De La Hoya-Mayweather boxing match
Encyclopedia
De La Hoya vs. Mayweather: The World Awaits was a super welterweight
superfight which took place on May 5, 2007, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas
, Nevada
between six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya
(38-4, 30 KO
) and undefeated four-division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.
(37-0, 24 KO). At the time, the match was the most lucrative boxing match ever, with over $120 million in generated revenue.
Mayweather Jr. won by split decision
over De La Hoya in 12 rounds, capturing the World Boxing Council
(WBC) light middleweight
title.
. It was contested at 154 pounds, with De La Hoya defending his WBC light middleweight championship.
Tickets sold out three hours after they went on sale on Saturday, January 27, 2007. With the sellout, the bout generated over $19 million in live gate, beating the previous record of $16,860,300 set by the November 13, 1999, heavyweight championship rematch between Evander Holyfield
and Lennox Lewis
at the Thomas & Mack Center
.
The fight was televised on HBO Pay-Per-View
, with the cost to watch the fight at $55 in the U.S.
Mayweather won by a split decision in 12 tactically fought rounds, capturing the World Boxing Council (WBC) title though some saw the fight as being fairly one-sided on his behalf, while others thought De La Hoya deserved the nod.
Judges Jerry Roth (115-113) and Chuck Giampa (116-112) scored the fight for Mayweather while judge Tom Kaczmarek had De La Hoya winning, 115-113.
A subplot to the fight concerned whether De La Hoya would be trained by Floyd Mayweather Sr.
, the estranged father of Mayweather Jr. Mayweather Sr. had served as De La Hoya's trainer since 2001 . Mayweather Sr. announced his willingness to train De La Hoya after initially declining to oppose his son, but demanded a $2 million fee in light of the enormous revenue to be generated by the fight. De La Hoya declined to meet Mayweather Sr.'s demands, making a counteroffer of $500,000 guaranteed plus an additional $500,000 contingent on De La Hoya winning the fight. Ultimately, the sides were unable to come to an agreement and De La Hoya hired the highly-respected Freddie Roach to be his cornerman
instead.
Although Mayweather Sr. reunited with his son at the start of Floyd Jr.'s training camp, he had no official role, as Floyd Jr. opted to retain his uncle, Roger Mayweather, as his trainer instead. Mayweather Sr. left the camp by the end of April, upset over not being chosen as trainer and by comments made by his son and brother on the "24/7" show.
defeats
Jose Andres Hernandez via unanimous decision for the WBA Fedaltin featherweight title. Rey Bautista
defeats
Sergio Manuel Medina via unanimous decision in a WBO superbantamweight title eliminator. Ernest Johnson
had a draw with
Wes Ferguson in the sixth round. AJ Banal defeats Juan Alberto Rosas via unanimous decision. Christian Solano KOs 
John O'Donnell in the second round. Billy Dib
defeats Jose Alberto Gonzalez by unanimous decision. John Murray KOs Lorenzo Bethea in the seventh round. Carlos Duarte KOs Calvin Rooks in the second round. Jonathan Arabaca defeats 
Pheng Her via split decision.
and Holyfield
. Floyd Mayweather earned $25 million for the fight.
limit. The first fight was contracted at light middleweight
or 154 lbs and de la Hoya's WBC
junior middleweight title was on the line. However, Mayweather would have come in as champion and defended his WBC/The Ring
welterweight titles. De la Hoya's last fight against Stephen Forbes (33-6) was on May 3 with Floyd Mayweather, Sr. as his trainer. Largely fought as a "tune-up" bout, De La Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs) dominated and won a unanimous decision over Forbes, winning decisively - 119-109, 119-109 and 120-108.
The rematch never took place due to Mayweather's retirement in 2008 and de la Hoya's retirement in 2009, although Mayweather would return to boxing in 2009 to fight lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez
.
Light middleweight
Light Middleweight , is a weight division in professional boxing, above 147 pounds and up to 154 pounds ....
superfight which took place on May 5, 2007, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
between six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
(38-4, 30 KO
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
) and undefeated four-division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr. is an American professional boxer. He is a five-division world champion, where he has won seven world titles, as well as the lineal championship in three different weight classes...
(37-0, 24 KO). At the time, the match was the most lucrative boxing match ever, with over $120 million in generated revenue.
Mayweather Jr. won by split decision
Split decision
A split decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which two of the three judges score for the same fighter as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other...
over De La Hoya in 12 rounds, capturing the World Boxing Council
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
(WBC) light middleweight
Light middleweight
Light Middleweight , is a weight division in professional boxing, above 147 pounds and up to 154 pounds ....
title.
Details
The fight took place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada under the promotion of Golden Boy PromotionsGolden Boy Promotions
Golden Boy Promotions, Inc. is a combat sport promotional firm started by former boxer six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya...
. It was contested at 154 pounds, with De La Hoya defending his WBC light middleweight championship.
Tickets sold out three hours after they went on sale on Saturday, January 27, 2007. With the sellout, the bout generated over $19 million in live gate, beating the previous record of $16,860,300 set by the November 13, 1999, heavyweight championship rematch between Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
and Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis
Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...
at the Thomas & Mack Center
Thomas & Mack Center
The Thomas & Mack Center is an arena, located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. For ring events, the capacity is 19,522, for basketball, the capacity is 18,776.-History:...
.
The fight was televised on HBO Pay-Per-View
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
, with the cost to watch the fight at $55 in the U.S.
