De la Hoya selects Freddie Roach/ De La Hoya vs. Mayweather tickets SOLD OUT

[Kool Beenz]

Oscar de La Hoya wants to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr., but not at the expense of fracturing his opponent's family.

Formerly trained by Mayweather's father, de la Hoya will team with Freddie Roach in preparation for his highly hyped WBC light middleweight title fight with Mayweather this spring.

"The Golden Boy" announced his change in trainers Tuesday, just over three months before his showdown with the unbeaten Mayweather on May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He begins training in Puerto Rico on March 1, when he will be joined by Roach.

Mayweather, 29, and his father are estranged. The elder Mayweather reportedly wanted $2 million to prepare de la Hoya for the bout against his son, but de la Hoya said his decision had nothing to do with the trainer's fee and everything to do with his ideas about the sanctity of family.

"I didn't feel comfortable training (to fight) against his son," de la Hoya said.

De la Hoya, 33, also said Roach was his first choice among many trainers who were looking to fill the role.

"I felt very humbled by the fact that many great trainers reached out and offered their services, but after sitting down with Freddie, I quickly realized that this is the man I want to have in my corner come May 5th," de la Hoya said. "Freddie's accomplishments speak for themselves, and I look forward to working with him and getting in the best shape of my career to conquer yet another challenge."

Roach retired as a boxer in 1986 who was trained by the legendary Eddie Futch. The Boxing Writers Association of America's 2003 Trainer of the Year, he has trained 18 champions, including Mike Tyson, James Toney, Virgil Hill, Israel Vazquez and Wayne McCullough.

Roach's current top fighter is super featherweight Manny Pacquiao, whom many regard as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers.

"I'm happy to be working with Oscar for this fight, which for a trainer is not only a dream opportunity but a great challenge and responsibility," Roach said. "I'm going to do everything in my power - and I know Oscar will as well - to ensure victory on May 5th."

The de la Hoya-Mayweather bout is one of the most anticipated boxing matches in some time. The live gate and pay-per-view take are expected to break the sport's records. A six-division world champion, de la Hoya (38-4, 30 KOs) has worn title belts in every division in which he has competed. His previous foes include Julio Cesar Chavez, Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley, Felix Trinidad, Pernell Whitaker, Ike Quartey, Fernando Vargas, Arturo Gatti and Hector Camacho.

Mayweather (37-0, 24 KOs) also is in the discussion regarding the best pound-for-pound fighter. Known as "Pretty Boy Floyd," he is the current WBC welterweight champion.

De la Hoya's last fight was May 6, when he outclassed two-division world champion Ricardo Mayorga in six rounds to win the WBC super welterweight belt. On November 4, Mayweather scored a unanimous decision over Carlos Baldomir to claim his title.

[Kool Beenz]

Fight fans made the May showdown between Oscar de la Hoya and unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jnr a sellout, buying more than 5,400 tickets in three hours on Saturday, promoters announced.

The crowd is expected to set a record live gate of 19 million dollars on May 5 at the MGM Grand, surpassing the old mark of 16,860,300 dollars for the 1999 heavyweight unification showdown between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.

"This is a huge success right out of the gate, unparalleled in boxing," said Richard Schaefer, chief executive of de la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions

[STILLDRE IS THE GODFATHER]

MAN IM so hyped for this

[rik]

I can't wait, De La Hoya is goin to win.

[Sparegeez]

Man I swear every big fight I've watched recently had Roach as the winner's coach. This motherfucker is becoming the bill bellichick of boxing.

[Hatesrats™]

Oscars last Hurrah!!
he's got to go out big & what better than beating that ass Mayweather.
in all honesty, Mayweather Sr was going to be oscar's downfall in the fight, De la Hoya need's to take it to Floyd, Toe 2 Toe.
this should in no way be a boxing match. IMO

Floyd is gonna turn into Marion Jones in this fight....
Oscar need's to take away his body, then timber his head.

[Sikotic™]

^LOL @ that avatar. Classic monemt from King Of New York

That's why people like De La Hoya so much. I'm sure dude coulda threw a large amount of money at Mayweather's dad and got him to join his camp, but he didn't. Freddy Roach has worked well with Paquiao so he should do good with De La Hoya too. Oscar better change his style up though or else Mayweather got his number.

Can't wait for this fight.

[Vegasmac25]

De la Hoya will whoop  his azz easy.

[Kool Beenz]

I personally think that if Floyd and Oscar go the distance Floyd could easily win a decision...
But i also think Oscar could knock Floyd out with a left hook. but who knows i just like Floyd Mayweather and his style i think he is the best boxer in this generation

[Kool Beenz]

Mayweather Sr: "Freddie Roach Don't Know Sh*t"

By Mark Vester

During a recent interview with scribe Robert Morales of CBS Sportsline, Floyd Mayweather, Sr. verbally assaulted Oscar De La Hoya's new trainer, Freddie Roach. Floyd Sr. has very little respect for Roach, and can't understand how De La Hoya could choose him as his trainer for the May 5 bout with his son, Floyd Jr.

"I couldn't care less about Freddie Roach," Floyd Sr. said. "Freddie Roach don't know sh*t. I can tell you that. Tell me, who has he really trained? He didn't train James Toney. James Toney trained himself. And who in the hell is Manny Pacquiao? He's strong and he can punch hard, but that's it; he doesn't know how to box. So, who has he trained?

De La Hoya told reporters on Tuesday that Floyd Sr.'s demand of $2 million dollars did not play a role in his decision to not use him for the May 5 fight, Floyd Sr. disagrees. He feels De La Hoya's decision to not to use him is based on money, and nothing else.

An offer of $500,000 was presented to Floyd Sr. for the May 5 training duties, with an additional $500,000 if De La Hoya won the fight. Floyd Sr. found the offer insulting and resfused to back down his $2 million dollar demand. When asked during a Tuesday conference call, De La Hoya refused to disclose the financial agreement between him and Roach.

De La Hoya often praised the talents of Roach when speaking to reporters on Tuesday, and said he was confident that Roach could put together a plan to beat Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

The praise De La Hoya gave to Roach only made Floyd Sr. more irate.

"He knows he can't out-train me. He knows it like all the rest of them. I can talk the way I talk about these trainers because I can back it up. I can take one hand and do more things than he can with two hands. ... When you talk about Freddie the joke, coach Roach, come on, man. That's a joke. How could Oscar be so narrow-minded to get up and say what this man can do. This man couldn't teach a f**king cat to piss."

[Sikotic™]

emmanuel stewart > floyd mayweather sr.