Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather Jr; The World is Waiting For What?
 By Gabriel Montoya (May 1, 2007) Doghouse Boxing (Photo © Teddy Blackburn)
At first glance, picking the winner of the upcoming super fight ‘The World Awaits’ between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya seems like a no-brainer. Top dog vs. top draw. An undefeated phenom vs. a four-time defeated fighter as famous for his movie star looks as his future hall of fame left hook. A prime pugilist vs. a legend in the twilight of his career. On paper, this is simply the age-old tradition of passing the torch from old star to new. But beneath the surface of a deep ocean of ‘Mayweather’ answers to the question of who will win come May 5th, a murky stream of questions lie waiting to be answered.
Can this fight be exciting?
For all the pomp and circumstance leading up to the May 5th showdown between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, the simple question of ‘can this fight live up to the hype and simply be exciting’ must be addressed. Oscar De La Hoya has been accused of many things as a fighter. He has been called a coward for running from Felix Trinidad; the winner of gift decisions against Pernell Whitaker and Felix Sturm; and a fabricated figment of Bob Arum’s marketing genius. One thing he has never been accused of is being boring between the ropes. Whether he was wrestling victory from the jaws of defeat against Ike Quartey in the 12th round or knocking out Fernando Vargas and Oba Carr late in tough fights, Oscar De La Hoya has for the majority of his career brought it when he needed it most.
Mayweather, on the other hand, is a master boxer who as a toddler began training to become such. A physically gifted fighter with the mental focus of an all-time great, Mayweather is boxing’s answer to Mozart: A fighter seemingly able to create fistic melodies such as the world has never known. He is Roy Jones, Jr. with technique. But for all that talent and all that skill, he is a fighter not afraid to do what it takes to win, even if it means stinking out the joint. He will fight safety first if he has to, and to fight any other way against De La Hoya, who is banking on his size and power edge, would be to give away an edge unnecessarily.
For De La Hoya to win, the fight has to be exciting. He must press the action and make the bout into something Mayweather, has never known: an all out brawl. Unfortunately, it is something De La Hoya himself is not comfortable doing. While he has pulled out wins late and even dug into an opponent who was stronger than him in Vargas, De La Hoya is a boxer at heart, and as such, will find it very hard to change his stripes now. While it is possible for a brawler to turn boxer late in his career (Arturo Gatti and Marco Antonio Barrera come to mind), it is rare that a boxer goes the other way in his twilight. I suppose to get a definitive answer, one must first answer several other questions:
What Does DLH Have Left?
De La Hoya, despite being a multi-division titlist, is a fighter somehow incomplete. Switching from trainer to trainer through most of his early career, De La Hoya never seemed to settle into one style and master it. Instead, he at times seemed stuck between styles and almost always relied heavily on his powerful left hook and unnatural speed to get him out of tough spots. For one fight he would try and be a defensive wizard. For another a dancer/puncher. Yet another would see him brawl. Executing a solid game plan or making mid-fight adjustments isn’t Oscar’s strength, as evidenced by the Trinidad and Mosley 1 fights. Add the age factor, a new trainer, and the long lay-off, and it is easy to pick against The Golden Boy.
At age 34, De La Hoya is a fighter with little wear and tear. He has rarely been cut in fights, but has suffered a shoulder injury as well as had at least one hand operation. While he has only been stopped once, it was from a body shot in a weight class he never belonged in. However, De La Hoya has done himself the greatest disservice by fighting just once since his 2004 defeat at the hands of Bernard Hopkins. It will be a year since he last saw the inside of a ring when he fights Mayweather, and it is impossible to gauge what damage that time away has done to him. Speed is generally the first thing to go as a fighter ages, but if the HBO De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7 promotional series workouts have shown anything, it is that Oscar’s speed is somewhat intact.
