De La Hoya to Mayweather: You were boring and took the easy way out
It's no secret that there is no love lost between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr., the two biggest draws of their generation. But De La Hoya, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist who lost a 2007 bout to Mayweather in Las Vegas, took the feud to another level with an essay he wrote for Playboy.
De La Hoya's essay appears in Playboy's December issue, and is written as an open letter to Mayweather, who succeeded him as the sport's highest paid athlete and best pay-per-view attraction.
Mayweather's history on PPV is unparalleled. He sold a record 4.6 million pay-per-views for his May fight with arch-rival Manny Pacquiao. Three times, including the bout with Pacquiao, he exceeded 2 million sales, and seven times in 14 bouts on pay-per-view he sold 1 million or more.
De La Hoya acknowledges Mayweather's financial success, but takes him to task for what he says were a series of boring fights.
So I’m writing to you today to wish you a fond farewell. Truth be told, I’m not unhappy to see you retire. Neither are a lot of boxing fans. Scratch that. MOST boxing fans. Why? Because the fight game will be a better one without you in it. Let’s face it: You were boring. Just take a look at your most recent performance, your last hurrah in the ring, a 12-round decision against Andre Berto. How to describe it? A bust? A disaster? A snooze fest? An affair so one-sided that on one judge’s card Berto didn’t win a single round? Everyone in boxing knew Berto didn’t have a chance. I think more people watched Family Guy reruns that night than tuned in to that pay-per-view bout.
Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said Mayweather wouldn't comment on De La Hoya's essay. Ellerbe, though, had plenty to say himself.
"It's no secret that Oscar has been jealous of Floyd for years," Ellerbe said. He called the essay "a very weak and transparent attempt to promote his fight" scheduled for Nov. 21 between Canelo Alvarez and Miguel Cotto.
De La Hoya's comments about Mayweather being boring were among the more tame ones he made in the piece. He also accused Mayweather of being afraid, which is one of the worst things one fighter can say about another.
Mayweather's style was a defensively-oriented one. Part of it was because of the way he was taught by his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., growing up, but part of it could be due to the fact that he was plagued throughout his career with very brittle hands. Had Mayweather Jr. been an offensive fighter, like De La Hoya was, for instance, he almost certainly wouldn't have lasted 49 fights.
Still, De La Hoya's words echo those of many of Mayweather's most ardent critics. He writes that "I took on all comers in their prime," and points out how he always took risks. He said Mayweather never did.
Another reason boxing is better off without you: You were afraid. Afraid of taking chances. Afraid of risk. A perfect example is your greatest “triumph,” the long-awaited record-breaking fight between you and Manny Pacquiao. Nearly 4.5 million buys! More than $400 million in revenue! Headlines worldwide! How can that be bad for boxing? Because you lied. You promised action and entertainment and a battle for the ages, and you delivered none of the above. The problem is, that’s precisely how you want it. You should have fought Pacquiao five years ago, not five months ago. That, however, would have been too dangerous. Too risky. You’ve made a career out of being cautious. You won’t get in the ring unless you have an edge. Sure, you fought some big names. But they were past their prime. Hell, even when we fought in 2007—and I barely lost a split decision—I was at the tail end of my career. Then later you took on Mexican megastar Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, but he was too young and had to drop too much weight.
Ellerbe was dumb-founded by De La Hoya's words regarding the Alvarez fight and said he was concerned De La Hoya "may have a problem." De La Hoya entered drug and alcohol rehabilitation in 2013, days before Alvarez fought Mayweather in the biggest fight of his career.
"That concerns me because Oscar is the one who put him in there with Floyd," Ellerbe said. "He wasn't there for his fighter when he was the one who put him in this big fight. The fact that he would put him in a fight he said he was too young for, and I guess he means too inexperienced for, makes me worry about him."
No doubt, De La Hoya has some points. Mayweather was far from the most exciting fighter in the world. For all of his greatness, he was never in a Fight of the Year.
But if the point of boxing is to hit and not be hit, by that standard, Mayweather was hugely successful.
De La Hoya's essay is sure to get a reaction, and sure to separate the factions in boxing. Mayweather's fans are going to deride him as angry and jealous, while De La Hoya's supporters are going to slap him on the back and egg him on even more.
This story is not over, and will be well worth watching closely as it develops.
