Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya faced off for the WBC super welterweight world championship on Saturday, May 5, 2007 in Las Vegas
Boxing legends Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. remain two of the most iconic figures in the sport, with their 2007 showdown marking one of the most memorable events in boxing history.
Recently, De La Hoya opened up about that fight, suggesting that a few different choices on his part could have led to a vastly different outcome-potentially even a knockout victory over Mayweather.
De la Hoya: I could have knocked out Mayweather
During a recent appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast with Shannon Sharpe, De La Hoya made some bold claims about the fight, which ended in a split decision victory for Mayweather.
When asked if having Mayweather Sr. in his corner might have changed the result, De La Hoya responded confidently, “Knock him out. I would’ve knocked him out. Really.”
He elaborated further, stating, “If I was one year younger and had Sr. in my corner, I would’ve knocked him out. Absolutely.”
De La Hoya, who was known for his powerful jab, admitted that his failure to maintain that key aspect of his strategy was crucial to his defeat.
“The key to that style, the Philly Shell, is a jab. It opens up all the doors,” he explained.
Reflecting on his performance, he acknowledged, “When my jab failed me, it was over. I knew it in my heart, in my head.”
De la Hoya could have fought a rematch with Mayweather
Beyond the tactical aspects of the fight, De La Hoya also revealed that he had considered hiring Mayweather Sr. as his trainer for a potential rematch but ultimately decided against it.
“He wanted too much money,”De La Hoya disclosed, adding that he also felt it would have been morally wrong, considering the strained relationship between Mayweather Sr. and his son at the time.
“I said, ‘No, I can’t do this. I cannot do this to a family who has been in the business for a very long time.'”
The relationship between Mayweather Sr. and his son was fraught with tension, including a notable public fallout in 2000.
Despite this, De La Hoya chose not to pursue Mayweather Sr. as a trainer, in part to avoid deepening the rift between father and son.
“Aside from [money], morally, I think it was wrong,” De La Hoya remarked.
However, De La Hoya remains proud of his performance, noting, “I fought against the best Floyd Mayweather, in his prime, you know, undefeated… So I was pretty proud [of] what I accomplished that night.”
