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Greatest fight of our generation
By Joe Nguyen
nguyejos@mscd.edu

There hasn’t been this much buzz surrounding a boxing match since a swarm of bees invaded the MGM Grand back in 2002.

OK, so that never happened, but the long-awaited bout between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. almost didn’t either. When these two superstars meet in the ring May 5, it’ll be a battle between the sport’s two biggest stars.

The 34-year-old De La Hoya is the definition of an athletic icon. In 1992, the Golden Boy took home the lightweight gold medal during the Barcelona Olympics, fulfilling a promise he made to his mother on her deathbed. Over the course of the next 15 years, he put on 30 pounds and claimed world titles in six weight classes. He defeated stars such as Pernell Whitaker, Hector Camacho and the legendary Julio César Chávez, thus securing his place in the boxing hall of fame.

If that’s not enough, he turned two of the three men who have beaten him into business partners and released a Grammy-nominated album titled Oscar de la Hoya.

The younger Mayweather, 30, earned the featherweight bronze medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Since turning pro, he has won world titles in four different weight classes and has maintained a perfect 37-0 record with 24 knockouts.

Even though he’s considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, he hasn’t fought many big-name opponents. In fact, it seems like he outright avoids them. In November 2005, he moved up to the welterweight division to face Sharmba Mitchell rather than battle fellow undefeated champion Ricky Hatton. The only notable star Pretty Boy Floyd defeated in his prime was Jose Luis Castillo back in 2002.

This match will be Mayweather’s first at the Super Welterweight weight class. He has long been known for his speed, attacking opponents with a barrage of punches while running circles around them. But with the added weight, he will slow down.

The other concern for Mayweather is he has yet to have his chin tested. During his bout against Zab Judah, April 8, 2006, he was visibly shaken in the early rounds before Judah ran out of steam.
For De La Hoya, the biggest concern is age. He is no longer the young combatant who used sheer athleticism to take out his opponents. But if his bout against Ricardo Mayorga on May 5, 2006, is any indication of his form, it shows that experience is on his side.

Both fighters will enter the match in top-notch condition, but the outcome will depend on who is more mentally prepared. Mayweather is talented but brash, and lacks the experience of battling the best. De La Hoya has been there and done that. Plus it takes place on Cinco de Mayo. The odds are stacked against Pretty Boy Floyd.

De La Hoya via KO in 9.