By Kieran Mulvaney, Reuters
(Reuters) - Boxing great Thomas Hearns does not expect Saturday's welterweight fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley to attain the stature his bout with Sugar Ray Leonard did 29 years ago.
In September 1981, then-WBA welterweight champion Hearns met WBC title holder Leonard in a hotly anticipated unification bout at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Now, six-times world champion Mayweather is set to put his unbeaten record on the line against fellow American Mosley in a non-title welterweight fight on Saturday that has drawn plenty of attention.
"I may be a little partial, but I just don't see them doing the same thing," Hearns told reporters on Friday. "Our fight has been talked about for decades and decades."
Hearns built an early lead in the fight but Leonard rallied to knock Hearns down in the 13th round and stopped him in the following round. Ring Magazine called it the 'Fight of the Year' and the clash has long been regarded as a classic.
Leonard would not predict a winner in the contest between Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) and Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) but did say he expects a knockdown.
Hearns, a former five-weight world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medallist, said he expects Mayweather to come out and dominate.
"I know most people are leaning towards Floyd Mayweather and so am I. I give him the edge," said Hearns, "I have yet to see him hurt or knocked down. But on the other hand, I see Shane Mosley as a guy who could penetrate the defence of Mayweather."
Neither Hall of Famer took exception to comments from Mayweather this week he is the greatest fighter of all time, or that his record exceeds that of former greats Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson.
"Fighters have to believe they're better than anybody," said Leonard. "It's a confidence bordering on arrogance. But I would have expressed it a little better."
(Editing by Frank Pingue)
Source: uk.reuters.com
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