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Serenasailor
Veteran Poster
Username: Serenasailor
Post Number: 1560
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 07, 2007 - 12:59 pm: | 
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LAS VEGAS – The scorecards varied widely, the passions raged wildly and, for a few minutes after the fight, there was even some unfounded confusion over whether the judges had flip-flopped their numbers and Oscar De La Hoya had actually beaten Floyd Mayweather Jr., not vice versa.
By the end, after all the celebrity sightings, all the combinations and crosses, after the pro-De La Hoya crowd chanted "bull----," after everyone poured out of the MGM Grand and into an electric environment on The Strip, this much was simple: Let's do it again.
Maybe in the fall. Maybe in a year.
Whatever and whenever, De La Hoya-Mayweather II ought be a mere formality now. Carve up the tens of millions and give boxing fans – old and new – another night to care, another fight to look forward to, another moment to matter.
"I told you I am retired (and) as of right now I sticking with my word," Mayweather said. "But I've got to talk with my team."
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"Yeah, we'll see," De La Hoya said. "Obviously it's go back to the drawing board and talk it over."
Translation: This one should be as good as signed, sealed and delivered.
Mayweather isn't staying retired, not at age 30, not at the top of his game and with the legacy he is so concerned about still being built. He won this one fair and square, but he could use another chance at De La Hoya to finish off whatever lingering doubts are out there among fans.
Meanwhile, De La Hoya is too good of a businessman to leave this big payday sitting on the shelf, especially when he was so close to scoring the upset that would have been the most impressive victory of his career.
This wasn't the greatest fight of all time, but it was plenty good enough to leave everyone wanting more.
Especially for a sport that needed this shot in the arm, needed to remind everyone that it can deliver a Super Bowl-like atmosphere – from the corporate sponsors to the all-night parties to the Hollywood jetsetters.
Where else but boxing could you get John McCain, Mike Tyson and Jennifer Lopez all in the same room?
This was a show of force for the old-school sport, which went modern this week as Vegas was overrun by a youthful, celebrity-driven party crowd. Seven-thousand rank-and-file fans jammed Friday's weigh-in. Huge, corporate-sponsored parties busted out all over town – highlighted by Tecate beer's Friday blowout at the trendy, rooftop VooDoo Lounge high above the city.
Fight night brought out a who's who, dressed to the nines, lookers and hookers, athletes and actresses, singers and stars, their limos backed up for blocks on Tropicana. Tickets went as high as $10,000.
There were so many A-listers in attendance that before the fight they didn't have time to introduce them all, never getting around to the considerable likes of Will Ferrell, Dwyane Wade and Jim Carrey
Then Mayweather, in a clear shot at De La Hoya, even entered the ring wearing Mexican colors and a comically, oversized sombrero on Cinco de Mayo.
"I love all my Hispanic fans," he said, before claiming he probably only had 200 or 300 supporters out of the 16,700 in attendance.
Of course, he kept it real by having 50 Cent rap his intro live while accompanying him to the ring. "One of my best friends," Mayweather nodded.
By the opening bell, the arena was pure energy.
It was everything boxing – plagued by mismanagement, corruption and dull irrelevance – could have hoped for. There was no way to experience this entire scene and not realize that boxing still has that unique ability to pull off the major, monster event, that no matter what, no matter UFC, there is still, at the very least, a pulse here.
And then the fight delivered for the fans.
"I just wanted to make sure we gave the people what they wanted and I believe the fans were happy," De La Hoya said.
Not all were, of course. The debate over who really won and who really lost will rage on. Mayweather moved to 38-0 with the split decision, but here in pro-Oscar Vegas, there was plenty of differing opinions.
Even Mayweather's dad thought the judges got it wrong.
"I thought Oscar won the fight based on the point system," said Floyd Sr., who used to train De La Hoya (38-5) and has an off-again, on-again relationship with Floyd Jr. "My son had good defense but I thought Oscar pressed the fight."
Mayweather landed far more punches (207-122). De La Hoya landed far stronger ones. In the end, judge Jerry Ross' decision to give the 12th round to Mayweather – the other two judges gave it to De La Hoya – was the difference between a split decision and a draw.
"I didn't feel like a loser," De La Hoya said.
"I thought I was going to beat him by a bigger score," Mayweather said. "All the shots he was throwing, he was missing."
"He didn't hurt me," De La Hoya countered.
"He was trying to steal rounds at the end," Mayweather said. "But you can't steal rounds taking punches in the face."
You can see where this one is going. Another national press tour, another HBO reality series, another buildup that will bring out the average sport fan, bring out the big-money sponsors, bring out the pretty people to come to Vegas and party the weekend away.
This was just what boxing needed. Now it needs to do it again.
Dan Wetzel is Yahoo! Sports' national columnist. Send Dan a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
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Chrishayden
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 4340
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 07, 2007 - 02:59 pm: |
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I spoke to a guy who saw the fight. He said that Mayweather won hands down. I spoke to another that said he thought Mayweather could have put De La Hoya away any time.
Anybody see it? |
Serenasailor
Veteran Poster
Username: Serenasailor
Post Number: 1561
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 07, 2007 - 03:16 pm: |
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No but the Mexicans out here are causing an "uproar". They think there boy was "shafted".
Oh Well!!! |
Toubobie
Regular Poster
Username: Toubobie
Post Number: 289
Registered: 08-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 07, 2007 - 07:49 pm: |
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This (West) is Mexican territory. Oscar is their boy.
I say, rematch. Mayweather can finally put any doubts to bed, that he is, in fact, the black precision machine he's shown himself to be on Saturday. No biggie. |
Doberman23
Veteran Poster
Username: Doberman23
Post Number: 994
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 04:59 pm: |
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It was a descent fight, it was definitely not the greatest boxing match i have ever seen though. i like both boxers so here's my unbiased opinion: mayweather won most of the rounds but de la hoya did look like he was the agressor towards the end rounds. i do think that mayweather's sombrero entrance was on the disrespectful side of things. i didn't care who won but my money was on de la hoya ($20) he had the reach and power advantage, but he just didn't use them. de la hoya went in with the wrong strategy and mayweather used his counter-punching techniques to get his jabs in more effectively. when it was all said and done, i think that it shouldn't have been a split decision mayweather was the clear winner. i think if they go at it again de la hoya would beat him. (he should have kept using mayweather sr. as his trainer and he probably would have won. |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 2224
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 07:41 pm: |
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Talked to a friend today who was somewhat pissed. He told me he paid $65 to see the fight and he said it was very boring. He said he has seen many other fights that were much more exciting. He also said De La Hoya could have won the fight easily but after the 8th round, he stopped doing what had won him the earlier rounds and somewhat faded aggressively. He said Mayweather came on in the last rounds but he was not impressed with him or the fight as a whole. I asked him if he had to call the fight, he said it could have gone either way. One did not dominate the other. Das dat...!
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Doberman23
Veteran Poster
Username: Doberman23
Post Number: 998
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 06:09 pm: |
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well it appears your friend didn't enjoy the skill or art of boxing. it was a fight based on a counter puncher out witting a puncher. if your friend was a boxing enthusiest he would have known that there weren't going to be any knockouts in tis fight because of their weight class. the fight was comparable to a basketball game with no dunks, baseball with no home runs, and a football game with no touchdowns and only field goals. it was a strategic fight and de la hoya who was trained by floyd mayweather seinor for his last few fights changed his style in preparation for mayweather jr. ... there's a certain respect you have to have for teams and athletes when they can't totally dominate the other. |
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