Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. News: Muhammad Ali Rooting for Pacman!

Former boxing heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali is a huge fan of Manny Pacquiao and he is rooting for the Filipino champ to win in his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. this coming May 2 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This was revealed by Ali's daughter, Rasheda, who told TMZ Sports that her dad is "Team Pacquiao all the way."

"My dad really likes Manny. 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," she added.

Rasheda said her father devoted his time in other socio-civic activities aside from focusing on boxing, just like Pacquaio. "My dad stood for things. Mayweather ... I don't think there's a comparison," she added.

According to CBS Sports, Ali was politically and socially active all throughout his career that he even assisted in making sure that four hostages in Lebanon were released in 1985. The report added that he also helped in the release of 15 American hostages during the first Gulf War. He was even there to greet Nelson Mandela when he got out of prison.

"I've always wanted to be more than just a boxer. More than just the three-time heavyweight champion. I wanted to use my fame, and this face that everyone knows so well, to help uplift and inspire people around the world," Ali was quoted by CBS Sports as saying.

In his profile at Biography.com, it was revealed that Ali devoted much of his life to philantropy after his retirement. He also traveled to countries like Mexico and Morocco to extend help to the less privileged. Because of his commitment to these works, he became a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 1998.

"I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given. I believed in myself and I believe in the goodness of others. Many fans wanted to build a museum to acknowledge my achievements. I wanted more than a building to house my memorabilia. I wanted a place that would inspire people to be the best that they could be at whatever they chose to do, and to encourage them to be respectful of one another," Ali was quoted by Biography.com as saying, during the opening of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2005.

Ali's daughter also shared that her father and Pacquiao have been friends for years and that Pacman even attended the legendary boxer's 70th birthday party three years ago. Although her father will not watch the fight live, he will be watching it at home. "There's no question he's going to order it. It takes my dad way back to when he was fighting," she said.

Meanwhile, to prepare himself for the fight and make those rooting for him proud, Pacquiao's training has been rigid and nonstop. A Daily Mail report said Pacman has kept his supporters updated with what is happening during training especially on his Instagram account. He also uploaded a video of him running "a long line of steps" as if he was reenacting a scene from the film "Rocky."