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Shelley Finkel (manager): “I don’t have any firm conviction, but I’m leaning toward Oscar to win. Since Floyd has moved up in weight, he hasn’t been able to hurt anyone. Oscar is the biggest guy he’s ever fought. He’s also a lot faster than what Floyd is used to. Oscar has got to be aggressive and not allow Floyd to move in and out. This comes down to a great big guy versus a great little guy. Look at Bernard Hopkins against Oscar. A similar thing could happen here, but I expect Oscar to win a decision.”
Tim Smith (New York Daily News): “This is a fairly close fight because both fighters are so talented. De La Hoya has to use his greater power to catch up to and slow down Floyd. I don’t think that Floyd can knock out Oscar, and if Oscar can get to him, he can do damage. But I feel that Mayweather is this generation’s Sugar Ray Robinson or at least as close as anyone can get to that level, so I like Mayweather by decision.”
Teddy Atlas (trainer and ESPN analyst): “This fight can’t be business as usual for De La Hoya. It entails him understanding exactly what Mayweather’s strengths are and working to negate them. People say that De La Hoya is the bigger, longer, and taller fighter, but both guys started out as junior lightweights. De La Hoya has to keep Mayweather off-stride and not let him get in and out. Zab Judah gave Mayweather trouble for four or five rounds, but didn’t have the ability or the substance to keep it up. This fight might be coming five years too late for De La Hoya, but I think he has enough experience and substance for me to make a solid case for him. I would make Mayweather the favorite, but I love live underdogs and De La Hoya is a very live underdog.”
Tim Graham (Buffalo News and president of the Boxing Writers Association of America): “I refuse to say the petulant Mayweather will outclass De La Hoya, but unless Mayweather’s hand breaks, he’ll be the better man in the ring. De La Hoya hasn’t beaten an elite-level fighter in years. He looked shaky in beating Felix Sturm, while Mayweather has never been anything but dominant. Mayweather will be too slick for De La Hoya. De La Hoya is skilled enough to go the distance, but I see the referee stepping in late to stop Oscar from getting picked apart. Mayweather by TKO.”
Pat Lynch (manager of Arturo Gatti, who fought both De La Hoya and Mayweather): “Oscar is the bigger guy, but Mayweather won’t take any chances and will fight very smart. If Mayweather stays within a good game plan, which I think he will do, he will do what he does best: frustrate the other guy. I really love Oscar for never ducking anyone, but I don’t think the size factor that everyone is talking about will make a big difference. Mayweather looks very comfortable and strong at welterweight. It was a natural maturation process for him. He hasn’t lost any of his speed along the way. I like Mayweather by decision.”
Tim Dahlberg (Associated Press): “If De La Hoya can land one of his left hooks, the fight could be competitive. But I think that De La Hoya deluded himself after the Ricardo Mayorga fight into thinking that victory prepared him for a big fight like this one. The whole question is whether or not Oscar can land his left hook. Mayweather is much too quick for Oscar. There’s always a chance that Mayweather’s going up in weight might factor in, but I don’t think it will. Both guys started off at 130 and kept moving up. That neutralizes the size issue. Mayweather by decision.”
Hector Roca (trainer): “De La Hoya is too big and too strong for Mayweather. He probably walks around at 160, 165 pounds. Plus, he has so much more experience in big, competitive fights. People think that Mayweather can’t be hit, but Zab Judah hit him plenty. The fight will be competitive for a while, but after four or five rounds De La Hoya will be in command. He is something special, and he will win a decision.”
Steve Farhood (ShoBox commentator): “This is the career defining fight for Mayweather, so he’ll be hungrier and more focused than ever. On top of that, he’s been the more active fighter. Oscar is going to find out that he can’t turn his talent on and off at will. The only advantage for De La Hoya is his size, but this fight figures to be a boxing match, so that advantage shouldn’t surface. I pick Mayweather to win on points in a fast-paced but careful boxing match.”
