By Rick Reeno

Richard Schaefer, the CEO for Golden Boy Promotions, will not take sides in the ongoing verbal battle between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya. Since their 2007 clash, which still holds a pay-per-view record of 2.4 million buys, the two men have had a rocky relationship.

De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy, is one of Schaefer's closest friends. But, Schaefer has a very close working relationship with Mayweather. Golden Boy has co-promoted Mayweather's last four fights, and promotes Floyd's upcoming fight with WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz, which takes place on September 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"I'm going to leave that between Mayweather and Oscar. I have a very good relationship with Floyd. I'm not going to get into the middle of that," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com. "I have a very nice relationship with [Mayweather]. We work very well together and I think we have proven over the last four fights, and this will be the fifth fight, that we know how to maximize his revenues."

"I was actually talking to someone and his average now, over his last four fights, is 1.5 million homes [pay-per-view buys] per fight, which is unbelievable and clearly a record. We work very well together."

De La Hoya has been helping Ortiz prepare for Mayweather by giving the 24-year-old boxer tactical advice. During the recent episode of HBO's reality series, Mayweather-Ortiz 24/7, De La Hoya downplayed some of Mayweather's biggest victories. In response, Mayweather unleashed an immediate verbal attack.

“De La Hoya is a drug user, dresses in drag, committed adultery and drinks alcohol and Ortiz looks up to this guy," Mayweather said.

In the last few days, Mayweather continued his verbal attack. Floyd expressed his anger over De La Hoya comparing his infidelities to the well publicized marital problems of Tiger Woods, who happens to be a friend of Mayweather.

There are some people who believe Mayweather is attacking De La Hoya to play mind games with Ortiz - but Schaefer is not one of those people.

"I think Floyd Mayweather speaks his mind. I don't think he is getting into [Ortiz's] head, it's what he thinks and what he feels," Schaefer said.

"When Oscar came out with his statements [regarding his personal problems], there were a lot of people who were very supportive of Oscar and wishing him all the best with rehab and getting himself out of these problems, these issues. And then there are always those who don't [give support], who have a different opinion and that's the way that it goes. Mayweather is just speaking his mind."