EL MUNDO ESPERA
src="https://a.espncdn.com/photo/2007/0221/box_a_oscarmayweather_134.jpg" width="134" height="75" border="0" alt="De La Hoya-Mayweather" />
OSCAR DE LA HOYA vs. FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.
Sábado 5 de mayo, MGM Grand
English
Features
• Steinberg: EA Sports report
• Rafael: Floyd's hanging 'em up
• Rafael: And the winner is...
• Rafael: Mayweather, the villain
• Rafael: Roach good fit for Oscar
• Five key fights: Mayweather
• Five key fights: De La Hoya
• Struby: Is De La Hoya the best ?
• Simmons: Sleeping giant awakes
• Notebook: War of words rages on
• Rafael: Mosley to spar with Oscar
• Rafael: Catching the wave in DC
• Contursi: The day after...
• Contursi: History in the Making
• Faitelson: No favorites
• Faitelson: On Chavez's footsteps
• Sosa: How each of them can win
• Motta: Oscar's biggest challenge?
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Columnistas
• Contursi: Empieza lo bueno
• Faitelson: No hay favorito
• Sánchez: La gloria o el fracaso
• Sosa: Por el amor mexicano
• Contursi: Un combate histórico
• Faitelson: JC Chávez, el modelo
• Sánchez: Mayweather favorito
• Sosa: Qué harán para ganar
• Contursi: El día después
• Faitelson: La chance de Oscar
• Rafael: Y el ganador es...
• Simmons: Despierta un gigante
• Struby: De la Hoya, ¿el mejor?
• Rafael: Floyd cuelga los guantes
• Rafael: Mayweather el villano
• Rafael: El aporte de Roach
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• Motta: Oscar va por el honor
• Ibarra: Perfil de Mayweather Jr.
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• Lo que dijo Mayweather Jr.
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• Exclusiva con De la Hoya II
• Exclusiva con De la Hoya I
• Mayweather Jr.: ¿El mejor?
• Los guantes del Golden Boy
• De la Hoya listo para la pelea
• Floyd Mayweather se alista
• La opinión de los campeones
• El mundo espera el combate
• Una pelea para la historia
• Charla Dominical: De la Hoya
LAS VEGAS -- The number of questions, debates and opinions generated by next Saturday's fight between Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. seem appropiate for such a big event.
In regards to previews analysis, there is nothing left to say at this point. Now we just have to wait for the boxers to show who was right and who were wrong, even when the final score might not produce an absolute truth.
However, not everything is focused on what will happen inside the ring at the MGM Grand Hotel. There is such excitement, that many wonder what fate holds for Oscar and Floyd after Saturday.
Will they retire like they have announced?
Before trying to find possible answers for that question, you must be aware that retirement in boxing, more than in any other sport, is only relative and there is always an open door for an eventual comeback.
There are only few cases of conclusive retirements. We may cite, for example, Argentine Carlos Monzon decision, who retired a month after his second fight against Colombian Rodrigo Valdez, in July 1977.
That night, Monzon won in Monte Carlo, but a fall in the second round made an impact on him. "When you see the hands coming and you cannot avoid them, it is time to go", said Monzon then.
A couple months later he received an interesting offer to comeback and fight Marvin Hagler. But thanks to the strong oposition of his mentor and trainer, the great Amilcar Brusa, the decision stood.
Hagler was precisely another boxer who never came back after announcing his official retirement. After losing on a questionable decision to Ray Sugar Leonard in April 1987, Hagler chose to retire when Leonard didn't grant him a rematch.
OSCAR, A SEMI-RETIRED GOLD
On the other hand, we have "semi-retirees". Those boxers that never seem to know what they are going to do in the future. They wait for what may appear on their horizon and fight once in a while. Exactly like De la Hoya.
After losing categorically to Bernard Hopkins in September 2004, Oscar announced he needed a long time to decide what he was going to do. Since then, he focused his energy in his promoting company, Golden Boy Promotions.
And when someone asked him about his future comeback, he repeated – almost everyday in 2005 – that he was still thinking about it.
Surprisingly, he announced his comeback at the beginning of 2006, and returned in May for a KO victory over Nicaraguan, Ricardo Mayorga.
Since then, Oscar mantained the mystery over his future, although he left the door open for a "final fight, but against a very important opponent".
Finally, he began conversations to face Mayweather. They initially set the fight for September 2006, but couldn't reach an agreement and everything fell down.
However, they took negotiations up this year and finally settle the fight.
Once the mega-duel was confirmed, Oscar never again mentioned this could be his last performance, which suggests there could be a rematch next September.
But, of course, everything will depend on the final result. Because although De la Hoya has overcome many setbacks, a KO defeat or a big margin could be too hard to digest for him.
Oscar is smart enough to realize that at 34, he will hardly find a new chance for vindication if this ends up being the final score.
Moreover, if Mayweather wins by a big margin, there would be less interest for a rematch. Such was the case when Oscar was knocked out by Hopkins.
But, what would happen if De la Hoya wins?
Well, then, he would have even more convincing reasons to retire. It would be the perfect ending for a brilliant career with a final chapter that includes an amazing feat.
But it must be considered that, although Oscar has invested lots of time developing his promotion company and has done a great job turning it into one of the most promissing promotion companies in the country, it is only just the begining.
Now it is time to consolidate the company and his active presence is indispensable for it. But that won't happen if his mind and body are focus on new fights.
FLOYD, THE PREMATURE RETIREE
Even though it would not be crazy to imagine a possible rematch between De la Hoya and Mayweather, we must consider an important detail.
After defeating Argentine Carlos Baldomir last November, Mayweather surprised everybody at the post-fight news conference saying he would only fight one more time.
A stirred Mayweather, with tear in his eyes, affirmed then that "I love this sport and have been fighting for the last 20 years. I have avoided no boxer. I have always fought against the best and defeated them all. But I only want one more fight: De la Hoya".
The announcement surprised everybody, considering Floyd is still unbeaten and is probably the least beat up fighter among every active boxer. However, he probably said that out of the anger of being jeered by fans, after giving Baldomir a boxing lesson.
It is true that Floyd would not have many other feats to achieve after defeating De la Hoya. Nobody will be able to question his place in history after a big margin victory. He will never be a popular figure – you can't buy charm – but at least he will have the deserved boxing recognition.
A defeat, on the other hand, could work as the tool many are waiting to reassert that Mayweather is only a very good boxer and nothing else. Probably, this could have such an emotional impact on Floyd that may lead him to retirement.