The names roar like billboard displays—Mayweather, De La Hoya, May 5, MGM. So do the implications—boxing’s best match in the last five years, a threat to break pay-per-view records, a battle of two first-ballot Hall of Famers.

Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather sold out the Grand Garden, even the $2,000 ringside seats. In three hours.

This summit meeting of boxing’s biggest names features intoxicating contrasts. De La Hoya, the charismatic 1992 Olympian and multiple world champion, became such a megastar that he formed the promotion company that runs this event. He will be the protagonist.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will play the bad boy, clearly defining rooting lines. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native now lives in Las Vegas, but on Cinco de Mayo weekend, it’s Oscar’s town. All Mayweather has done is be the best boxer in the world, by far, for a number of years. Mayweather is undefeated, untied (37-0, 24 knockouts) and essentially untried. Opponents can’t get near the lighting-fast Mayweather, let alone hit him. Mayweather displays tiebacks to other eras—the flash of Sugar Ray Leonard and Sugar Ray Robinson—but with more power. His only problem has been fan support.

Technically, this is for a 154-pound championship. In reality, here comes boxing’s biggest event since Lennox Lewis knocked out Mike Tyson in Memphis in 2002. Here comes the coveted world stage so often denied this sport. It’s two terrific fighters in a memorable matchup. It’s perfect. And it’s in Vegas, the birthplace of mega fights.

Oscar’s Intrigue
De La Hoya accounts for pay-per-view expectations exceeding the 1.9 million homes for Tyson-Lewis. He is the Teflon king, parlaying good looks, fast fists and female appeal into absolute riches. The Golden Boy transcends a sport that often struggles in its own controversy. By becoming a promoter, he actually helped it. De La Hoya’s outfit has signed a legion of champions and become the next major force in boxing.

Las Vegas and Cinco de Mayo weekend radiate special karma for De La Hoya. It was here, during the 1995 Hispanic holiday, that the Puerto Rico native won his first world title. De La Hoya defeated Rafael Ruelas to become a lightweight champion.

He later captured the super-lightweight title against Julio Cesar Chavez, a welterweight championship against Pernell Whitaker and a junior-middleweight belt against Fernando Vargas. His titles range from 135 to 154 pounds.

The Golden Boy failed to defeat middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, then opted for the next best option. De La Hoya became Hopkins’ promoter in newly formed Golden Boy Promotions and negotiated Hopkins’ best paydays for him. Hopkins now operates as De La Hoya’s East Coast promotional representative. Shane Mosley, who defeated De La Hoya twice, also became a promotional assistant—with one twist. Mosley sparred with De La Hoya to prepare him for this event.

De La Hoya’s victims list includes Julio Cesar Chavez, his idol (twice), Ike Quartey, Hector Camacho and Arturo Gatti. His other loss came to Felix Trinidad.

Mayweather the Bellwether
Mayweather has been awesome since his 1996 debut. Blazing quick and deceivingly strong, he racked up victories like bowling pins. He captured a super-featherweight title in 1998 against Genaro Hernandez, a lightweight crown against Jose Luis Castillo, junior welterweight belt against Gatti and a welterweight title over Zab Judah. Three of the four titles came in Las Vegas fights.

The boxing public respects Mayweather, but he’s never been aided by a marketing machine. Mayweather’s maximum exposure comes now, which leads to the fight’s intangible factors.

A number of the following issues will decide the fight:
• This is the largest audience Mayweather has fought in front of. How he handles the media glare and thousands of screaming De La Hoya fans will loom large. He must also avoid De La Hoya getting in his head. Hype and trash-talking theatrics occasionally throw fighters off their game. On the flip side, he’s burning for universal recognition. This may become his finest hour.
• Will De La Hoya be the first fighter to give Mayweather some adversity? De La Hoya’s powerful, compact punches, capped by a left hook, would create that variable if he gets close enough. Mayweather never fights backing up, or against an opponent sensing an opportunity. Fans want to see whether Floyd can fight out of that scenario, if it occurs. The great ones always do.
• De La Hoya fought one year ago, only twice in 2004 and not at all in 2005. He’s a tremendously successful promoter and multi-millionaire. Has the three-piece suit replaced the three-punch combination? What motivates someone who has it all? Mayweather is far and away boxing’s best pound-for-pound performer. De La Hoya does not make the top 12 list because of inactivity. Can he turn it on and off?
• The 154-pound weight limit will be a pre-fight focus. Mayweather decisioned both opponents in the 147-pound class, raising questions of his punching power at 154 pounds. On the flip side, Zab Judah and Carlos Baldomir were tremendous 147-pound opponents. De La Hoya has been comfortable at 154. Conversely, when he moved up to 160, he lost.
• Mayweather became increasingly favored as April wore on. He became more than a 2-1 favorite. Watch where the late money comes in on this one.

By Dave Bontempo

Casino Connection Sports Editor Dave Bontempo is an award-winning sports writer and broadcaster who calls boxing matches all over the world. He has covered the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs, as well as numerous PGA, LPGA and Seniors Golf Tour events, and co-hosted the Casino Connection television program with Publisher Roger Gros.

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