Size Matters: Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

So it’s finally going to happen. Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are going to duke it on May 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada in a bout for Oscar’s 154-pound WBC title.

Mayweather has already been installed as a 2-1 betting favorite to beat De La Hoya who is aging and has been inactive, but I think members of the boxing fraternity are underestimating Oscar.

First off, even though Oscar has been relatively inactive, he looked great in his last fight against Ricardo Mayorga. Even though Mayorga isn’t the reincarnation of Sugar Ray Robinson he was a world class fighter with a big punch and had brawled on even terms with the likes of Cory Spinks and Vernon Forrest, two guys that are top contenders in the 154-pound division. Throw in the fact that Oscar frequently used his right hand in the bout, a punch that he neglected during the first half of his career and it still appears as though Oscar is a very dangerous fighter who is near the top of his game.

Don’t get me wrong, I still think Pretty Boy Floyd is the best fighter in the world and feel as though he is so fundamentally solid and has so much speed that he should be favored to win the fight. But, I just feel like people are counting the Golden Boy out with out pondering the match-up. The fundamental question going into the fight isn’t if Oscar is still in prime or if Mayweather is a better fighter than Oscar. The real question surrounding this fight is, “Can De La Hoya’s advantage in size compensate for Mayweather’s advantages in speed and boxing ability?” That’s the underlining question.

Think about it, in twenty-seven of Floyd’s thirty seven bouts, he weighed in under the lightweight limit of 135-pounds. And even though he has been successful at the higher weights he hasn’t established a significant championship legacy like he did when he was the most dominant Junior Lightweight Champion in history. Floyd has only fought six bouts above the lightweight limit, three at 140-pound and three at 147-pounds and now he is moving up yet again to fight Oscar De La Hoya at 154-pounds. That’s an incredible jump and even though it’s been done, more fighters have failed in their championship quests at higher weights than have been successful. [details]

[wmute]

why even mention oscar's chin wrt the hopkins fight, when he was stopped by a body shot. i dont get it

[Nightmare5150]

why even mention oscar's chin wrt the hopkins fight, when he was stopped by a body shot. i dont get it

Despite Hopkins' power, he couldn't knock out De La Hoya with punches to the face. The body shot did the trick. Shows a strong chin on Oscar's behalf.

[wmute]

Despite Hopkins' power, he couldn't knock out De La Hoya with punches to the face. The body shot did the trick. Shows a strong chin on Oscar's behalf.

that i totally get, but the article sounds like author needs to make excuses for oscar's chin since he was stopped in the hopkins fight. I mean did anyone criticise oscar's chin after he fought hop? i doubt that.

I for one would still be thinking oscar has a damn good chin, even if hop KOed him with a head shot.

[Run]

Oscar is the biggest and most skilled fighter Floyd has ever faced.

That's really the bottom line because you can't shape it any other way. Oscar also cuts off the ring better than anyone he's faced, and has a tendency for throwing power punching combos late in the fight. He almost never folds.

The only time he did was against Trinidad and I thought he did enough to win the fight regardless of his inactivity in the 12th round.



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[Easy-E]

Im suprised the odds are 2-1.

[Run]

Im suprised the odds are 2-1.

In my opinion.

The winner of this fight, will have their stock sky rocket. If Floyd hypothetically knocked Oscar out, he'd be one of the greatest all time if he retired after that. If Oscar finishes Floyd in dramatic fashion he only adds to his legend status. You could rank DLH higher on a "P4P" scale despite his years in the ring...even though he's not even rated right now withing a top ten concensus. That's pretty ridiculous if you ask me but it doesn't matter, because according to everyone that lives by the "ring magazine" or whatever....you'd have to beat the man to become the man. At this point in time the number 1 man is Floyd Mayweather Jr. and that really is the bottom line.

