A legend of boxing claims he would have defeated Floyd Mayweather even at his best.
‘Money’ Mayweather is one of the few great champions in boxing history to have retired from the sport with a perfect unbeaten record, defeating all 50 of the opponents he locked horns with during his 21-year career.
He reigned as a world champion in five weight classes, capturing no less than eleven major world championships. He holds an abundance of career-defining victories, including against Canelo Alvarez, Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao.
There is one retired fighter, however, who believes he would have gotten the better of Mayweather if he had faced him at any stage of his career, including during his formidable prime.
Speaking to Fight Hype, the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard claimed he told Mayweather to his face that he would have beaten him, but admits his countryman would say the same about him should he ever be asked the same question.
“I told Floyd that I’d beat him, I told him that already, but he would tell me the same thing that he would beat me, fighters are champions, we feel we can beat anybody so you would never get a ‘No’ answer about that but you know what, he’s the best of his time, his era. I did my share, I made my name, I’m okay.”
Leonard exploded onto the scene back in the 1980s, with arguably the most important victory of his tenure coming against Roberto Duran, who he forced to quit in their infamous bout back in 1980, perhaps more commonly known as the ‘No Mas Fight.’ He won titles in five divisions and is one of the four kings alongside Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler.
Leonard has also drawn on his experience against Floyd Mayweather Sr, who he beat by tenth round stoppage in 1978, to back his prediction against ‘Money’ Mayweather, saying, “I knocked his father out. Like father, like son.”
