boxing fans called for a rematch of a blockbuster 2015 Mayweather-Pacquiao bout, Mayweather went on social media to take credit for Pacquiao’s popularity.

“This man’s entire legacy and career has been built off its association with my name,” Mayweather wrote Tuesday, in part. “Let that man’s name hold weight of its own.”

Pacquiao found it as an opportune time to jab at his old rival and call for a rematch; Mayweather won by unanimous decision in ’15, when Pacquiao said a shoulder injury kept him from being 100%.

“You come to my fight and then use my name in a post but I’m the one that is trying to stay relevant?” the 40-year-old boxer wrote in response later Tuesday. “If you want to be relevant again…#MayPac2.”

Pacquiao’s rebuttal didn’t sit well with Mayweather, who went on an Instagram rant early Wednesday. The 42-year-old claimed that because Bob Arum is no longer Pacquiao’s promoter, Mayweather Promotions and PBC events fall under his umbrella and made him the “head (person) in charge” of Pacquiao’s fight.

“Bottom line, I make more money than you; I beat you, then I signed you! I was only at your fight supervising you, my employee, as any real BOSS would do,” Mayweather wrote.

Mayweather added: “You made $10 million for 12 rounds, when I just made $9 million in under 3 minutes playing around in an exhibition with a pizza delivery guy! I beat you mentally, physically, and financially!”

But the back-and-forth didn’t end there. Pacquiao took to Twitter on Wednesday, “Excuse me Floyd, your name has not been on any of my PBC contracts. But if you would like to be on the next one, I will have one drawn up and sent to you. #CounterfeitMoney”

The 2015 fight drew a record 4.6 milllion pay-per-view buys but didn’t live up to the hype in boxing fans’ eyes. Last September, a retired Mayweather teased fans with an Instagram post claiming he’s “coming back to fight Manny Pacquiao.”

Article courtesy of of USA Today