Considered to be one of the greatest of all time, ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard is a true fan favorite in boxing history.
From Leonard’s revenge win over Roberto Duran to his epic fight with Marvin Hagler, there were not many dull moments in the fighter’s career.
As Leonard claimed his first world title against Wilfred Benitez, the youngest ever champion, he began a lasting legacy in boxing. However, he had shown his talents before the 1979 title fight.
The year prior, Leonard was able to stop a top name in the sport, who is now the father of a fellow legend.
Sugar Ray Leonard stopped Floyd Mayweather Sr. in 1978
In 1978, a 22-year-old Leonard would seek his 14th win as a professional, as he took on Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Fighting in Rhode Island, Mayweather Sr. was three years older than ‘Sugar’, with a record of 14-1. However, Mayweather Sr. had not lost since his fifth professional fight.
Despite recent good form, Mayweather Sr. would not be able to stop a rising star in Leonard. To cap off an impressive performance, Leonard would stop the father of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the final minute of their 10-round fight.
The standing TKO stoppage came two rounds after Leonard scored a brace of knockdowns over Mayweather Sr., who went down twice in the eighth round.
Sensing a finish in the final round, a relentless Leonard bombarded Mayweather Sr. with punches, before the referee eventually intervened.
Although Mayweather Sr. did not reach levels similar to his son, a young Leonard still showed his quality. After retiring, Leonard said that he would have defeated Mayweather Jr. also, had they both fought in their primes.
Floyd Mayweather Sr. finished his career with a 28-6-1 record
Few boxers can say they have had as impressive a career as Mayweather Jr., including his own father. Retiring in 1990, Mayweather Sr.’s final career tally is 28-6-1.
Unlike his son, Mayweather Sr. was never able to compete or win a world title.
However, the former fighter would go on to have an extremely successful career as a coach. Mentoring his son, Mayweather Jr. retired with a perfect 50-0 record and as a multi-weight champion.
Oscar De La Hoya even said one of Mayweather Jr.’s best qualities was having such a strong trainer in his father. Mayweather Sr. would even train De La Hoya himself for a period of a few years.