So after that there's really no dis*****g Oscar's place inside boxing history, or Floyd's for that matter. And only if he retired....because I don't see a need for him to keep fighting if he did in fact beat Oscar convincingly. He's already acheived enough in his career to be remembered as one of the most dominant defensive fighters of all time at any weight. Floyd that is and vice versa for Oscar.



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[DLT]

This is a excellent article and it repeats everything Ive been saying. Im the biggest Floyd fan there is but Im really worried about this fight and I again am upset that he's not getting more credit for it. Atleast this writer has some brains unlike most posters on here. Some clowns on here try to continue to bring up that Oscar started at 130 also so Floyd shouldnt be given any more credit, like Oscar is the same size as Floyd? Yeah right. They again say the samethings about Shane but these guys are way bigger then Floyd and always have been even when there at the same weight class.

This goes back to my P4P thing. No body in boxing is doing what Floyd is doing except for kind of a couple of HW's like Toney but its easier to do that now. Floyd is doing stuff like old school guys. Floyd is and has always been the smallest guy in all of boxing but he's moving up at a rapid pace despite his body not growing that much and no one ever talks about it or he gets no credit for it. Floyd was solid at 130 but he was way smaller then everyone at 135, at 140 he looked like a baby compared to Cotto & others, at 147 it was a joke watching him come into the ring at 146, and now he's going to fight a great fighter at 154 despite him not weighing over a 150 pounds at any time in his life and Im talking about his walking around weight. Meanwhile the guys he fights walk around at a 180 pounds.

This is amazing. Again, he can still be at 135 or 140 dominating great fighters and looking stunning at it. It makes me mad because its hurting his place in history. He's in his prime and should be dominating at his natural weights but instead he's fighting bigger guys at unatural weights. Everyone sweats guys like Tsyzu but if Floyd stayed at 140 then he would look way better then Tszyu ever looked and wouldve beaten way better competition. Look how much bigger Tszyu was to him and now that quick Floyd is going to be fighting at 154? This is so dangerous and he deserves more credit then he is getting.

Just like the writer says, Oscar is not better then Floyd but he may win because of his size. Even his haters admit that he is probally easily better then Margarito but Margarito can beat him because of his size. Yet, if Floyd loses no one will talk about his size. This to me clearly shows why he is P4P the best fighter out there. Look how huge Winky & Pac looked in there last fights, while Floyd is always super small looking

[Abe Attell]

Everyone sweats guys like Tsyzu but if Floyd stayed at 140 then he would look way better then Tszyu ever looked and wouldve beaten way better competition. Look how much bigger Tszyu was to him and now that quick Floyd is going to be fighting at 154? This is so dangerous and he deserves more credit then he is getting.

I've mentioned that as well...I like Tszyu, one of my favorite fighters, but I have always said, the knock on his legacy will be that he failed ot move up and face Oscar, Shane, Vernon, and Tito when the division was hot.

But you know what, it cost him in the end because the weight became a problem as he aged: it most likely started causing the injuries, maybe even some stamina trouble, etc.

[Abe Attell]

Oscar is not better then Floyd but he may win because of his size. Even his haters admit that he is probally easily better then Margarito but Margarito can beat him because of his size. Yet, if Floyd loses no one will talk about his size. This to me clearly shows why he is P4P the best fighter out there. Look how huge Winky & Pac looked in there last fights, while Floyd is always super small looking

I am not sure you can say that:

Oscar did start at lightweight, just like Floyd...Yes, Oscar was always big for the weight, but he was able to make the weight...It is not also about who is the most "skilled" or who is the most "athletic", those attributes can sometimes (if the fighter is Very good/Great) with other things, like Power, Timing, Speed, and "Will."

Floyd has fought good competition, but nothing like Oscar has...
I know these are "What If" questions, but What if:
what would Floyd's record look like if he faced who Oscar faced?
Could Floyd have beaten Tszyu in his prime, or even before his injuries? maybe, but maybe not.


Floyd does have weaknesses, so lets not act like he is a "God"...he is not Sugar Ray Robinson.