By Mark Vester
Oscar De La Hoya is happy that Floyd Mayweather Jr. (39-0, 25 KOs) is entering the world of pro-wrestling. Mayweather will face the seven-foot, 400-pound wrestler known as "The Big Show" at Wrestlemania XXIV on March 30.
Quoted by BoxingScene.com's Keith Idec in his Herald News column, De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KOs) says the tables are now turned in 2008. He's focusing on boxing and this time it's Mayweather who is focused on activities outside of the sport. De La Hoya is slated to meet Mayweather in a September rematch. Mayweather won the first bout, held last May, by a close split-decision.
The WWE contacted De La Hoya to get involved in the entire Mayweather-Big Show angle, but he turned it down to fully focus on his May 3rd bout with Steve Forbes. De La Hoya is planning to fight three times in 2008, and then retire.
"I don't want to get involved with (pro wrestling)," De La Hoya said. "I'm a fighter. My business is boxing. I know boxing. I don't know wrestling. I'm not a wrestler. I've never trained to be a wrestler. So I'm not going to go out there and think that I can wrestle. It was never in my plans."
"It's like the tables have turned. I'm the one now that's going to be active this year. I'm the one that's going to be in the gym this year. And let him go and do all this publicity. Let him go out there and do other things, outside of boxing. Let his distractions elevate. I'm going to be in the gym, working my butt off, making sure I go out with a big bang. I'm glad he's doing it. I'm glad he's doing other things. It's good for me."
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