Joey Gamache (former WBA super featherweight and lightweight titleholder): “I don’t think that De La Hoya is finished yet. He will be able to use his advantage in size and his versatility to beat Mayweather. Mayweather is a fully loaded welterweight, but De La Hoya is a big, strong guy with a lot of ring intelligence. I can’t see Mayweather hurting him. He’s a decent puncher, but not a good enough puncher to slow De La Hoya down. De La Hoya is smart enough to find weaknesses in Mayweather and take advantage of them. De La Hoya will find a way to win by decision.”
Dan Rafael (ESPN.com senior writer): “Speed kills, so I have to lean toward Mayweather. He is younger, faster, and hungrier. People are making Oscar out to be this much bigger guy, but both guys fought their whole careers in the same weight divisions. I don’t think that size is a real issue. If Oscar can’t hit Floyd, none of that will matter anyway. Mayweather by decision.”
Carlos Baldomir (former welterweight champion who lost the title to Mayweather): “Why not just ask me to give you the winning Argentina lottery numbers? That would be just as hard as picking the winner of this fight. I found out personally what fantastic foot and hand speed Mayweather has. You have to be in the ring with him to really appreciate his skills. He is a once-in-a-generation type fighter, but so is De La Hoya. Oscar is also the bigger, stronger man. I think it will be a competitive fight with a lot of twists and turns. I can see either guy winning, but am leaning toward Oscar by decision due to his size and strength. I know they say that speed kills, but Oscar has an excellent record for choosing the right opponent at the right time. He is very smart in and out of the ring.”
Grady Brewer (winner of season two of The Contender): “Mayweather should come out with a big win. He’s too slick, fast on his feet, and has much better upper body movement. I give De La Hoya a lot of credit, but I don’t see how he can win. He will do what he has to do to try to win, but it won’t be enough. Mayweather will be in and out all night. This will frustrate De La Hoya. Mayweather is capable of stopping De La Hoya, but I think he will win a decision.”
Bruce Silverglade (Gleason’s Gym owner): “This is a very easy fight for Mayweather. De La Hoya is past his prime and Mayweather is at the top of his game. The weight won’t matter; it’s the age factor that is more important. De La Hoya is not the De La Hoya of five, six, or seven years ago. Mayweather is the new kid on the block. He’s now the type of fighter that De La Hoya was five, six, or seven years ago. In a one-sided fight, Mayweather will win a decision.”
Nick Charles (ShoBox commentator): “I have immense respect for Oscar, but Floyd always puts his opponents in fights they can’t win. Oscar, of course, is always dangerous and he never ducks anyone, but Floyd has matured into a natural welterweight. He looks really strong at that weight, so I don’t think it will hurt him. Floyd should be able to dictate the range and the pace of the fight and win a clear-cut decision.”
Mark Breland (Olympic gold medalist and former WBA welterweight titleholder): “De La Hoya is the bigger puncher, but I have to go with Floyd because of his craftiness and smartness. Plus, his defense is spectacular. When De La Hoya tries to be defensive, it usually doesn’t work for him. He’s a much better offensive fighter, but Floyd will make him fight defensively. I don’t think the weight will affect Floyd because he probably walks around at 160 pounds. Mayweather by decision.”
Steve Forbes (former IBF junior lightweight titleholder): “This is a very difficult fight for both guys. I sparred quite a bit with Floyd in the early days of his career, so I can tell you how good he is. In the gym now, he always spars with bigger and stronger guys, so I don’t think the size difference will matter. I think this fight will start off real good, with lots of back and forth momentum. Floyd should take over by the seventh or eighth round and win a decision.”
Buddy McGirt (former IBF junior welterweight and WBC welterweight titleholder and current trainer): “This is a tough pick. People say Oscar is old, but he’s in better shape than he gets credit for. Both of these guys are great fighters who can rumble. Both have been in big fights, so they have big fight experience. Floyd looks pretty unbeatable, but if anyone can beat him it’s Oscar. It’s a hard pick, but since you’re forcing me, I guess I lean toward Oscar by decision.”
