The Mayweather-De La Hoya Fight

Just last week, a friend had called me to find out if I would be ordering the Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oscar De La Hoya fight on pay-per view coming up May 05, 2007. The fact is, I haven't been following up with boxing in a very long time ever since my favorite sport got commercialized. I had told my friend that I did not know a fight was coming up that soon. I have been seeing the advertisements but haven't been paying attention for the fact the fights of this modern era had gone bananas nobody cares anymore.

Ever wonder when boxing was a real sport? I mean, the 80s, when the sport was concretely entertaining and fun to watch. When the Nicaraguan pugilist, Alexis Arguello, digged it with the hard punching Aaron Pryor, coupled with the rematch that tested both fighters strength in the ring. Or, The Showdown, now in the history books when Sugar Ray Leonard, almost blind and behind in the fight took out a wobbling Motor City Cobra, Thomas "Hitman" Hearns in the 14th Round for the title. When the bad boy, John "The Beast" Mugabi had finished every of his 26 opponents to face Marvellous Marvin Hagler in a duel "The Beast" ran out of gas in the 11th, and was hammered badly by Hagler. When Sugar Ray Leonard, coming out of retirement to retire Hagler and most analysts still don't believe it happened. When the "Motor City Cobra" destroyed Roberto Duran. That was when boxing was entertaining and fun to watch.

These days I don't even know who is who in boxing. It has been so commercialized the fighters are sluggish, bore, and never worked hard for what they are paid for. Like the trash-talking Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has been doing all the talking in their pre-fight promotional tour as De la Hoya looks on. Mayweather has been putting forward as seen on TV, trash-talking that he is the best fighter and he would floor De La Hoya to prove it on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Though undefeated, and at 30, I think he might be making a valid point. The odds are against Oscar, so we shall see.

A look at their previous fights and titles:

The world titles

Floyd Mayweather

Super-featherweight Stops Genaro Hernandez in the eighth round in October 1998. Nine defences

Lightweight Wins points decision against José Luis Castillo in April 2002. Also wins the rematch and makes two further defences

Light-welterweight Stops Arturo Gatti in the sixth round in June 2005

Welterweight Takes the IBF title in April 2006 after a points verdict over Zab Judah. Goes on to claim the WBC version, outpointing Carlos Baldomir last November

Oscar De La Hoya

Super-featherweight Stops Jimmi Bredahl in March 1994. Makes one further defence

Lightweight In July 1994, knocks out Jorge Pérez. Makes six defences

Light-welterweight Stops Julio César Chávez in June 1996, with two defences following

Welterweight Knocks out David Kamau in June 1997. Makes six defences before losing to Félix Trinidad in September 1999

Light-middleweight Outpoints Javier Castillejo in June 2001. Two successful defences follow before he loses to Shane Mosley in September 2003. Regains the mantle in May 2006 by stopping Ricardo Mayorga

Middleweight Beats Felix Sturm in June 2004 to become the only man to be world champion at six weights. Defeated by Bernard Hopkins three months later