Mayweather won by a split decision in 12 tactically fought rounds, capturing the World Boxing Council (WBC) title though some saw the fight as being fairly one-sided on his behalf, while others thought De La Hoya deserved the nod.
Judges Jerry Roth (115-113) and Chuck Giampa (116-112) scored the fight for Mayweather while judge Tom Kaczmarek had De La Hoya winning, 115-113.
Hype
As part of the buildup for the fight, HBO produced an unprecedented four-part prelude. The series, titled De La Hoya-Mayweather 24/7, aired installments on the final three Sundays of April, with the fourth installment airing on Thursday, May 3, two days before the fight. The series focused on each fighter's training and preparation for the bout.A subplot to the fight concerned whether De La Hoya would be trained by Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Floyd Mayweather, Sr. is an American boxing trainer. A welterweight contender during the 1970s and 1980s, he recently returned to action in 2011 capturing the UBF title. Floyd Sr. is known for his defensive ability and overall knowledge of boxing strategy. He is the father and former trainer of...
, the estranged father of Mayweather Jr. Mayweather Sr. had served as De La Hoya's trainer since 2001 . Mayweather Sr. announced his willingness to train De La Hoya after initially declining to oppose his son, but demanded a $2 million fee in light of the enormous revenue to be generated by the fight. De La Hoya declined to meet Mayweather Sr.'s demands, making a counteroffer of $500,000 guaranteed plus an additional $500,000 contingent on De La Hoya winning the fight. Ultimately, the sides were unable to come to an agreement and De La Hoya hired the highly-respected Freddie Roach to be his cornerman
Cornerman
A cornerman, or simply corner, is a combat sports term for a coach or team mate assisting a fighter during the length of a bout. The cornerman remains outside the combat area during the fight, but in proximity, and can assist the fighter through instruction...
instead.
Although Mayweather Sr. reunited with his son at the start of Floyd Jr.'s training camp, he had no official role, as Floyd Jr. opted to retain his uncle, Roger Mayweather, as his trainer instead. Mayweather Sr. left the camp by the end of April, upset over not being chosen as trainer and by comments made by his son and brother on the "24/7" show.
Undercard
Rocky JuarezRocky Juarez
Ricardo Rocky Juarez is a professional Mexican-American boxer. Juarez has a current professional record of 28 wins, 7 losses and 1 draw, with 19 wins coming by way of knockout.- Professional career :...
defeats
Jose Andres Hernandez via unanimous decision for the WBA Fedaltin featherweight title. Rey BautistaRey Bautista
Reynaldo Bautista , more commonly known as Boom Boom Bautista, is a Filipino professional boxer, currently residing in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.- Early life :...
defeats
Sergio Manuel Medina via unanimous decision in a WBO superbantamweight title eliminator. Ernest JohnsonErnest Johnson
Ernest Alfred Johnson was a British track cyclist who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics. He was born in Putney, London and died in Kingsbridge, Devon....
had a draw with
Wes Ferguson in the sixth round. AJ Banal defeats Juan Alberto Rosas via unanimous decision. Christian Solano KOs John O'Donnell in the second round. Billy DibBilly Dib
Billy "The Kid" Dib is an Australian professional boxer. He is the current IBF Featherweight Champion. He is the former IBO super featherweight champion.-Early years:Bilal Dib was born on 17 August 1985 at Kogarah Hospital in Sydney, Australia...
defeats
Jose Alberto Gonzalez by unanimous decision. John Murray KOs Lorenzo Bethea in the seventh round. Carlos Duarte KOs Calvin Rooks in the second round. Jonathan Arabaca defeats Pheng Her via split decision.Fight earnings
The De La Hoya-Mayweather fight set the record for most PPV buys for a boxing match with 2.4 million households, beating the previous record of 1.99 million for Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson II. Around $120 million in revenue was generated by the PPV. Factoring in the percentages, Oscar De La Hoya ended up earning $52 million for the bout, the highest purse ever for a fighter. The previous record was $35 million, held by TysonMike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
and Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
. Floyd Mayweather earned $25 million for the fight.
September 20th rematch
De la Hoya and Mayweather were scheduled for a rematch on September 20th, 2008. However, unlike the first fight, the fight would have been contracted for 147 lbs. or the welterweightWelterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
limit. The first fight was contracted at light middleweight
Light middleweight
Light Middleweight , is a weight division in professional boxing, above 147 pounds and up to 154 pounds ....
or 154 lbs and de la Hoya's WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
junior middleweight title was on the line. However, Mayweather would have come in as champion and defended his WBC/The Ring
The Ring (magazine)
The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...
welterweight titles. De la Hoya's last fight against Stephen Forbes (33-6) was on May 3 with Floyd Mayweather, Sr. as his trainer. Largely fought as a "tune-up" bout, De La Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs) dominated and won a unanimous decision over Forbes, winning decisively - 119-109, 119-109 and 120-108.
The rematch never took place due to Mayweather's retirement in 2008 and de la Hoya's retirement in 2009, although Mayweather would return to boxing in 2009 to fight lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez
Juan Manuel Márquez
Juan Manuel Márquez Méndez , is a Mexican professional boxer. He is the fourth Mexican-born boxer to become a three-division world champion, where he won eight world titles in three different boxing weight classes.Currently, Marquez is the WBA Super, WBO and The Ring lightweight champion...
.