Oscar De La Hoya Says He Wants to 'Bury the Hatchet' with Floyd Mayweather

Retired boxers Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. haven't been getting along lately. Over the past two weeks, they have been going at it through the media. 

De La Hoya seems to be extending the olive branch, though, as he told BoxingScene.com's Radio Rahim on Wednesday:

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You know what, I'm gonna give it to you. I'm gonna give you an exclusive right now. Floyd, let's bury the hatchet. I'm shaking, I'm getting a little teary eyed. Floyd, let's bury the hatchet. We don't have to be friends. We don't have to be best friends, but let's bury the hatchet for the sake of the sport. 

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The two faced off in the ring in 2007, with Mayweather winning by split decision. De La Hoya retired a year later and became president of Golden Boy Promotions, which co-promoted 10 of Mayweather's fights. Last year, according to Rahim, Mayweather broke away from Golden Boy.    

De La Hoya seemed to have re-sparked tensions after going after Mayweather in a letter published by Playboy Magazine in which he called Mayweather "boring" and said the sport will be "a better one without [Money] in it."

Mayweather came back and called De La Hoya a "'jealous' individual," per Rahim.

De La Hoya is putting it all in the past and is hoping there are business ventures with Mayweather in the future:

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Keep doing what you're doing, I applaud you. I'm doing what I'm doing. Let's come together. Maybe down the road we can work together. Imagine that. Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions. We'll bring in the Bobfather. Maybe well bring Don King out of retirement. Maybe we'll do a Super Bowl of boxing. Floyd, let's bury the hatchet, sincerely."

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The boxing world will now have an opportunity to see just how forgiving of a man Mayweather can be, as he won't have an opportunity to take out any frustrations or anger on De La Hoya in the ring. 

But seeing those two pair up for some big-time fights could rocket the sport to new heights. They both know boxing, and few are flashier or know how to party more than Mayweather. We could be seeing the beginning of a beautiful business partnership. Or we could see Mayweather burn any remaining bridges between the two once-great boxers. 

Stats courtesy of BoxRec.com.