Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya is still steaming over last month's Showtime Pay-Per-View event which featured Floyd Mayweather Jr. making his return after two years, against UFC superstar Conor McGregor.
De La Hoya believes Mayweather could have ended the fight much earlier, but intentionally carried McGregor to the later rounds to avoid any post-fight controversy - as the event carried a high pay-per-view price tag of $100 for HD.
McGregor, who was making his professional boxing debut, appeared to win the first three rounds over an inactive Mayweather, who began letting his hands go more often in the fourth.
Mayweather would continue to break McGregod won, until the MMA fighter had no gas left in the tank and was stopped in the tenth round.
“I was pissed because Mayweather knows better than that. He’s one of the best boxers on the planet today that we’ve had in the past several years. But come on, knock the guy out in two or three rounds. Don’t carry him for ten rounds,” De La Hoya stated during an in-studio appearance with Hot 97.
De La Hoya, a former six division world champion, retired from the sport after suffering a TKO defeat to Manny Pacquiao in 2008.
At 44-years-old, and with proper training for a return, he believes that it would take him no more than two rounds to put away McGregor. of himself.
“Yeah [I would beat McGregor]. It can’t go more than two rounds,” De La Hoya said.
De La Hoya was asked point blank if he believes that he could catch and stop McGregor in the in the first six minutes and he said "absolutely" - although he did have some concern if the fight went beyond the early rounds.
While De La Hoya credits Mayweather with being one of the best boxers of all-time - he says there is no way Mayweather can proclaim himself as TBE [The Best Ever]. De La Hoya would have him somewhere in the top 10.
“My question is this - when was Mayweather in a 50-50 fight? That’s my critique. Is he the best boxer we’ve had in recent years? Yeah. He’s obviously not the best. I think he would be top 10 of all-time [but not in the top 5 of the all-time],” De La Hoya said.
The Golden CEO is very busy, as next week his company will stage the biggest boxing event of the year when company star Saul "Canelo" Alvarez challenges IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, on September 16th from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.