Mayweather-De La Hoya II could come in September

[Rappy Veteran]

The richest fight in boxing history is on the verge of getting a sequel.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya, who shattered box office records when they met last spring, are close to finishing a deal for a rematch, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com Wednesday.

"We are still discussing things but we have almost finalized it," said Schaefer, who heads De La Hoya's promotional company. "I think an announcement will be forthcoming."

Schaefer said the fight would be Sept. 13 or Sept. 20 on HBO pay-per-view. He said the site for Mayweather-De La Hoya II has not been settled but he is holding the September dates at the 27,000-seat Home Depot Center, the outdoor home to the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. He said other venues are also interested, including the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

A source also told ESPN.com Wednesday night that Dodger Stadium was interested in hosting the fight after L.A. native De La Hoya suggested he'd like to fight there before retiring.

Mayweather won a split decision to take De La Hoya's junior middleweight belt when they met May 5 at the MGM Grand.

The match between boxing's No. 1 fighter, Mayweather, and its greatest attraction, De La Hoya, was a success and, ultimately, a rematch was hard to pass up.

"Floyd is agreeable to do the fight and so is Oscar," Schaefer said. "Now it's just me working through everything."

Although De La Hoya has said he planned to return to the welterweight division and Mayweather is the welterweight world champion, Schaefer said the weight for a rematch hadn't been determined. He said it could be at a catch weight somewhere between the 147-pound welterweight division and 154-pound junior middleweight class.

"It's something we are discussing," he said.

Backed by five-months of promotion, which included an 11-city cross-country tour and HBO's reality series "De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7," the first fight broke boxing box office records including total gross ($165 million); pay-per-view subscriptions (2.4 million); pay-per-view gross ($134.4 million) and live gate ($18,419,200).

Although the fight was panned by many for a lack of action and the rematch probably won't approach the numbers of the original, it still figures to do well.

De La Hoya had planned to return to the ring May 3, but didn't have an opponent. The prospect of facing British star Ricky Hatton, his first choice, evaporated when Mayweather returned to welterweight and knocked Hatton out in the 10th round on Dec. 8.

Welterweight titleholder Miguel Cotto was a darkhorse candidate to fight De La Hoya. Cotto promoter Bob Arum acknowledged it was unlikely. He spent Wednesday in New York meeting with HBO executives about an alternative plan for Cotto, who probably will fight in April, possibly against first-season "Contender" star Alfonso Gomez.

Hatton's lopsided defeat left Mayweather as De La Hoya's most lucrative opponent. But instead of facing him on Cinco De Mayo weekend, the rematch will move to the fall because Mayweather is taking a break after a grueling 2007 inside and out of the ring.

Mayweather's fights with De La Hoya and Hatton were the biggest of the year and the promotions were exhausting. He also found mainstream recognition during his fall run on the popular reality series "Dancing with the Stars."

A rematch with De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KOs) would delay Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) jumping to mixed martial arts, which he has discussed with "Dancing with the Stars" pal and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who also owns his own MMA promotional company.

Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser and close friend, was unavailable for comment.

With De La Hoya moving off May 3, it is possible that his friend and Golden Boy Promotions partner Shane Mosley could fight on the date instead.

Would Mayweather beat him again?

[Ayepecks]

Yes.

[Rappy Veteran]

I think he will but you just never know what Hoya has in the tank but I would say just another notch on Mayweathers CV

[nellydoom]

cant believe mayweather is even considering going to MMA the guy would get killed.

would look forward to this match hopefully dlh wins so they can have a trilogy.

[digipoi]

This resembles another boxing side show, much like the Jones vs Trinidad. Its all for the money and not for the fans.

[Rappy Veteran]

Yeah Hoya is gonna have a tune up match I hear for free on tv which could be interesting.

[digipoi]

De La Hoya-Forbes not finalized!

By Flattop

?It?s not a done deal as of yet but we are hopeful,? commented Jeff Wald, the executive Co-Producer of The Contender, in response to the FightNews article that Steve Forbes has been selected as Oscar De La Hoya?s opponent for his May 3rd fight, the first of three ?Farewell? fights that the ?Golden Boy? has proposed for 2008. Wlad acknowledged that he has had ?extensive talks? with Golden Boy, but he was quick to point out that no final decision has been made. ?Oscar decides who he wants to fight,? commented Wald. ?Oscar is a huge superstar and Steve is flattered to have this opportunity.? An announcement of De La Hoya?s challenger in his first ?Farewell? fight is expected this week.

Wednesday, January 23 2008

Some tune up fight eh Rappy? Hopefully this does not come to fruition. Why would anyone want to see this?

