The Las Vegas strip was intriguingly quiet last night between the hours of 11 and 12. Many gamblers opted to pay vast sums of money to watch a boxing fight on large screens inside the many hotels and casinos that inhabit the isolated desert strip rather than invest their money in slot machines and roulette tables. One hotel was busier than most last night. The MGM grand, famous for its rich history in hosting a wealth of memorable boxing bouts, was the scene once more for an enthralling fight between two of the sport’s most famous and well known stars. In the richest fight in boxing history, expected to gross over £60 million, the ‘Golden Boy’ Oscar De La Hoya was defeated on a split decision by the judge’s scorecards by arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, ’Pretty Boy’ Floyd Mayweather.
De La Hoya, also a very successful promoter and co-owner of Golden Boy Productions, who hosted last night’s event, entered the ring almost a stone heavier than his opponent, who stepped up a weight division to contest De La Hoya’s Super Welterweight title. Significantly though, De La Hoya, at 34 years of age is four years older than the ‘Pretty Boy’, and many, including Mayweather, predicted that De La Hoya would tire in the latter rounds. The bookies agreed, and made Mayweather a clear odds on favourite.
Mayweather’s confidence before the fight has been obvious in his insulting rants and dismissal of De La Hoya‘s chances, and he made a typically confident entrance to the ring, dressed in Mexican colours (De La Hoya is of Mexican origin) and accompanied by rap star 50 Cent. But the stars at ringside, including Jack Nicholson, Leonardo Di Caprio and Jennifer Lopez were all supporting the popular De La Hoya, and the 16,5000 crowd rose to rapturous applaud as he made a more orthodox entrance to the ring. Indeed, if this fight was a popularity contest De La Hoya had a comfortable victory in the beckoning.
Unfortunately for the ‘Golden Boy’ boxing results are not measured in terms of popularity, and when proceedings got under way Mayweather looked the more comfortable fighter. In the first round he was able to duck and dive under De La Hoya’s stronger, but slower punches, whilst delivering accurate shots to the head and body of De La Hoya. However, the ‘Golden Boy’s’ determination to win this fight was obvious in the second round, which he clearly won. His expression was one of concentration, and he held the centre of the ring, delivering flurries of blows to Mayweather’s ripped torso. But De La Hoya’s greater age was telling, even in the first few rounds and he was unable to deliver punches in more than ten second bursts. Mayweather had warned De La Hoya before the fight ‘there ain’t no gas pumps in there’ and he was evidently saving his energy for the latter stages of the fight.
Nevertheless, De La Hoya was the one making the moves in the first few rounds, and although his punches weren’t hurting Mayweather, they were landing and he was winning the points. Mayweather’s corner reacted and harsh words at the end of the fourth inspired a rejuvenated Mayweather to win a decisive fifth round. The skill and pace of Mayweather were telling, and a sharp right hand knocked De La Hoya back at the bell.
In the sixth the ‘Golden Boy’ was able deliver a succession of blows upon his opponent, but Mayweather was winning the rounds with smart and precise shots. The next four rounds adopted a similar pattern and Mayweather’s boxing superiority was emphasised by cleaner, quicker rights and left hooks.
In the final round, both fighters delivered a superb show, and De La Hoya was the more aggressive after losing the two previous rounds. He gave everything he had left in the tank, and at the final bell both fighters were swinging wildly.
At the final bell, the crowd was chanting De La Hoya’s name, but nobody knew how the judges would score the fight. Mayweather had dominated in the final stages, but De La Hoya was certainly the more aggressive fighter in the early rounds, and his more aggressive tactics could have swayed the judges opinion. Both fighters were confident of victory. In the end, two judges scored the fight in favour of Mayweather, and he retained his unbeaten record of 38 victories. Clearly disappointed De La Hoya exclaimed afterwards ‘I was pressing and wanted to stop him. I was trying to close the show. I am the champion and you've got to do more than that to beat the champion’.
De La Hoya has a point. But on the night, swiftness, speed and rapidity defeated strength and power. Not everybody agreed with the decision, but everyone was in agreement that both men put on an exciting show. Boxing which has suffered falling viewing figures, needed a big fight. Screened in 176 countries this wasn’t a classic by any means, but it was exciting and riveting, and certainly put boxing back on the map.
Joseph Lappin
06/05/04
No comments:
Post a Comment