If the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. welterweight showdown ever comes off, it will be measured against some of the classic fights in the division?s history. Such as:
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran, June 20, 1980. Called the Brawl in Montreal, for good reason. Duran pounded out a close but unanimous decision, but Leonard stood up to the ?Hands of Stone,? stood toe-to-toe, and his survival, his nearly pulling off an upset despite what appeared to be strategy that was more foolhardy than macho, gave him immense confidence and laid the groundwork for the rematch.
Just five months later, on Nov. 25 at New Orleans, Leonard knew he could go toe-to-toe again if necessary, but now he adapted. He used his hand and foot speed to frustrate Duran, who couldn?t adapt, had no idea how to adapt, which led to his infamous ?No mas? in the eighth round.