Eddie McLoughlin (promoter of middleweight John Duddy): “This is a pick ’em fight, but I have to go with De La Hoya. Mayweather will probably pick his shots and win the first few rounds, but De La Hoya will be able to use his size and strength to walk him down and win a nip-and-tuck battle by about two or three rounds.”
Final Tally: Mayweather 11; De La Hoya 7
ANY THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS?
Tim Smith (New York Daily News): “This is a fairly close fight because both fighters are so talented. De La Hoya has to use his greater power to catch up to and slow down Floyd. I don’t think that Floyd can knock out Oscar, and if Oscar can get to him, he can do damage. But I feel that Mayweather is this generation’s Sugar Ray Robinson or at least as close as anyone can get to that level, so I like Mayweather by decision.”
Teddy Atlas (trainer and ESPN analyst): “This fight can’t be business as usual for De La Hoya. It entails him understanding exactly what Mayweather’s strengths are and working to negate them. People say that De La Hoya is the bigger, longer, and taller fighter, but both guys started out as junior lightweights. De La Hoya has to keep Mayweather off-stride and not let him get in and out. Zab Judah gave Mayweather trouble for four or five rounds, but didn’t have the ability or the substance to keep it up. This fight might be coming five years too late for De La Hoya, but I think he has enough experience and substance for me to make a solid case for him. I would make Mayweather the favorite, but I love live underdogs and De La Hoya is a very live underdog.”
Tim Graham (Buffalo News and president of the Boxing Writers Association of America): “I refuse to say the petulant Mayweather will outclass De La Hoya, but unless Mayweather’s hand breaks, he’ll be the better man in the ring. De La Hoya hasn’t beaten an elite-level fighter in years. He looked shaky in beating Felix Sturm, while Mayweather has never been anything but dominant. Mayweather will be too slick for De La Hoya. De La Hoya is skilled enough to go the distance, but I see the referee stepping in late to stop Oscar from getting picked apart. Mayweather by TKO.”
Pat Lynch (manager of Arturo Gatti, who fought both De La Hoya and Mayweather): “Oscar is the bigger guy, but Mayweather won’t take any chances and will fight very smart. If Mayweather stays within a good game plan, which I think he will do, he will do what he does best: frustrate the other guy. I really love Oscar for never ducking anyone, but I don’t think the size factor that everyone is talking about will make a big difference. Mayweather looks very comfortable and strong at welterweight. It was a natural maturation process for him. He hasn’t lost any of his speed along the way. I like Mayweather by decision.”
Tim Dahlberg (Associated Press): “If De La Hoya can land one of his left hooks, the fight could be competitive. But I think that De La Hoya deluded himself after the Ricardo Mayorga fight into thinking that victory prepared him for a big fight like this one. The whole question is whether or not Oscar can land his left hook. Mayweather is much too quick for Oscar. There’s always a chance that Mayweather’s going up in weight might factor in, but I don’t think it will. Both guys started off at 130 and kept moving up. That neutralizes the size issue. Mayweather by decision.”
Hector Roca (trainer): “De La Hoya is too big and too strong for Mayweather. He probably walks around at 160, 165 pounds. Plus, he has so much more experience in big, competitive fights. People think that Mayweather can’t be hit, but Zab Judah hit him plenty. The fight will be competitive for a while, but after four or five rounds De La Hoya will be in command. He is something special, and he will win a decision.”
Steve Farhood (ShoBox commentator): “This is the career defining fight for Mayweather, so he’ll be hungrier and more focused than ever. On top of that, he’s been the more active fighter. Oscar is going to find out that he can’t turn his talent on and off at will. The only advantage for De La Hoya is his size, but this fight figures to be a boxing match, so that advantage shouldn’t surface. I pick Mayweather to win on points in a fast-paced but careful boxing match.”
Joey Gamache (former WBA super featherweight and lightweight titleholder): “I don’t think that De La Hoya is finished yet. He will be able to use his advantage in size and his versatility to beat Mayweather. Mayweather is a fully loaded welterweight, but De La Hoya is a big, strong guy with a lot of ring intelligence. I can’t see Mayweather hurting him. He’s a decent puncher, but not a good enough puncher to slow De La Hoya down. De La Hoya is smart enough to find weaknesses in Mayweather and take advantage of them. De La Hoya will find a way to win by decision.”