[Rappy Veteran]

Yeah I read it on ESPN

Oscar De La Hoya doesn't plan to sit around and wait for a September rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Boxing's most popular attraction will fight a tune-up bout May 3 and plans to do it live on HBO -- not pay-per-view -- Richard Schaefer, CEO of De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, told ESPN.com Friday night.

Schaefer said De La Hoya told him Friday morning that he didn't want to wait until September for his next fight and told him to start planning for May 3, the date on which he had intended to face Mayweather in the rematch. Mayweather, however, insisted on a long break after a grueling 2007.

Schaefer said it will be the first bout of three this year De La Hoya plans to do with a third bout in December marking the farewell fight of his storied career. De La Hoya, 34, has said several times in recent months that he wanted 2008 to be his final year as an active fighter.

"Oscar will fight May 3 to get ready for Floyd, and then if everything goes well, he'll have the rematch with Floyd in September, and then something in December that will be a celebration of Oscar's career."

No opponent has been selected for the May fight, but names under discussion include three junior welterweights, all of whom would give up considerable size to De La Hoya in a bout that would likely take place at about 150 pounds: Steve Forbes, reigning titleholder Paulie Malignaggi and Dmitriy Salita.

Schaefer said the bout on May 3 would take place either at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., or at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, one of the largest stadiums in the world. Schaefer is flying to Mexico to meet with stadium officials on Tuesday, he said.

When Julio Cesar Chavez defeated Greg Haugen on Feb. 20, 1993, at Estadio Azteca, the fight set the world record for largest paid attendance with a crowd of 132,274.

"Oscar wants to do it on free TV, not pay-per-view," Schaefer said. "He wants to give something back to the fans who have supported him for all of these years. He wants to make tickets affordable wherever the fight takes place. We want to have $10 and $20 tickets. If it's in Los Angeles, it will be like a homecoming. I think that's what we would call the fight, 'The Homecoming.'"

De La Hoya's last eight fights have been on HBO PPV. The last time he fought a non-PPV fight was on March 24, 2001, when he stopped Arturo Gatti in the fifth round on HBO.

Schaefer said he, De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KOs) and Golden Boy vice president and matchmaker Eric Gomez would go through opponents in the coming days.

"We'll be looking at names and see what kind of deal we can cut," Schaefer said. "But if the opponents think they are going to get the kind of money Oscar's opponents on pay-per-view get, they are mistaken."

Schaefer also said that De La Hoya was going to return to trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., who would replace Freddie Roach. Mayweather Sr. sat out De La Hoya's box office record-breaking fight with his estranged son Floyd Jr., in a dispute over money.

Mayweather Sr. returning to De La Hoya's corner for a rematch with his son would certainly add fuel to the promotion and be a major story line of the bout.

"I think it's going to be Floyd Sr. based on what Oscar is telling me," Schaefer said.

Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's close friend and adviser, told ESPN.com that only a few details remained to be worked out on the rematch with De La Hoya.

"We'll get there," he said. "This obviously makes the most sense for us, so this the fight that we're going to do. We're very comfortable with the deal."

He said Mayweather, who took a split decision against De La Hoya when they met last May, was indifferent to De La Hoya taking a tune-up bout.

"That's fine," Ellerbe said. "Oscar can do whatever he wants to do. He can't beat Floyd anyway. It wouldn't matter if he took four tune-up fights."

[digipoi]

Ooh. A DLH vs Malignaggi would be a walkover but it interests me most because I can't stand Paulie and would like to see the signature left hook meet his fragile beard.

[Rappy Veteran]

With Floyd Retiring Dan Rafael from ESPN wrote a blog about the contenders who could face Oscar tho Hatton has said he's not interested shows how much he knows...

The most immediate fallout from Floyd Mayweather's sudden retirement on Friday involves Oscar De La Hoya. The Golden Boy was supposed to fight him in a Sept. 20 rematch, but now that's out and De La Hoya is scrambling for a new opponent.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is working on signing an opponent, despite being laid up with the flu this week. So, while the situation is playing out, let's take a look at the field of fighters in the running in what I believe is the order of likelihood:

? Ricky Hatton: It's by far the biggest money fight of those that are realistic for De La Hoya. It's a cinch hit on HBO PPV, would receive the most mainstream media attention, would do massive money in the United Kingdom and would undoubtedly receive HBO's "24/7" treatment (they both starred in "24/7" series last year before their fights with Mayweather). And just imagine if Golden Boy Promotions decided to stage it in England. Pay-per-views normally don't take place overseas because of the notion that if it's out of the country, it will lose a certain amount of American business. But if the fight was held at a place like Wembley Stadium, the gate would be so enormous that it could potentially make up for whatever shortfall there might be in American PPV business. The fight might draw 100,000 people in England, not to mention huge PPV business in both countries. It's a PPV that would easily exceed 1 million buys in America alone.

