Why Money Talks in Vegas.
By Kishan Nundloll
Fifteen Years Oscar de la Hoya stepped into battle with Lamar Williams in Inglewood ,California and fought like his life depended on it. A first round knockout setting up what has proved to an illustrious career. That hunger and desire to succeed is hard to find let alone maintain in the career of a professional boxer. So it comes as no surprise to the boxing world that de la Hoya has decided to see this fight through.
Who would have fought fifteen years ago that this young Mexican boy would be the most valuable asset in boxing today. He did and has fulfilled his potential but letting go of his boxing history is proving difficult. Boxers have a very difficult time making the transition from world champion to becoming mere mortals. Boxing is more than a sport, it’s their life, what defines them as men. Holyfield, Hopkins and now de la Hoya don’t know when to say no but in the case of de la Hoya saying yes this time makes more sense to him financially than any other time of his career.
The publicity and money generated for Golden Boy is going to be more than any other fight in the history of the company.
This is why de la will lose this fight and with the loss, part of the legacy he is made in a sparkling career. Will it be worth it ?probably not , the boxing purists will see a fighter carrying war scars from fights that people still haven’t stopped talking about. His opponent Floyd Mayweather Jnr has a arrogance and a belief about him that makes seem unbeatable before the fight has even started.
The trash talk comes with the territory and de la Hoya is experienced and rich enough not to lower himself to that level. Yet behind closed doors he is seething and more than this he is ruthless. De la Hoya wants to win but not as bad as that nervous young Mexican in Inglewood, California fifteen years ago. Mayweather needs career defining fights and this is it. He will win because he is hungry and doesn’t respect tradition and is the better fighter. He can only dream of the money he would make after dispatching with the Golden boy. He hasn’t been tested to the extent that de la Hoya has but his record is impressive and his brashness what makes him the fighter to beat. He will be nervous but will know that if he dictates the pace of the fight and doesn’t waste any punches he should win.
This fight night and build up is going to be a spectacle no matter how dyer the actual fight could be.
The action outside of the ring is probably going to be the most exciting thing anyone in Vegas witnesses. Floyd Mayweather Snr has supposedly buried the hatchet with his estranged son and are putting on a united front. How believable this is , is open to debate. Money has played its part and this has rattled the normally composed de la Hoya. Privately this cannot have gone down well with him or his camp. His official reason being not wanting to involve himself in ‘father, son issues’. Even he didn’t think that this would backfire so badly, Mayweather Snr knows De la Hoya inside out, six years he has been by his side and he was an important part of the de la Hoya team. Even if he is not directly involved with the training the sight of him will be enough to rattle him. With all the information on his style and weaknesses and with his son being arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the world, the golden boy might want to start plotting his next big payday.
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