Is De La Hoya Ready

Awaken De La Hoya by Rick Folstad The fighter napping inside Oscar De La Hoya appears to have been rudely awakened from a 30-month slumber by a wild man poking him with a stick. Maybe that’s why De La Hoya sounded a little puzzled on a recent conference call. He can’t figure out this Ricardo “El Crazy” Mayorga fellow, who is just a stunt or two short of a long stay in the loony bin. “He got under my skin,” De La Hoya said. “But he didn’t get in my head.” There’s an important difference there. It means De La Hoya is motivated, but not psyched out. “No, I don’t hate him,” De La Hoya said. “I don’t even know the guy.” That’s the kicker. De La Hoya doesn‘t know why Mayorga suddenly went off on him when they first shook hands, insulting De La Hoya’s family and heritage. If it was a carefully conceived plot to get De La Hoya’s mind off his training for their WBC super-welterweight title fight May 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (HBO, pay-per-view), it doesn’t appear to have worked. But after listening to Mayorga’s ranting and raving, you begin to think it’s not a trick, it’s just Mayorga being Mayorga. Maybe it’s his own personal way of getting psyched up for the fight. “When we first met (at an HBO filming to promote their fight), we shook hands and everything,” De La Hoya said. “And then all of a sudden, he like flipped. It was weird. He started revving himself up, saying he was going to knock me out and all this and that, and I was like, whoa, this guy has some problems.” De La Hoya (37-4, 29 KOs) said when they started shooting the commercial, Mayorga (28-5-1, 23 KOs) slapped him across the head. “Show some respect,” De La Hoya said. Name calling and insults are part of the fight game, a way to do a little mental manipulating of a guy’s fragile fight plan. You can call him an idiot, a sissy or a pretender. You can shove him at the press conference, flip him the bird at the weigh-in and spit at his trainer. You can question his manhood, kick his dog or laugh at his clothes. But you leave his family out of it. Kids, wives, mothers. they’re untouchables. Or should be. Which is the line Mayorga crossed, hinting that he’d like to spend some quality time with De La Hoya‘s wife in exchange for his WBC title belt. “It’s motivation that gets me going,” De La Hoya said. “And Mayorga has sparked that in me. He lit that fire in my belly, and I‘m full speed ahead. I know it will be a tough fight. He can take a punch and he hits hard. “I want to teach this guy a lesson really bad. It’s going to be one long night for him.” For De La Hoya, the fight is a trip into his past. He’s fighting again at 154 pounds, down from the middleweight class where he lost to Bernard Hopkins. He expects to weigh-in at 151 or 152 pounds next Friday. “That’s where I belong,” he said. If De La Hoya beats Mayorga, he has a farewell megafight planned for Sept. 16, when he’d like to fight Winky Wright, Felix Trinidad or Floyd Mayweather Jr. If the fight with Mayorga is close and there is enough of a demand for a rematch, he’d consider a second fight with Mayorga on that date. “If everything goes well, come Sept. 16, I will lace up the gloves for the last time and hopefully retire as champion,” he said. “I’ll be very content with my career and what I’ve done.” The Sept. 16 date was picked because De La Hoya has had some of his biggest matches in the middle of September, including fights against Julio Cesar Chavez, Trinidad, Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas. But Mayorga could be a party crasher. “This fighter is going to make me so aware and keep me on my toes and make me fight as hard as I can,” De La Hoya said. “He’s going to bring out the best in me, which I‘m looking forward to.” How was your nap?

Comments (9)

I hope not man, I hope he kicks ass saturday Oscar KO12 Mayorga.

20y ago

scap

As a Oscar ball licker I am concerned about the last four rounds of the fight. They are on two completely different skill levels but Oscar likes to fade a bit and the time off he takes between fights cant help him. He should find Mayo's face pretty easy to touch but those of you who think Oscar will KO Ricardo...I just dont see my boy having the firepower to do so. I see Oscar winning but he may have a couple interesting moments down the stretch because 1)he is a part time fighter 2)he will not be able to hurt Mayo.

20y ago

Floydko1

I gotta Agree OSCARS looking pissed recently lol, Mayorgas in for trouble, i thought this would be a really really hard fight for OScar when he took it even thought Mayorga might win, I thought Oscar never had the Hunger for boxing anymore with his promotional company and he been like out the ring for a while, but Oscars seem to have got his focus back he had in years before when his soul heart was 100% on boxing i see Oscar taking Mayorga apart myself

20y ago

guru

i dont like oscar, but i think he'll win.... i am concerned by his inactivity, but i think he's too fast and too smart for mayo... except for his KO of forrest i havent been that impressed with mayo and i thought he lost the rematch.... however, i would like to him lay out oscar, but i dont think it'll happen...

20y ago

Super_Lightweight

Me, too. I am for DLH big time. Look at mai sig. I just know that Mayo is a threat. I absolutely am concerned that DLH will lose.

20y ago

RAESAAD

I am starting to get worried for DLH.He better train his ass off so he can take him into the late rounds and dominate with his boxing skill because he can't beat Mayorga in a slugfest. :boxing:

20y ago

Super_Lightweight

hbo has a new boxing page, and it said on there the daily routine for dlh training, I am not impressed, honestly I am a huge dlh fan, but go and ready it, he trains in the morning and from like 10-3 he doesnt do anything else then from like 3-5 then he is done That is just a mini-summary of what he does. You don't honestly believe that's ALL he does, do you? Further, you people who say Mayorga fails against 'high quality' opponents obviously forgot the Forrest and Lewis fights, guys who were clearly more skilled then Mayorga.

20y ago

Texasboy34

If Oscar is looking past Mayorga at all he will lose. Case in point the limp wristed boxer is going on Jay Leno tonight.

20y ago

rocco1252

De La Hoya is going to school this bum even after an almost 2 year lay off. Mayorga throws bombs yea but he doesnt have the speed or the experience in the ring against the quality of opponents like DLH. I see this fight starting out with Mayorga throwing bombs trying to get in close and hurt DLH but DLH is going to keep his distance and use his jab and straight right effectively to keep Mayorga at bay. DLH with a late stoppage 10th / 11th round or a unanimous decision also going to DLH.

20y ago