It's also a fairly easy fight to make because Hatton recently signed with Golden Boy. However, there's one hitch: Hatton has a signed contract to face Paulie Malignaggi in the fall. I called Malignaggi promoter Lou DiBella the other day to ask about the status of his contract. He said it's "a signed, ironclad deal." Then I asked whether he and Malignaggi might step aside for the right payout. DiBella's response: "Richard has my number." The point is that De La Hoya-Hatton is a potential $100 million-plus grossing fight. Golden Boy surely could find a few bucks to induce Malignaggi and DiBella to get out of the way of this juggernaut fight.

Oh, and by the way, let's set aside Hatton's supposed dismissal of the fight as nothing more than a negotiating ploy.

? Sergio Mora: The first-season winner of "The Contender" reality series put himself squarely in the sweepstakes with a stunning upset victory against Vernon Forrest on Saturday night to win a junior middleweight title. The win gave Mora serious credibility. Moreover, he and De La Hoya are both Los Angeles-born and bred and the fight would pack the Staples Center. It would give De La Hoya a chance to win yet another belt, which would be the cherry on top of his Hall of Fame-worthy career. And don't underestimate this factor: "Contender" promoter Jeff Wald really wants to make the fight and he can be awfully persuasive, not to mention the fact that he and Schaefer have done good business together in the past (like De La Hoya versus Steve Forbes last month) and they have a very good relationship. Bottom line: If De La Hoya wants the fight, it could be made in five minutes and time is of the essence.

What an interesting promotion it would be. Who in a gazillion years would have thought that "The Contender" winner would enter a fight as a champion and De La Hoya, the 10-time champion in six divisions, would in essence be the contender?

? Manny Pacquiao: Some will laugh and say this isn't a realistic match because of the size difference. But you know what? They would be wrong. The fight is entirely possible and I am told that it's a fight that De La Hoya is interested in. Obviously, Pacquiao would have to beat David Diaz June 28 for a lightweight belt and look good doing it. I'm not sure De La Hoya wants to wait that long to set his fight, particularly because it's no lock that Pacquiao beats Diaz. But the Pacquiao side would take the fight in a heartbeat. Back in October, when I first wrote a blog detailing my conversation with HBO's Larry Merchant, who conceived the fight, I called Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank for his thoughts on Merchant's fantasy. Here's what he said back then: "We'll take it. I don't even have to call Manny. I am sure he would accept the challenge without question."

I asked Arum about it again last weekend when I was with him in Atlantic City covering Kelly Pavlik's fight. Again, Arum said they'd be interested. He and Pacquiao know it's a huge money fight. If it happened and Pacquiao lost, he could easily retreat to the lightweight division and go about his business.

Let's not forget about a couple of interesting subplots: De La Hoya would be going against his former trainer, Freddie Roach. And who can forget that De La Hoya once signed Pacquiao with a briefcase of cash in the backseat of a limo at LAX in the move that led to all-out war between Top Rank and Golden Boy. I say if this fight does happen, the winner's purse should be paid in cash in a briefcase in the ring after the match.

? Felix Trinidad: It is the one fight De La Hoya has always said he wants more than any other. He threw away their 1999 mega fight when he ran for the final three rounds, believing he had the fight in the bag. To a degree, fairly or unfairly, those last three rounds define De La Hoya's career to some and he would love a chance to set the record straight. They've talked about a rematch seemingly forever, but it's a long shot for two reasons:

1.Trinidad and promoter Don King have always insisted on a 60-40 split of revenue in their favor -- a flip of the terms they gave De La Hoya for the first fight. They have always stubbornly insisted that because they won the first fight, they should have the favorable terms in a rematch. De La Hoya will never, ever take the short end of the stick in any fight, nor should he.

2. Weight. Trinidad could never come down to 154, or even 160. He struggled to make 170 for his January loss to Roy Jones. Maybe, just maybe, he'd be willing to make 168 or even 165. De La Hoya would be at a massive disadvantage if he went up that high. Remember how awful he looked at 160 pounds? De La Hoya should not fight above junior middleweight and he knows it. This fight is a huge long shot.