In his last fight against former welterweight champion cum come-backing-fighter-punching-bag Ricardo Mayorga, De La Hoya looked as if he hadn’t been away from the ring for over a year. But looks can be deceiving. Mayorga had previously made Felix Trinidad look like a fighter who had never retired either. Against the limited Mayorga, Trinidad looked fast and powerful with all the footwork of a truly complete pugilist. However when it came time to step up the pound-for-pound ladder and challenge Winky Wright, a defensive genius as well as the complete opposite of Mayorga, Trinidad looked human after all, his crisp combinations reduced to one-and-done shots against a fighter who could actually fight back and defend. It should also be noted that De La Hoya’s jab, which would be the key weapon in his fight with Mayweather, Jr., dwindled quickly from doubles to singles to non-existent against the brawling Mayorga. Mayorga even rocked De La Hoya with a brutal uppercut that seemed to take a bit of steam out of The Golden Boy until a few rounds later when his jab returned, and quick work was made of El Matador.
With such an unworthy measuring stick after a year-long layoff, one has to wonder what De La Hoya’s true chances are. In his prime, he had trouble with fast boxers who could defend, but never faced as complete a fighter as Mayweather, Jr. Will his speed look ordinary against the faster-than-a-bullet Mayweather? Will his power edge matter without the necessary speed to set up that vaunted left hook? Will such long periods of inactivity affect his stamina, which was a bit suspect even in his prime? Power is said to be the last thing to go, and for De Le Hoya’s sake, it better be true. Otherwise it will be a long night.
What Does Mayweather, Jr. Bring to the Table at 154?
For the past several years, Floyd Mayweather's name has been synonymous with the term ‘pound-for-pound’. A true boxing prodigy, he literally started learning to fight from the time he was a baby. Trained by his father Floyd, Sr. and honed to perfection by his uncle Roger, ‘Lil Floyd’ has been groomed for this moment. But perhaps in his eagerness for this fight, he has given up too many concessions and moved up one division too many. At the lower weight classes, Floyd was a blur that could punch. The combinations flowed, from three-punch combos to five or more. At 147 the speed remained, as did the combinations, but the frequency at which they were thrown has gotten a bit sparse. In his welterweight title fight against Carlos Baldomir, Mayweather was content to potshot his way to victory. His power, once of the explosive one- or two-punches-and-you’re-done variety apparently didn’t come up to 147 with him. When he fought Zab Judah, whose chin is about as fragile as a teenager’s ego, Mayweather never seemed to have him hurt or nearing the realm of knockout. So the question becomes, can Mayweather hit De La Hoya hard enough to get his respect?
De La Hoya is known for his iron chin, and has not touched canvas from a shot to the jaw since 1999. It seems unlikely this time. With a possible reduction in speed and a punch that will leave a lot to be desired at 154, Mayweather might be reaching too high up for something he could get at a weight class more suitable to him against his contemporaries. However, with his airtight technique, superior ring generalship, and the fact that he is closer to his prime than The Golden Boy, any deficiencies (assuming there will be any at all) will most likely be made up for.
The Intangible
After winning titles in multiple weight divisions, riches beyond belief, and fame and power, De La Hoya remains a fighter in search of the big win. A win free of controversy, untainted by an opponent's long lay-off, a perceived gift from the judges, or even the moral victory in defeat that was the Felix Trinidad fight. For a man seemingly in possession of it all, Oscar is missing one very important thing to a fighter’s legacy: a decisive win over an elite opponent. Floyd Mayweather is the ultimate incarnation of the kind of win Oscar needs. A win over him at this stage of both of their careers would careen the surefire first ballot Hall of Famer into all-time great status. A loss at the hands of Mayweather would only solidify the idea that De La Hoya was a good fighter, great at times, but always unable to win the big one.
Mayweather shares the need of a definitive win over an elite opponent with De La Hoya, but also brings his own deficiency into the mix. For all his talent and virtuosity, he still lacks that intangible mainstream appeal that has made De La Hoya a star even without that signature win. On this grand stage, with hardcore and casual fans alike watching in an estimated two million homes, a win like this could go a long way to solidifying Mayweather's crossover appeal. With a spectacular win in a competitive fight, he can kill two birds with one stone. He gets to scalp the biggest name in boxing while simultaneously convincing his doubters that he can indeed beat an elite fighter, and thusly can enter the hearts and minds of casual observers and hardcore fans alike.
