Mayweather's career spanned over two decades, from 1996 to 2017. During this time, he won world titles across five weight classes and beat some of the best fighters of his generation. His list of victories includes names like Canelo Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, and even De La Hoya himself.
Many consider Mayweather one of the greatest fighters in history. But some wonder how he would have fared against the 'Four Kings' - Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Roberto Duran - who dominated boxing in the 1980s.
De La Hoya, once Mayweather's rival in the ring, thinks he would have held his own. In an interview with Club Shay Shay, he said:
"You asked me the question about the 80s and the 'four kings' right, Leonard, Duran and Hearns and Hagler. It would have been quite interesting, I would have probably called it the 'five kings', you know he's [Mayweather] that worthy of fighting those guys and making great fights."
The 'Four Kings' all had outstanding careers and faced each other at least once during their prime in the 1980s. One of the most memorable fights from that era was the second encounter between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran in November 1980. Leonard forced Duran to quit in the eighth round, in what became known as the 'No Mas' fight.
De La Hoya's comments add to the ongoing debate about how fighters from different eras would match up. While it's impossible to know for sure, his opinion carries weight given his experience both in and out of the ring.