We are in the midst of a perfect storm. The deluge is nearly nonstop. The duration is nearly six months.
The destination, a fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. The din leading up to it, deafening. The destruction left in its wake, debilitating.
The dead air is brief ? but here.
It was clear from the moment of the November announcement that De La Hoya-Mayweather would consistently dominate headlines and message boards, coverage and conversation. Oscar De La Hoya has for years been the pound-for-pound champion of the box office. Floyd Mayweather is, to many, the pound-for-pound champion of the Sweet Science. Their meeting would be big for the sport. It would be huge for the business.
It may, so far, have had the opposite effect.
Golden Boy Promotions and HBO pulled out all of the proverbial stops to build hype and elicit mainstream attention. Media releases. A whirlwind tour of press conferences. A televised documentary miniseries. Yet for every article and every minute of airtime devoted to a fight months and weeks down the line, there was an alarming lack of attention paid to those that were in the near future ? bouts which may, in fact, be more important to both the sport and the business.
Both De La Hoya and Mayweather are established stars, men who are more than a decade into their respective careers and who have each recently considered retirement. They are not the old guard ? nor are they old news ? but neither fighter will be sticking around long enough to lead boxing?s fresh crop of superstars into the next decade. And that?s assuming we have said superstars that were finally allowed enough of the spotlight to bloom in the public eye.
