A retired boxing icon has ranked himself higher than Floyd Mayweather Jr as an all-time-great.
‘Money’ Mayweather had a professional boxing career that many fighters could only dream of. Throughout the course of his tenure, he captured no less than 15 world championships across five weight divisions, defeating all 50 of the opponents he faced.
He holds victories over the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez to name a few, all of which are generational greats. He called time on his career back in 2017, just a short while after he stopped MMA legend Conor McGregor in the tenth round of their crossover showdown in August of that year.
Despite many holding Mayweather in the highest regard, there is one legendary fighter who believes he ranks even higher than the 48-year-old from Michigan.
That man is Sugar Ray Leonard, who was asked in a resurfaced interview if he thinks he was a better fighter than Mayweather was during his prime years.
“Absolutely [I was greater than Floyd], and I’m not bragging but then again my mindset as a fighter, as a champion will always tell me I could beat Mayweather, I could beat Tyson, that’s what made me who I became.”
He was then asked how he would have approached a fight with Mayweather and did give him immense credit.
“There’s no one way to fight Floyd Mayweather, he is that good, he is that talented. No one could penetrate his defence, he was one of the best guys out there.”
Leonard has, however, in the past said that his stoppage victory over Mayweather Sr in 1978 gives him the confidence he would win, telling Floyd:
“I knocked your father out. Like father, like son.”
The all-time great had an outstanding career of his own, and is perhaps most notable for being one of the ‘Four Kings’ alongside Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran. ‘Sugar Ray’ won world titles across five weight classes, as well as the undisputed welterweight championship which he held back in 1981.
- Toby Morgan
