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Prepare for bizarre: Mayweather vs. dad
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
By David Mayo
The Grand Rapids Press
Floyd Mayweather gave Oscar De La Hoya practically every negotiable term to make the most desirable fight in boxing today, and possibly the sport's biggest money-maker ever. What remains to be seen is whether he over-sacrificed by giving up his father.
It will be different, seeing his father working the opposite corner, amid the din and bright lights of the championship prize ring.
It will be different, listening as the man who put boxing gloves in his crib guarantees his first defeat.
It will be different, hearing the man who predicted his championship greatness criticize how he has slipped, how his cornermen are half-wits, and how De La Hoya will pressure him until his brittle hands crumble.
Even as Mayweather's place inhistory comes under debate, he must endure 5 1/2 months of holes shot through his pristine 37-0 record by the man who steered a family into this sport, and now will play a central role in perhaps the most bizarre family competition in sports history.
This is the debate Floyd Mayweather Sr. spurned as De La Hoya's trainer for the last five years, before De La Hoya began to sway as the proposed windfall grew, and before Mayweather Sr. acquiesced.
Yes, he finally said, he would train Oscar to beat up his only son, for a $2 million asking price. No sense only one Mayweather getting rich on this gig.
That is one deal that hasn't been reached, although De La Hoya needs both the technical teachings Mayweather Sr. can provide, and the scant half-year of every psychological jab the father can fire before May 5.
"Little Floyd is scared right now, and he'll be scared all the way up until the day of the fight, especially with his daddy in the opposite corner," Mayweather Sr. said. "That's really going to (mess) with his head, you watch. The only thing that would make it different is if my terms aren't met, and I'm not in the corner. But otherwise, his daddy's got something for him -- a spanking."
The record for U.S. pay-per-view boxing sales is $103 million for the 2002 Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson fight.
De La Hoya-Mayweather could break that record, for many reasons: It is the marquee fight in the sport; a pound-for-pound king against a former one; the top two bread-winners in boxing; and, debatably, career finales for both.
But the father-son tale will be dissected by columnists and psychologists alike, and play a significant role in why De La Hoya-Mayweather could become the richest fight ever.
Since their 2001 split, when Mayweather Sr. resigned as trainer in a dispute over management changes, he rarely has criticized his son's artistic successes. That changed after watching his son's 12-round whitewash of Carlos Baldomir two weeks ago.
"If he fights De La Hoya any kind of way like that, he can hang it up," he said. "He'll get the crap beat out of him."
Just in case the Mayweathers ever do patch up, the upcoming fight is one good-old-days recollection neither wants to debate from the losing side.
"I work seven days a week anyway," Mayweather Jr. said, "but I usually go to the gym Monday through Friday, and Saturday and Sunday will be light days for me. For this fight, I'll work seven days a week. I'll go to the boxing gym even on Sunday."
He conceded on money, weight, venue, and even agreed to wear minimally padded Reyes-brand gloves on his oft-injured hands.
"His hands won't hold up in the Reyes," Mayweather Sr. said. "At some point, he's going to hurt himself on Oscar, and when he hurts himself on Oscar, he's in trouble. And you know what? He's going to hurt his hands early. Oscar is going to come straight to him and make him work his hands. Mark my words, he'll hurt his hands early."
Mayweather Jr. counters that his father, who was a 28-6-1 pro, never reached this level because he was a slap-puncher who couldn't duck, and that his own skills are honed beyond his father's teachings.
"My father has said he taught me everything I know, but he didn't teach me everything he knows," he said. "I'm glad he didn't teach me everything he knows, because my record might be 28-6-1."
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
By David Mayo
The Grand Rapids Press
Floyd Mayweather gave Oscar De La Hoya practically every negotiable term to make the most desirable fight in boxing today, and possibly the sport's biggest money-maker ever. What remains to be seen is whether he over-sacrificed by giving up his father.
It will be different, seeing his father working the opposite corner, amid the din and bright lights of the championship prize ring.
It will be different, listening as the man who put boxing gloves in his crib guarantees his first defeat.
It will be different, hearing the man who predicted his championship greatness criticize how he has slipped, how his cornermen are half-wits, and how De La Hoya will pressure him until his brittle hands crumble.
Even as Mayweather's place inhistory comes under debate, he must endure 5 1/2 months of holes shot through his pristine 37-0 record by the man who steered a family into this sport, and now will play a central role in perhaps the most bizarre family competition in sports history.
This is the debate Floyd Mayweather Sr. spurned as De La Hoya's trainer for the last five years, before De La Hoya began to sway as the proposed windfall grew, and before Mayweather Sr. acquiesced.
Yes, he finally said, he would train Oscar to beat up his only son, for a $2 million asking price. No sense only one Mayweather getting rich on this gig.
That is one deal that hasn't been reached, although De La Hoya needs both the technical teachings Mayweather Sr. can provide, and the scant half-year of every psychological jab the father can fire before May 5.
"Little Floyd is scared right now, and he'll be scared all the way up until the day of the fight, especially with his daddy in the opposite corner," Mayweather Sr. said. "That's really going to (mess) with his head, you watch. The only thing that would make it different is if my terms aren't met, and I'm not in the corner. But otherwise, his daddy's got something for him -- a spanking."
The record for U.S. pay-per-view boxing sales is $103 million for the 2002 Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson fight.
De La Hoya-Mayweather could break that record, for many reasons: It is the marquee fight in the sport; a pound-for-pound king against a former one; the top two bread-winners in boxing; and, debatably, career finales for both.
But the father-son tale will be dissected by columnists and psychologists alike, and play a significant role in why De La Hoya-Mayweather could become the richest fight ever.
Since their 2001 split, when Mayweather Sr. resigned as trainer in a dispute over management changes, he rarely has criticized his son's artistic successes. That changed after watching his son's 12-round whitewash of Carlos Baldomir two weeks ago.
"If he fights De La Hoya any kind of way like that, he can hang it up," he said. "He'll get the crap beat out of him."
Just in case the Mayweathers ever do patch up, the upcoming fight is one good-old-days recollection neither wants to debate from the losing side.
"I work seven days a week anyway," Mayweather Jr. said, "but I usually go to the gym Monday through Friday, and Saturday and Sunday will be light days for me. For this fight, I'll work seven days a week. I'll go to the boxing gym even on Sunday."
He conceded on money, weight, venue, and even agreed to wear minimally padded Reyes-brand gloves on his oft-injured hands.
"His hands won't hold up in the Reyes," Mayweather Sr. said. "At some point, he's going to hurt himself on Oscar, and when he hurts himself on Oscar, he's in trouble. And you know what? He's going to hurt his hands early. Oscar is going to come straight to him and make him work his hands. Mark my words, he'll hurt his hands early."
Mayweather Jr. counters that his father, who was a 28-6-1 pro, never reached this level because he was a slap-puncher who couldn't duck, and that his own skills are honed beyond his father's teachings.
"My father has said he taught me everything I know, but he didn't teach me everything he knows," he said. "I'm glad he didn't teach me everything he knows, because my record might be 28-6-1."
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