Leonard made his name in the 1980s as part of the 'Four Kings'. He won world titles in five divisions and became the undisputed welterweight champion. His 1981 victory over Thomas Hearns for the undisputed welterweight championship is still remembered as one of boxing's great moments.
Mayweather's career ran from 1996 to 2017. He never lost a fight and grabbed world titles in five weight divisions. He beat some of the best, including Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo Alvarez, and Manny Pacquiao.
Interestingly, Leonard and Mayweather have a bit of history. In 1978, Leonard fought Floyd Mayweather Sr., beating him by TKO in the tenth round. Leonard dropped Mayweather Sr. twice in the eighth round before finishing him off.
Floyd Mayweather Sr. has strong opinions about how a fight between his son and Leonard would go. In an interview, he said:
"Well I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm telling you the honest truth, Floyd would have whooped his a**, because I would have whooped his a** because I fought him with ten rounds and when they stopped the fight, hey, I was still right there ready for more, me and him had this talk already about us fighting."
Mayweather Sr. thinks his son would win based on his own experience fighting Leonard and his belief in Floyd Jr.'s skills.
The public can't seem to agree on who'd come out on top. Fans and experts are often split when they talk about who's the greater of the two.
Recently, Roy Jones Jr. said he'd pick Leonard to win. This didn't sit well with Mayweather Jr., who got angry about it.
No matter who you think would win, both Mayweather and Leonard have left a huge mark on boxing. They'll keep inspiring new fighters for years to come.
Even after retiring, Mayweather continues to be one of boxing's biggest showmen, proving that his impact on the sport goes beyond his time in the ring.