The flip side of that can have disastrous results. A loss will surely bring out a chorus of doubters. Even worse, at a price of nearly $60 for the PPV, a boring (or tactical fight for those who love the art of the sweet science) can have a very negative effect on John Q. Casualfan. Make no mistake; De La Hoya can afford a loss here in the long run. If he is competitive for the majority of the fight and survives the distance, De La Hoya can book a fight with me, sell it on pay-per-view, and make the kind of money he is accustomed to. Mayweather does not have that luxury. He must win, and do it impressively to finally claim his spot in the public eye.
The Outcome
I envision a boxing match of the highest order, as both men are highly skilled, have sound chins, and a champion’s heart. Added to which, both fighters are looking to close the final chapters of their careers with a resounding win over an elite fighter. For Mayweather, an exciting brawl would give De La Hoya more of an opportunity to land that vaunted left hook, and I have to believe that he is too smart to allow that to happen easily. For De La Hoya, fighting an out-of-character fight at this stage will be too much to ask. As is generally the case with fighters trying out a new trainer, as De La Hoya is doing with Freddie Roach, the first time he gets hit solidly or his game plan begins to fail, you will see him revert to his old style of fighting: bouncing on his toes, waiting for that counter-punching opportunity off his jab. Floyd is again too skilled, too intelligent, and too close to his prime to let that work. As he has been quoted as saying, “Win first; entertain second.”
The only way I see De La Hoya winning is if Floyd allows him to drive the fight in the early going thinking that Oscar will gas and miscalculates The Golden Stamina. Oscar will also need to use his underestimated right hand. In one of the 24/7 episodes during a pad session, De La Hoya throws a three-punch combo that ends with a right. Roach says, ”That’s the one” as if the right hand is the knockout punch they are looking for. If Mayweather Jr. makes any mistake in the ring, it is that he relies a bit too much on his speed and has a tendency to lean or pull straight back from an incoming punch. Zab Judah was able to use that flaw to good effect and even scored a knockdown (though Ref Richard Steele somehow missed) with it. If Oscar can bide his time and wait for that opportunity, he might strike gold.
Despite the hype and the promise of a ‘toe to toe war’, this fight will most likely come down to a strategic chess match of the highest order. The drama will be found in waiting for something or someone to give, and it most likely will be De La Hoya. If I was a betting man I’d say ‘bet the distance’, because Mayweather’s skill but relative lack of power, combined with De La Hoya’s chin, pride, and experience will not have it any other way.
Can it be exciting? Yes. Will it be exciting? If you like high stakes chess matches fought at a fast pace, then yes. If not, wait for the replay the following week on regular HBO so you aren’t completely left out of the water cooler conversation.
The Aftermath
Who’s future is brighter should they win? Oscar, as I said, can line up just about anyone he wants at this point. After Mayweather, Jr. anyone else would be a bit of let down but there is always the possibility of a Trinidad/De La Hoya rematch. The first fight did 1.4 million PPV buys without all the bells and whistles of ‘The World Awaits’ promotion. A return match would be huge should De La Hoya finally lure the Puerto Rican legend out of retirement. De La Hoya has said he will fight on win or lose and being that rare fighter that is an active fighter as well, that can bode well for the sport should get more of the huge events from him. It would help more if next time out, Golden Boy Promotions put together the kind of undercard that Don King and Bob Arum used to on their cards. For $55, I want at least four good matchups, not just one.
Mayweather Jr. has said he will retire after this fight win or lose. Now it is hard to believe a guy so emotional and at times seemingly irrational. However, it is has been like pulling teeth to get Mayweather to fight anyone near elite status for the past few years. I have to think with a De La Hoya scalp to brag about, Mayweather will continue his Reluctant Roy Jones ways and fight second tier guys for top tier paydays. Not exactly what the sport needs. Mayweather, Jr. has said that his last opponent will be De La Hoya and that can be interpreted to mean that he would rematch him should he lose. If we get a war on May 5th, so much the better if Mayweather loses. Boxing gets another big event and stays in the public eye. If we get a very boring fight, then boxing makes yet another case for being put on the backburner, at least to the casual fan.
Legendary promoter P.T. Barnum once said that, “without promotion something terrible happens…nothing!” Let’s hope that at the conclusion of this monumental promotion something wonderful happens…a great fight?
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