WBC light middleweight champion Oscar “The Golden Boy” de la Hoya will defend his crown against WBC welterweight champion Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather on May 5 in one of the most exciting bouts in boxing history.
The fight will be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas billed as De La Hoya — Mayweather: The World Awaits. It will be an unprecedented super fight between two boxing superstars and former Olympians, an event poised to shatter records. The six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya versus undefeated, four-division world champion Floyd Mayweather for the junior middleweight championship.
Fight update: Rocky Juarez won via unanimous decision 115-112, 116-111, and 117-110. Next up, the main event.
Round 1 both fighters sizing each other up, jab jab mayweather, mayweather shows his quickness in this round, oscar targeting mayweather’s body. Little action early. Mayweather uses jab, but De La Hoya cuts off the ring. Mayweather moving and staying defensive, peppering with short hands. De La Hoya adds late flurry of jabs, but one lands low. Mayweather more active overall. Mayweather round
Round 2 De La Hoya more active from the bell, working his left hand and looking to land his famous hook. Gets Mayweather to ropes, but Mayweather ducks and dodges. De La Hoya works jab, puts Mayweather back on heels again. De La Hoya stalks Mayweather throughout. Mayweather stays active and elusive. De La Hoya finding success in cutting off Mayweather’s movement, but Mayweather still smiling. Late clinch. De La Hoya’s round.
Round 3 De La Hoya still working jab and left hook. Stuns Mayweather with left, chases him back to ropes again with a combination. Mayweather looks surprised, throws a defensive right to relieve the pressure. De La Hoya controlling the ring, but Mayweather avoiding any big damage. Mayweather works jab, but can’t land much. De La Hoya tests Mayweather’s defense, gets Mayweather lunging backward. De La Hoya bullrushes Mayweather to his corner again late. Mayweather nearly lands right at bell. De La Hoya’s round.
ROUND 4 — De La Hoya sticks early left jab, Mayweather replies. Mayweather more active and aggressive, daring De La Hoya to chase him. De La Hoya corners Mayweather again and again, but can’t land much. Mayweather active with jab. De La Hoya gets Mayweather on ropes, lands 10 straight lefts to his side, followed by three rights. None do much damage to the defensive Mayweather, who looks cool while backpedaling. De La Hoya lands glancing left to Mayweather’s head at bell. De La Hoya more active; Mayweather more efficient.
De La Hoya’s round.
ROUND 5 — Mayweather ducks hard right, lands two left jabs, then ducks big left hook. De La Hoya backs Mayweather to ropes. Mayweather punches his way out. Mayweather moving less, punching more. Mayweather lands a right while backed up on ropes, but De La Hoya is relentless. Another trip to the ropes, another left to Mayweather’s head. Mayweather responds with two flurries, chasing De La Hoya for once. Mayweather’s hard right glances off De La Hoya’s chin with 15 seconds left.
Mayweather’s round.
Round 6: Mayweather’s defense is smooth as usual. De La Hoya had Mayweather against the ropes and just missed what could have been a devastating uppercut. De La Hoya landed a strong right hand with a minute to go. I should note that the analysts on both HBO and ESPNews have Mayweather winning, but I have it 10-9 De La Hoya
Round 7: De La Hoya backed Mayweather into a corner yet again early, and that’s when he’s been most effective. Mayweather landed a hard right with about a minute to go, then landed a nice right to the body. De La Hoya was strong late, but Mayweather landed more powerful shots and I’m calling it 10-9 Mayweather.
Round 8: Mayweather landed a very strong jab early. Then De La Hoya came in strong and backed Mayweather away. This is one of those fights where through eight rounds you could have it 6-2 either way. Both fighters are starting to look tired, but De La Hoya landed a couple at the end and I’m giving this round 10-9 De La Hoya
Round 9: Mayweather landed a right to the head 40 seconds in. He then had a good combination about 30 seconds later. For the most part, Mayweather has been better early in rounds but De La Hoya has finished every round with a flurry, which tends to stick in the mind of the judges. With 1:10 to go De La Hoya drilled Mayweather repeatedly against the ropes. The referee is a bit indecisive when breaking them up in clinches. Overall a good round for Floyd: 10-9 Mayweather
Round 10: The fight is getting a little sloppy as the fighters tire out. Mayweather looks fresher than De La Hoya, but he hasn’t been able to capitalize. Still, he landed enough clean punches (and De La Hoya landed very few) that it’s definitely 10-9 Mayweather. Down the stretch now and De la Hoya lands with a solid left hook and decent right. De la Hoya still ploughing forward, guard catching most that Mayweather is throwing at him. Mayweather took that round on work-rate, and lands with a crisp right hand on the bell. Oscar 9-10 Floyd
Round 11: Good body shot from Mayweather and a lightning right hand. De la Hoya is feeling this, possibly saving himself for the final round. Mayweather teeing off on De la Hoya, and Oscar barely threw a punch… until right at the death, rocking Mayweather’s head back with a swingeing right hand. But that was Mayweather’s round, and I’ve got him one behind going into the final round. Mayweather landed a couple right hands that made the crowd gasp. Mayweather had his most tactical round, and although De La Hoya had one brief flurry against the ropes, Mayweather dominated the round, and Mayweather is clearly better equipped to go the distance. De La Hoya did land a right with 10 seconds to go, but Mayweather looks like he’s going to wrap this thing up in the 12th. 10-9 Mayweather.
Round 12: We’re on for a grandstand finish, both men know it’s up for grabs. Mayweather doing the cleaner work and De la Hoya is running on fumes. De La Hoya ran out of gas at the end, and so did this fight. One final flurry for De La Hoya was too little, too late. 10-9 Mayweather.
The last next 7 rounds, courtesy of Rogers
By split decision (115-113, De La Hoya; 116-112, 115-113, Floyd Mayweather) “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather (38-0) becomes the new WBC junior middleweight champion.
