Oscar De La Hoya has predicted the outcome of a fantasy clash between Manny Pacquiao and Sugar Ray Leonard.
The legendary duo enjoyed considerable success at welterweight throughout their respective careers, winning a world championship at 147lbs on at least one occasion each.
Leonard became the undisputed welterweight champion with that historic victory over Thomas Hearns back in September 1981, making the move up to middleweight shortly after where he would dethrone WBC champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
As for Pacquiao, the Filipino icon remains the only eight-division world champion in boxing history, winning world titles from flyweight to light-middleweight. He is also the oldest ever world welterweight champion, a feat that he achieved when he defeated Keith Thurman back in 2019.
In a round of ‘Knockout’ with Mail Sport Boxing, legendary fighter-turned-promoter De La Hoya, who lost to Pacquiao himself, was tasked with picking the winner of a fantasy showdown between former rival ‘Pac-Man’ and Leonard.
“Man, I love that … Draw.”
‘The Golden Boy’ was then pushed to give a definitive answer.
“Oh, Sugar Ray Leonard.”
Leonard was a member of the iconic ‘Four Kings’ of boxing, alongside former rivals Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns, sharing the ring with each of these legendary fighters on at least one occasion during his career.
Perhaps the most famous victory of his career came against Duran when he forced the Panamanian great to quit in the eighth round of their huge rematch in New Orleans on November 25 1980.
Leonard and Duran would clash for a third and final time nine years after their rematch, doing battle for the WBC super-middleweight championship. ‘Sugar Ray’ got the better of Duran once again, defeating him via unanimous decision to successfully defend his crown.