Naniniwala ang Hall of Famer sa professional boxing na si Sugar Ray Leonard na magwawagi ang kababayan niyang si WBC at WBA champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. sa welterweight unification bout laban kay WBO titlist Manny Pacquiao sa MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada sa Mayo 2.
Sa panayam ng Evening Express sa kanyang tirahan sa California, kinumpara ni Leonard ang $200 milyong megabout sa laban niya kay multi-division world titlist Roberto Duran noong Nobyembre 25, 1980 sa New Orleans Louisiana.
Napikon si Duran na WBC welterweight champion noon sa suntok-takbong estilo ni Leonard kaya biglang tumalikod at nagsabi ng “no mas” sa referee sa 8th round ng kanilang laban.
“I give the edge to Mayweather because he hasn’t tasted a defeat in his career,” paliwanag ni Leonard. “The Mayweather-Pacquiao fight has already come close in size to the one between myself and Roberto Duran due to the global anticipation.”
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Wala namang bilib si Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. na pinakamalaking laban sa kasaysayan ng boksing ang sagupaan nina Pacquiao at Mayweather bagamat hinulaan niyang mananalo sa puntos ang Amerikano.
Sa panayam sa Golpe a Golpe sa Mexico City, iginiit ni Chavez na nawalan ng kinang ang laban matapos matalo si Pacquiao sa kababayan niyang si Juan Manuel Marquez sa 6th round knockout noong Disyembre 8, 2012 sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I don’t think it’s the best fight of all time, because Juan Manuel Márquez already got a tremendous knockout over Manny Pacquiao. And the truth is it’s not the best fight ever, for me,” diin ni Chavez. “It is a big surprise, a great satisfaction for all of the fans of boxing who have waited for this fight for many years.
“Although he is not at his best, after the knockout Pacquiao had with Juan Manuel, it is still a very interesting fight. But if I had to bet, I would bet on Floyd Mayweather,” dagdag ni Chavez. “Pacquiao is so hungry, so eager to beat Mayweather. I see this as a tough fight for Mayweather if Pacquiao comes out with this aggressive, killer instinct, which we’ve always used to see him have in the past.”
