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Philippines, 26 Apr 2024 |
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The Golfer and The Rapper: Oscar and Floyd -- A Study in Contrast By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT PhilBoxing.com Thu, 29 Mar 2007 "William Benjamin Hogan is what Mozart is to music, Einstein is to science and Muhammad Ali is to boxing." -- John Andrisani, Golf Digest Editor. What the Ben Hogan Golf Company is to golf Golden Boy Promotions is to boxing -- parallel success stories transcending sports and business. San Francisco's City Hall was abuzz as Oscar dela Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. -- boxing's latest legends -- bared the specifics on boxing's version of swinging and shot making before an appreciative crowd anxious to know more about their May 5 outing at Vegas' MGM Grand Casino. First to tee off was the brash Floyd "Pretty Boy" Mayweather, Jr. who thanked his fans for the opportunity and promptly bragged that he's the world's best -- pound-for-pound. Conciliatory and respectful (unusual for Floyd), the Pretty Boy enthused, "I'd like to thank Oscar for the chance to beat him up. I am looking forward to doing future business with his Golden Boy Promotions." Quite a contrast to their earlier meetings with media when Floyd accused Oscar of throwing his fight against Bernard Hopkins. Doing his own impression of 'The Greatest', Floyd Jr. was an absolute thrash talker at the stare down with his saliva-laden yammering on target at the nattily-dressed de la Hoya. The Golden Boy, who came in a gray wool suit in a red-stripe tie ala Ben Hogan sans the white cap, stood bemused with stares that reminded everyone he is the promoter and the fighter to give him a "beat down." The month before, The Golf Channel featured Oscar hitting 250-yard drives and sinking 10 ft putts at the Bob Hope Classic. Playing partners Jesper Parnevik and tournament host and Oscar's buddy George Lopez helped hold Oscar's belt as he chipped out of a sloped incline for a save. By contrast, Floyd looked as if he was set to break dance -- rapping and gesturing like a hiphop mogul while counting 'wads of 'greenbucks'. The slugging Golden Boy vs boxing's Pretty Boy are set to dish out one of the greatest if not the greatest fights of all time -- Old School vs New, Pomp-and-circumstance, Style vs substance... you name it. The favored de la Hoya is now deep in training with his new cornerman Freddie Roach in his adopted Puerto Rico, where he awaits two of his favored hopefuls, Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and Alex John "Bazooka" Banal in the much-awaited card aptly tagged "The World Awaits." The unbeaten Rey, fondly called "Boom Boom" is matched against an equally undefeated Argentine Sergio Manuel Medina in a stellar supporting role of the sold out classic. AJ Banal is being groomed to tangle with Argentina's IBF international super-flyweight champion -- Sergio Santillan. "Having witnessed how valiant Gerry Pe?alosa measured up to Daniel Ponce de Leon, I think Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista is ready for the world championship. But first he has to take care of Medina," Hermie Rivera declared. "As for AJ, Oscar saw a world beater and promptly signed him up." Rivera added. Tony Aldeguer's renowned stable mainstays are now in Holywood's Wild Card gym for a-week-long training stint and then onward to San Juan, Puerto Rico where trainer of the year Roach awaits them for the concluding grind while "The World Awaits." Click here to view a list of other articles written by Emmanuel Rivera, RRT.  |
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