The sport has been crying out for the current welterweight champions to agree a deal on the back of failed talks in the past and sign on for what would certainly be the most lucrative fight the world has ever seen.
Although the money would be astronomical, Leonard says Mayweather and Pacquiao still need each other to put a cap on their title-laden careers, with the American pinning his hopes on the clash coming to fruition like his own past battles with Hagler, Hearns and Duran.
“It’s more than just the money,” Leonard said speaking to Fox 11 Los Angeles. “Because the money will be there. It’s the legacy.”
“They should fight. Now they’re leaning more towards Mayweather. Because at first it was ‘We don’t know who’s going to win the fight’ – like Tommy Hearns and I, like Hagler and I, like Duran and I.
“But that fight would be huge. Fans are starving for excitement, for competition, evenly matched fights. But it would be huge,” he added.
Talk of the bout has simmered whilst Pacquiao readies himself for what on paper looks to be a routine defense of his WBO belt against Chris Algieri on November 22, but once that contest is out of the way, focus will once again be fixed on a mega-fight with Mayweather.
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