Today, Oscar De La Hoya announced that the proposed deal he was offering Floyd Mayweather for a May 5th fight is now off the table. According to fightnews.com, here's what he said: "I was really turned off by what Richard Shaeffer was telling me. The way he was acting after the fight, and his performance and the people walking out of the arena and the people booing. Why does he deserve to be up there in that ring and make all that money with me?"
According to Oscar, he didn't watch the Mayweather-Baldomir fight because he "didn't feel the whole card was worth whatever they were charging."
Right. And that terrific HBO PPV card you put together a few weeks ago was worth every penny, Oscar! I mean, Daniel Ponce De Leon making a mandatory defense against Al Seeger in the main event! Damn! Talk about a great card!
Being a pretty hardcore boxing fan, I think it's pretty strange that there have been two HBO PPVs that I've just had to bypass this fall: the one I just mentioned, put on by Golden Boy, and Rahman-Maskaev. Was Mayweather vs. Baldomir, Guerrero vs. Salido and Williams vs. Poor Poor Sacrificial Lamb worth $50? Hell, the most interesting moment in the entire card happened during the post-fight interview. The Mayweather-Merchant exchange was the first thing up on YouTube. Of course the card wasn't worth it. But I ordered it anyways, Oscar, because Floyd Mayweather is the best all-around boxer I have seen in my lifetime and I wanted to see him face the true welterweight champion.
But I digress. This wasn't supposed to be about the price of PPVs or whether or not they are worth it. This was supposed to be about how Oscar De La Hoya needs to shut the fuck up.
First of all: I don't, for a second, believe Oscar didn't watch the Mayweather fight.
But let's just say he didn't. If he didn't watch the fight, then what changed over the weekend? Why does he suddenly not want to face the guy that he has been calling out since defeating Mayorga? The guy that could arguably make him the most money right now? And, even more importantly, the guy who is recognized by everyone and their mother as the #1 P4P fighter in the world, a victory over whom would eternally cement DLH's legacy?
For those of you who haven't been counting, this is the second time in a couple of months that Oscar has called out a fighter and then pussied out of his challenge. First, it was Trinidad. Knowing that Trinidad was retired, Oscar called him out recently. Trinidad promptly said he would come out of retirement to fight Oscar. What did Oscar do then? He backed off, saying he wasn't interested in Trinidad any longer. Now he's doing it again with Mayweather.
Oscar, do us all a favor and stick to promoting already. I'm not interested in anything you have to say unless it concerns Barrera, Mosley, Hopkins or Pacquiao----all of whom, unlike you, are fighters who've earned my respect.