LOS ANGELES ? On the road to the top of pound-for-pound lists, five fighters have shared the ring with both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. ? including “The Golden Boy,” Oscar De La Hoya.
The boxer-turned-promoter shared a few thoughts about the fight of the century during a media workout for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Filipino fighter Mercito Gesta.
“As long as the fight is a great fight, that’s all that matters,” De La Hoya said. “That’s all I’m concerned about.”
“I love the match-up. I love the styles. The only fighter who’s going to make the fight happen is Pacquiao,” he added.
In 2007, De La Hoya pushed Mayweather to the distance, losing a split decision in a bout that set a record with 2.4-million pay-per-view buys.
De La Hoya’s 2008 match against Pacquiao proved to be the last of his career after he suffered a technical knockout loss when he would not come out of his corner ahead of the ninth round.
“We might see a dull fight because Mayweather beats him hands down because he’s boxing,” said De La Hoya. “Or, we see a great fight because Pacquiao is just putting on the pressure and making him fight.”
“I’m hoping for Plan B,” he added.
While he limited his talk about the May 2 fight, De La Hoya made a split decision on his prediction.
“My head goes with Mayweather, my heart goes with Pacquiao,” De La Hoya said. “So it’s going to be a great fight.”
“I can’t really predict. Don’t get it past Pacquiao that he goes out there and surprise Mayweather. But Mayweather is a master at what he does. He’s a master defensive boxer,” he added.
In the boxing world, one punch can cause ripples through the entire landscape. The “Golden Boy” admits that the winner of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight will have an effect on the battle between Alvarez and James Kirkland.
Mayweather’s 2013 victory over the then-unbeaten Alvarez currently holds the record as the most lucrative fight in the sport.
De La Hoya is hoping that a more seasoned “Canelo” will get a shot at the winner.
“Canelo is going to get another shot at Mayweather. Believe me, he will get another shot, but when the time is right,” said De La Hoya.
“If everything goes well as planned, I guarantee you that Canelo will be up against Mayweather or Pacquiao relatively soon,” he added.
While he was concentrating on his own events, De La Hoya did share his plans for May 2.
“I’ll be right there, sitting next to Bob Arum,” he said with a laugh.
The Mayweather-Pacquiao event will be replayed right before Golden Boy Promotions’ Canelo-Kirkland fight on Showtime.
