Count Sugar Ray Leonard among the many who want to see Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight Manny Pacquiao. With Mayweather supposedly retiring next year, Leonard indicated a win against Pacquiao would cement Mayweather's legacy as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in the history of boxing.
Mayweather has said he will retire in 2015 when his contract with Showtime expires. That leaves Mayweather with just two fights left in his career. If Mayweather plans on retiring, Leonard told Fox 11 in Los Angeles the undefeated champion should fight Pacquiao for the sake of his legacy.
"It's more than just the money," Leonard said Monday, via ESPN. "Because the money will be there. It's legacy. ... They should fight. Now they're leaning more towards Mayweather (winning against Pacquiao). Because at first it was 'We don't know who's going to win the fight' - like Tommy Hearns and I, like Hagler and I, like Duran and I.
"But that fight would be huge."
Some speculate Mayweather's last two fights will be against Pacquiao: one fight in May and a rematch in September. The camps of Mayweather and Pacquiao, though, never have been able to agree on the terms of a fight - from drug testing requirements to how the purse would be split.
Another possible holdup - Mayweather has a deal with Showtime and Pacquiao has one with HBO - reportedly is a nonissue.
"Both networks want this fight to happen," Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum told the San Francisco Chronicle on Aug. 29. "All signs seem to point to the fight happening early next year. ... Now it's up to the fight camps to resolve the deal."
Mayweather, who's latest demand reportedly is that Pacquiao join Mayweather promotions, didn't rule out a fight against Pacquiao and would only say his next two fights will be exciting.