Dan Rafael (ESPN.com senior writer): “Speed kills, so I have to lean toward Mayweather. He is younger, faster, and hungrier. People are making Oscar out to be this much bigger guy, but both guys fought their whole careers in the same weight divisions. I don’t think that size is a real issue. If Oscar can’t hit Floyd, none of that will matter anyway. Mayweather by decision.”
Carlos Baldomir (former welterweight champion who lost the title to Mayweather): “Why not just ask me to give you the winning Argentina lottery numbers? That would be just as hard as picking the winner of this fight. I found out personally what fantastic foot and hand speed Mayweather has. You have to be in the ring with him to really appreciate his skills. He is a once-in-a-generation type fighter, but so is De La Hoya. Oscar is also the bigger, stronger man. I think it will be a competitive fight with a lot of twists and turns. I can see either guy winning, but am leaning toward Oscar by decision due to his size and strength. I know they say that speed kills, but Oscar has an excellent record for choosing the right opponent at the right time. He is very smart in and out of the ring.”
Grady Brewer (winner of season two of The Contender): “Mayweather should come out with a big win. He’s too slick, fast on his feet, and has much better upper body movement. I give De La Hoya a lot of credit, but I don’t see how he can win. He will do what he has to do to try to win, but it won’t be enough. Mayweather will be in and out all night. This will frustrate De La Hoya. Mayweather is capable of stopping De La Hoya, but I think he will win a decision.”
Bruce Silverglade (Gleason’s Gym owner): “This is a very easy fight for Mayweather. De La Hoya is past his prime and Mayweather is at the top of his game. The weight won’t matter; it’s the age factor that is more important. De La Hoya is not the De La Hoya of five, six, or seven years ago. Mayweather is the new kid on the block. He’s now the type of fighter that De La Hoya was five, six, or seven years ago. In a one-sided fight, Mayweather will win a decision.”
Nick Charles (ShoBox commentator): “I have immense respect for Oscar, but Floyd always puts his opponents in fights they can’t win. Oscar, of course, is always dangerous and he never ducks anyone, but Floyd has matured into a natural welterweight. He looks really strong at that weight, so I don’t think it will hurt him. Floyd should be able to dictate the range and the pace of the fight and win a clear-cut decision.”
Mark Breland (Olympic gold medalist and former WBA welterweight titleholder): “De La Hoya is the bigger puncher, but I have to go with Floyd because of his craftiness and smartness. Plus, his defense is spectacular. When De La Hoya tries to be defensive, it usually doesn’t work for him. He’s a much better offensive fighter, but Floyd will make him fight defensively. I don’t think the weight will affect Floyd because he probably walks around at 160 pounds. Mayweather by decision.”
Steve Forbes (former IBF junior lightweight titleholder): “This is a very difficult fight for both guys. I sparred quite a bit with Floyd in the early days of his career, so I can tell you how good he is. In the gym now, he always spars with bigger and stronger guys, so I don’t think the size difference will matter. I think this fight will start off real good, with lots of back and forth momentum. Floyd should take over by the seventh or eighth round and win a decision.”
Buddy McGirt (former IBF junior welterweight and WBC welterweight titleholder and current trainer): “This is a tough pick. People say Oscar is old, but he’s in better shape than he gets credit for. Both of these guys are great fighters who can rumble. Both have been in big fights, so they have big fight experience. Floyd looks pretty unbeatable, but if anyone can beat him it’s Oscar. It’s a hard pick, but since you’re forcing me, I guess I lean toward Oscar by decision.”
Eddie McLoughlin (promoter of middleweight John Duddy): “This is a pick ’em fight, but I have to go with De La Hoya. Mayweather will probably pick his shots and win the first few rounds, but De La Hoya will be able to use his size and strength to walk him down and win a nip-and-tuck battle by about two or three rounds.”
Final Tally: Mayweather 11; De La Hoya 7
ANY THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS?
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