Roy Jones Jr has put forward a compelling argument to suggest one legend of the sport would have defeated Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather is perhaps best known for his reign as welterweight champion, though, it could be said that his prime years came in the lower divisions, when ‘Pretty Boy’ triumphed over the likes of Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo in 2001 and 2002, respectively.
It was then in 2006 that Mayweather claimed his first world title at 147, dethroning Zab Judah with a unanimous decision victory.
This became the start of a terrific surge in that weight class, where ‘Money’, as he was now known, defeated the likes of Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley and eventually Manny Pacquiao.
However, Jones believes another welterweight champion, ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard would have got the upper hand over Mayweather.
Like ‘TBE” Leonard also crafted a remarkable, if not slightly more impressive, legacy at 147lbs.
It was there where ‘Sugar’ took the unbeaten record of Wilfred Benitez, one of the best fighters in that era, and claimed his WBC world title in 1979.
After that, Leonard would go on to avenge his defeat to Roberto Duran in their immediate rematch, before stopping Thomas Hearns with a stunning 14th-round finish to their thrilling encounter in 1981.
But it was the American’s doggedness, more than anything, that inspired Jones to select Leonard over Mayweather in a video with ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT.
“People don’t give [Leonard] enough credit. People always say Floyd would’ve beaten ‘Sugar’.
“No, baby, Floyd was not nearly as mean as ‘Sugar’ was. ‘Sugar’ was a dog.”
Jones uses Leonard’s performance against Hearns, where he dug deep to force a come-from-behind victory, as a strong example of his grit and tenacity.
