Floyd Mayweather Jr. drop some verbal combinations in the direction of promotional rival, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya.

The two of them were heated rivals when they were active fighters, with Mayweather winning a close twelve round split decision over De La Hoya in a record-setting pay-per-view event in 2007.

Afterwards, Mayweather's fights were co-promoted by De La Hoya's company from 2007 to 2014 - but even during that successful working relationship the two athletes would often trade harsh words.

De La Hoya retired from boxing in 2008, while Mayweather announced his retirement in 2015.

However, their rivalry has once again exploded in the last few months - because they finalized competing pay-per-view events that are being staged only three weeks apart and take place at the same venue.

De La Hoya finalized the biggest fight in boxing, when Saul "Canelo" Alvarez challenges IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin on September 16th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and on HBO Pay-Per-View.

But then came a big surprise, when Mayweather announced his return after two years of retirement - by finalizing a Showtime Pay-Per-View fight, against UFC superstar Conor McGregor, at the same Las Vegas arena, and the contest takes place three weeks earlier on August 26th.

De La Hoya has been very vocal with his criticism about Mayweather's business practices and how they hurt boxing. And he's branded Mayweather's upcoming return as a mismatch, because Floyd is facing an opponent with zero experience as a pro boxer.

But Mayweather, in an interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, which was captured by Fighthype.com, responded to De La Hoya's criticism.

"De La Hoya was just trying to get Canelo a fight with McGregor, before Canelo got the fight with Triple G. Please, I want everybody at home that's watching this interview to go and see what Oscar did," Mayweather said.

"Oscar De La Hoya also said that Floyd Mayweather is not good for boxing, but I was good enough for him to fight and get his biggest payday. Remember he said that I'm not good for boxing... so you tell me... [he's] dressing in drag, doing cocaine, being an alcoholic.. is that a good example for these young fighters who are up and coming? When you talk about boxing, you have to bring my name up. There are no fighters who look up to Oscar De La Hoya at all.

"Is it jealousy? Absolutely. Because if Oscar De la Hoya or any legendary champion was in this position, to fight McGregor and make a fortune, he would do it. But there is only one problem. He doesn't have a scrap on Floyd Mayweather. He doesn't have a team like me. He's not even on the chess board.

"Oscar De La Hoya came to us, spoke to me and [my manager] Al [Haymon], and then I beat him and then he hand fed me all of his fighters. And right now all of his fighters are with us. Wouldn't you be upset? They were fighting under Golden Boy Promotions but they weren't with Golden Boy Promotions."