by Carlos Boogs
For the December issue of Playboy, Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya penned an open letter to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The issue officially hits the stands on Friday. Playboy provided an early copy to BoxingScene.com.
De La Hoya's company and Mayweather worked hand in hand for several years. Their relationship began after their record-breaking fight in May 2007. The relationship ended last year after Mayweather's close friend, Richard Schaefer, stepped down as Golden Boy CEO.
Mayweather and De La Hoya often traded words during their co-promotional relationship and it caused a lot of friction where Schaefer was usually caught in the middle as the referee to mediate the situation.
Mayweather retired on September 12th, following his dominating decision victory over Andre Berto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. De La Hoya retired back in 2008, after suffering a TKO defeat to Manny Pacquiao.
Below are some of the tidbits from the letter.
"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," De La Hoya wrote.
"I think more people watched Family Guy reruns that night than tuned in to that pay-per-view bout. But I didn’t mind shelling out $75 for the HD broadcast. In fact it’s been a great investment. When my kids have trouble falling asleep, I don’t have to read to them anymore. I just play them your Berto fight. They don’t make it past round three."
"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. You took the easy way out."
"Boxing will also be a better place without the Mouth. Your mouth, to be precise, the one that created “Money” Mayweather. I know you needed that Money Mayweather persona. Before he—and Golden Boy -Promotions—came along, nobody watched your fights. You couldn’t even sell out your hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. You’re going to have a legacy. You’ll be remembered as the guy who made the most money. As for your fights? We’ve already forgotten them."
"You’re moving on to a new phase of life now, a second act. I’m sure it will be nice not to have to train year-round. To get out of the gym and spend time with your family. But I’m wondering what you’re going to do. You have a lot of time and, at the moment, a lot of money. Maybe you’ll put your true skills to work and open a used-car dealership or run a circus. Or maybe you’ll wind up back on Dancing With the Stars. It’s a job that’s safe, pays well and lets you run around on stage. Something you’ve been doing for most of your career."