Oscar De La Hoya Mocks 'Boring' Floyd Mayweather in Farewell Letter to Money
Former six-weight world champion Oscar De La Hoya has penned an intriguing farewell letter to retired fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr., bluntly labelling Money as both “boring” and “afraid.”
The passage, set to be appear in the December issue of Playboy magazine, is addressed directly to Mayweather after he announced his retirement from the sport earlier this year—finishing with a stellar career record of 49 wins from 49 professional bouts.
De La Hoya, who lost to the American during his fighting days, was congratulatory on such a record but went on to be highly critical of the manner in which Mayweather approached his bouts:
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"Let’s face it: You were boring. Just take a look at your most recent performance, your last hurrah in the ring, a 12-round decision against Andre Berto. How to describe it? A bust? A disaster? A snooze fest? An affair so one-sided that on one judge’s card Berto didn’t win a single round? Everyone in boxing knew Berto didn’t have a chance.
[…]
Another reason boxing is better off without you: You were afraid. Afraid of taking chances. Afraid of risk. A perfect example is your greatest “triumph,” the long-awaited record-breaking fight between you and Manny Pacquiao. Nearly 4.5 million buys! More than $400 million in revenue! Headlines worldwide! How can that be bad for boxing? Because you lied. You promised action and entertainment and a battle for the ages, and you delivered none of the above.
"
De La Hoya goes on to claim Mayweather should have got in the ring with Manny Pacquiao five years earlier but said the fight would have been “too risky” for Money.
The Golden Boy also suggested that in retirement, Mayweather may end up on Dancing with the Stars again. “It’s a job that’s safe, pays well and lets you run around on stage,” De La Hoya wrote. “Something you’ve been doing for most of your career.”
Mayweather’s style has been a regular topic of debate throughout his career. While nobody would deny Money was a wonderful technician and a defensive guru, these qualities did not make for aesthetic bouts.
The Pacquiao showdown that De La Hoya mentions, despite a remarkable amount of hype, was a major letdown for both boxing diehards and casual fans.
De La Hoya has long been critical of Mayweather and didn’t hold back in his assessment of Money after his final fight with Berto, which was almost awkwardly one-sided:
Despite questions over his style, Mayweather became the biggest name of this era, and according to Forbes, he is the richest sportsperson anywhere in the world. Millions of fans still paid to watch his fights, and there’s no disputing that finishing up on 49-0 is a huge achievement, regardless of how those wins were accrued.
Perhaps De La Hoya is a little bitter? After all, Mayweather did edge a contentious split decision when the two men fought in 2007—arguably the closest contest of Money’s career.
The Golden Boy seems content having left a legacy that is not as immaculate as Mayweather’s, but one rife with many more entertaining fights. However, Morgan Campbell of the Toronto Star had an interesting take on De La Hoya's criticism of Mayweather picking easy opponents:
Speculation continues to rage among fans over whether Money will return. At the moment, he is level with the great Rocky Marciano in terms of overall career record, and given that he remains in tremendous shape, he will likely be tempted by the prospect of making history and another substantial payday.
Needless to say, the likes of De La Hoya feel as though boxing is in better shape without Mayweather on the scene, and there are certainly a lot of fights to look forward to in the coming months. Still, should he eventually lace up the gloves again, boring or not, Money would still draw more attention than any other boxer on the planet.
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