Floyd Mayweather Swags Through Press Event, Praises Alvarez For 'Piggybacking'
GRAND RAPIDS (97.1 The Ticket) What makes a great fight?
Oscar De La Hoya weighed in on that during a press conference Wednesday to promote the much-anticipated bout between Floyd Mayweather and Saul Canelo Alvarez, saying, "(It) would be Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns, you know where in the 13th round they're still fighting and going at it, action, left and right, that's what people want to see, and I feel that's what we're going to get."
Praising Mayweather's strength, intelligence, ability, grace, and more -- De La Hoya stopped short of giving the fighter the ultimate title.
"Floyd Mayweather has been a genius is marketing himself we've done a great job of promoting these events ... It's been wonderful to work with him," De La Hoya said.
On where Mayweather ranks in the annals of fighting history, he said, "Do I personally consider Floyd Mayweather the greatest? I can't answer that until he retires ... Is he on his way? If he keeps it up, then absolutely, he's on his way, yes, but sometimes it's hard to believe."
Mayweather holds a perfect 44-0 record as a pro and is widely considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. The 36-year old will face one of his toughest challenges yet from the Alvarez, who has already put together a formidable 42-0-1 record at age 22.
Asked about whether he's the "Muhammad Ali of his time," Mayweather, in typically shy and retiring style, said he's "the Floyd Mayweather of my time," adding "Muhammad Ali paved the way for a lot of fighters."
He also praised Alvarez for being able to "piggyback" off him "and get a name and go to the next level."
The press event was part of an ambitious media tour spanning 11 cities and two countries in advance of the main event on September 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
