Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard is excited to see how the May 2 mega-bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao pans out.
The superstar of the sport even compared the upcoming encounter with his classic against Mavin Hagler in 1987.
Leonard stated that the two pound-for-pound stars going head to head still have the interest factor despite not happening as early as 2009.
The four-weight world title holder has high hopes that the pay-per-view contest will live up to all expectations next month.
“The Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight is a highly-anticipated fight that could have occurred five years ago or longer.
Sugar Ray Leonard compares MayPac to Hagler
“It’s one of those fights that fans just shiver over because they want to see two of the best guys out there take on each other,” Leonard told Sky Sports News HQ.
“I’m glad to hear that the fight is on, and already it’s been huge. Well, massive is not a good word. It’s gigantic. But I am glad to see that it has come to fruition.
“If you try to use a similar fight, it is the [Leonard vs] Hagler fight. I came out of retirement a couple of times and then for Hagler.
“It was a fight people thought would be one-sided. Naturally, so because I was out of the ring for so long. I had one fight in five years, and Hagler hadn’t lost in eleven consecutive years.
“He was a bigger man and had other attributes. But it lived up to expectations because nobody thought I could go the distance. I trained hard and long enough to make it happen.”
Leonard made a second comeback in 1997 against Hector Camacho but was stopped in five rounds and retired from the sport immediately after with a 36-3-1 record.
Mayweather vs Pacquiao certainly has the big names interest ahead of the Cinco de Mayo clash.