? The winner of Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito: Competitively and actionwise it's the best of the bunch, but it's not realistic, and it's not because De La Hoya is looking to duck anyone. Cotto and Margarito square off in the summer's most anticipated fight July 26. The turnaround to Sept. 20 is simply too short of a window for the winner to adequately recover from what will undoubtedly be a grueling fight and then train for Sept. 20. And don't forget that any big PPV fight typically needs 90 days to properly promote it. There's just not enough time for this one to happen in September, although if De La Hoya moved his fight to a later date it could be more realistic.

? Shane Mosley: Mosley owns two wins over De La Hoya, one clear decision and a controversial decision in the rematch. Although both men are highly competitive and would give their all in the ring against each other, it's simply not a credible fight given their business and personal relationship. Their friendship has grown over the years and Mosley is De La Hoya's business partner as a part-owner of Golden Boy Promotions. I also get the feeling that they don't really want to fight each other again. I also don't think either wants to deal with the tremendous amount of negative publicity that would be generated by stories about Mosley's admitted steroid use (he says it was done unknowingly) before the second fight. Forget about this one.

? Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.: De La Hoya beat Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., the Mexican icon, twice. Fighting his son would be the biggest revenge match you could possibly make. But it's just not ripe yet. Chavez Jr. has virtually no recognition among non-Hispanic fans and has not faced a single credible opponent to warrant a fight with De La Hoya. This one is a nonstarter for September, but I could definitely see De La Hoya wrapping up his career next May against Chavez Jr. on Cinco De Mayo weekend. It would be a gargantuan fight. Arum, who promotes Chavez Jr. and promoted De La Hoya for most of his career, loves the idea and insisted to me that Chavez Jr. would knock De La Hoya out. Let's not get carried away, Bob! That said, I'd like to see this fight before De La Hoya retires. It's just not going to happen in September.

Who you think?

[Esmandau]

i hope he returs backs and Kick de la hoya in his the azz ;)

[digipoi]

With Floyd Retiring Dan Rafael from ESPN wrote a blog about the contenders who could face Oscar tho Hatton has said he's not interested shows how much he knows...

Who you think?

I'm going to put my vote for the Cotto vs. Margarito winner. This will be what I consider the toughest test. Trinidad cannot make weight. Mosley he fought twice and is just not an interest. The rest blah. Paq would get drilled in three.

[Rappy Veteran]

You think Paq would lose? theres talk of Paq vs Hatton down the line some when.

[Rappy Veteran]

Ricky Hatton looks to have missed out on another of his top targets after Oscar de la Hoya announced he is set for one more fight before retiring.

Hatton was offered the chance of a showdown with de la Hoya in September after the Golden Boy's original opponent Floyd Mayweather announced his own retirement.

However, having only just fought Juan Lazcano, Hatton turned down the proposed contest.

Now, de la Hoya is looking at facing either the winner of the WBA welterweight clash between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito or a super-fight with Manny Pacquiao.

De la Hoya told Reuters: "One more and that's it. ... This is my final year. I'm doing one fight and hanging up the gloves.

"Manny Pacquiao is calling me out. He can jump up two or three weight classes and challenge me.

"There's an interesting fight happening, Miguel Cotto against (Antonio) Margarito (on July 26), that should be interesting to watch. Maybe I can get the winner. We'll see."

Although Mayweather has announced his shock retirement, de la Hoya remains sceptical about the Pretty Boy's latest decision to quit.

However, if Mayweather is to announce another comeback, then he will have to move quickly.

"The time is running out," said de la Hoya.

"If Mayweather is playing these little games thinking he can catch me at an older age next year, it's not going to happen. It has to happen by this year."

[digipoi]

You think Paq would lose? theres talk of Paq vs Hatton down the line some when.

Paq needs to get by David Diaz first.

He stands a decent chance to beat Diaz but don't think of underestimating the current WBC lightweight champion.

But yeah, Paq vs. DLH is just for a payday. Paq will not have an easy time with the lightweight division and further on up is suicide. Even a Hatton fight is extremely dangerous.

I'm a huge Paq fan too but I'm not going to kid myself.

PS. I keep asking myself who this Damien guy is and keep forgetting its ol Rappy.

[Rappy Veteran]

LOL I really regret changing name now :laugh:

[MightyJordan]

I'm a bit ticked off that Mayweather's retired. He's got out before De La Hoya could end his undefeated record. I also wanted to see him in a rematch against Hatton, WITHOUT Joe Cortez as the ref! He was a disgrace on that fateful night in December, and he was the main reason Hatton lost.

I'm gonna be even more saddened if De La Hoya retires without facing Hatton, as I would have loved to have seen that!

[digipoi]

DLH punches harder than Mayweather. I'd like to see if Hatton could get past Mosley.