Floyd Mayweather has offered to pay his fans $1,000 to mercilessly troll 50 Cent on social media

AP Images

Floyd Mayweather and 50 Cent.

• Floyd Mayweather and 50 Cent's running feud has taken a bitter turn.
• 50 Cent claimed Mayweather can't afford some of the extravagant purchases he has made recently - something the former fighter took great umbrage to.
• Mayweather then took to Instagram, called 50 Cent a "herpes-infested rat" and encouraged his social media followers to mercilessly troll the rapper.
• The nine trolls with the most offensive posts will be rewarded with $1,000, apparently.

Floyd Mayweather and 50 Cent's ongoing feud has taken another bitter turn.

The pair used to be inseparable, and were photographed at sports events and on the red carpet for a five-year period from 2007. Mayweather had 50 Cent carry his many world championship belts at boxing events, and 50 Cent was the one who accompanied Mayweather to a Las Vegas courtroom before the retired boxer served a three-month jail sentence in 2012.

But things have soured since then, and Mayweather is now encouraging his social media fans to mercilessly troll 50 Cent online.

Mayweather, long known as the "Money" man in combat sports, showed off an $18 million watch recently - a watch that he lied about being able to afford, 50 Cent said.

"[The] champ can't afford to buy this watch right now," 50 Cent said, according to Complex. "He make up s--- I knew he never bought the watch, he still be running around fronting."

Mayweather has made approximately $1 billion in career earnings from boxing. He also owns a strip club in Las Vegas called Girl Collection, and has real estate interests that include a huge skyscraper in New York City.

The former fighter took umbrage to 50 Cent's claim earlier this week and counter-punched with an Instagram post of his own where he called the rapper a "herpes-infested rat" and encouraged his followers to abuse him.

In fact, the most offensive posts could be worth $1,000, according to Mayweather.

The retired boxer has opened what he is calling "The Biggest Rat Sweepstakes" on Instagram, saying: "To Enter: First, Tell me how many rats are in this picture?

"Second: Go to 50 Cent's Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and post the most disrespectful comment you can possibly think of about The 'Herpes Infested Rat' 50 Cent.

"Third: Repost On Your Page #50CentGotHerpes, I Promise… the top nine shots will receive $1,000 each and reposts on my page."

50 Cent is unafraid to troll Mayweather, and once made a viral video implying that Mayweather cannot read. It is therefore unlikely that this is the last we'll hear about the pair's sparring sessions on social media.