Pretty Boy Fades The Golden Child Contrary to the split decision that was rendered, the most anticipated boxing event, (perhaps in the history of the sport), was a very one-sided affair as the “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr. (38W-0L, 24KO’s) calmly executed a near flawless gameplan. His victory tonight was very methodical and somewhat pride-filled effort as he went into unchartered waters, entering a weight division more than 20lbs higher than the one his career began in. Oscar Dela Hoya (38W-5L, 30KO’s) put up a very valiant effort throughout most of the fight but his inability to stick with the only punch in his arsenal that had a high connection rate, (his jab), would ultimately be his undoing. Oscar spent most of the night missing punches as he attempted to land his patented left hook, which due to the uncanny defensive ability of Floyd was far from perfect. Numbers Don’t Lie Punch stats for the fight told the whole story as Floyd Mayweather Jr. was credited in landing a solid43% (207 of 481) of his shots while Oscar Dela Hoya’s numbers were quite typical of a Mayweather opponent (122 of 587). Although it will never be stated, the one thing that probably worked against Dela Hoya the most was the fact that he changed trainers for this fight. His emphasis all night was on trying to be offensive and although he landed some decent shots, had he made Floyd miss more, Floyd’s offense would have be nullified on the score cards as well. Oscar’s former trainer, (Floyd Mayweather Sr.) is more of a defensive wizard and is credited for teaching Floyd Mayweather Jr. most of everything he knows. The same defensive skills that Mayweather used against Oscar could have been a part of Oscar’s repertoire but the possibility of the two working together ended when Floyd Sr. asked for $2M to train Oscar to fight his son. What Next? For the sport of Boxing, tonight’s fight received the attention of people all across the globe and that may not slow down as the summer and fall have a number of mega fights of a slightly lower magnitude lined up. Winky Wright vs Bernard Hopkins, Zab Judah vs Miguel Cotto, and Paul Williams vs Antonio Margarito to name a few. As far as where Oscar Dela Hoya and his future goes, there could be a possible rematch with Floyd Mayweather if the fans show the slightest interest, but if he decides to hang the gloves up as some feel could be a possibility, look for him to try to go out with a bang and open negotiations with Felix “Tito” Trinidad to avenge his first professional career loss which ended in a controversial decision. Floyd Mayweather Jr., at this point is completely in the drivers seat of his career. He is the only man in the history of the sport to go up through 6 different weight divisions and win a title in each and remain undefeated while doing it. Any question about his skills or legacy was answered tonight as he proved why he’s widely viewed as the pound for pound best in the sport. He overcame not only the best fighter fighter of this current era who resides in a higher weight division, but also many contractual traps. Mayweather had to overcome Oscar Dela Hoya’s appointed glove brand, a smaller ringsize (to prevent the quicker footed Mayweather from tiring him out with movement), a larger weight class, and a significantly lower purse, and in the end, he did just that…Overcame…Each and every one of those things that Boxing pundits saw as too many odds for a small man moving up in weight class. If Mayweather does retire as planned, he will join former Heavyweight Rocky Marciano as the only fighters to retire undefeated. The official score cards for the fight read 116-112 and 115-113 for Mayweather, and 115-113 for Dela Hoya. Key Note: There was one other winner in the Mayweather/Dela Hoya match as rapper 50 Cent bet $1M on Floyd Mayweather Jr., and is probably cashing in at this very moment. Undercard Action Rocky Juarez (26W-3L, 19KO’s) def. Jose Hernandez (22W-3L, 14KO’s) by 12rd Split Decision Rey Bautista (23W-0L, 17KO’s) def. (28W-1L, 22KO’s) by 12rd Unanimous Decision
Floyd Mayweather Jr. Dominates Oscar Dela Hoya, Gets 12rd SD!!!
Posted by Tim Starks on May 6, 2007 07:37
