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The “Golden Boy” and “El Matador” Turn Beverly Hills Press Conference Into A “Danger Zone”.
If you want to see fireworks, you don’t have to wait until the Fourth of July. Nor do you have to wait until Cinco de Mayo, when Las Vegas will be lit up by a battle of two charismatic welterweights in a fight entitled “Danger Zone.” Yesterday in Beverly Hills, CA there was an early display of what will go on in the ring when Oscar De La Hoya, 37-4 (29), met his next, and perhaps final, opponent in Ricardo Mayorga, 27-5-1 (22), at a press conference.
Fireworks were indeed on the menu yesterday at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel as a press conference that combined Golden Boy Promotions, a true street fighter from Nicaragua, and the ever-so affable Don King took place. Wearing a colorful jean jacket, a tie with a likeness of the American flag and carrying three additional flags (American, Nicaraguan and Mexican) in each hand, King definitely brought a sense of the dramatic to the event.
Indeed, he placed enormous significance on this fight. There with his fighter Ricardo Mayorga, King boldly stated that there would be a passing of the torch with this fight. “Oscar is a good fighter, but on May 6, 2006, we will see the torch passed to Mayorga,” said the towering promoter when addressing the media. “Oscar has amazing dexterity and can move around the ring a lot. That’s a great skill to have. But it will not be enough. for him to beat Mayorga. He has to be like those planes from World War II; he has to attack like the Spitfire.”
That proved to be the theme that King and Matador were promoting. Both were adamant in stating that the time of De La Hoya, who has not fought since his September 2004 loss to middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, has come to a close. “I like Oscar and I don’t want him to get hurt … he’s ready to be a promoter,” King added. The legendary promoter went onto suggesting that De La Hoya’s days as an elite boxer are over, and would now best serve the sport as a promoter, while Mayorga will be the new face of championship boxing.
If, indeed, Mayorga is to be the new face, the current WBC Super Welterweight Champion from Managua, Nicaragua has big shoes to fill, i.e. those of his opponent. A representative from HBO PPV was quick to point out the impact of “The Golden Boy” on the sport of boxing. Including the May 6th bout, De La Hoya has fought in 28 title fights.
In terms of impact on pay-per-view revenue, Oscar is in an elite class. His fights have collectively resulted in over 10 million buys, grossing over $500 million in revenue. Only heavyweights Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson can lay stake to greater numbers, making Oscar the high grossing boxer below the heavyweight division. Mayorga has a lot of ground to make up, if he is to replace De La Hoya.
What Mayorga lacks in revenues, he makes up for with charisma. When introduced to the stage at the outset of the press conference, Mayorga entered the room dressed in a matador outfit. Slowly walking from the back of the room to the front, flanked by cameras and upbeat Spanish music blaring from the sound system, “El Matatdor”glared down De La Hoya, all while brandishing his championship belt.
Mayorga did not stop at a dramatic entrance. When he stepped up to the podium twenty minutes later, he went on a verbal tirade, admonishing the Golden Boy. Speaking in Spanish, with a translator by his side, Mayorga’s profanity laced statement included how he would dominate De La Hoya (in not so forgiving words).
Mayorga was so bold as to state that De La Hoya has lost the support of his own people. “Everyone in East LA? They talk behind your back. You can’t keep up with your supports. They are all quietly supporting me! On May 6, they will all be on my side; Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Nicaraguans – all of them will be with me,” he said. After he finished cursing De La Hoya, Mayorga stepped over to stand next to the Golden Boy. When Oscar stood up and faced El Matador nose-to-nose, Mayorga shoved De La Hoya back, causing all parties at the press table to step in between the fighters.
As if that was not enough, De La Hoya was not the only one to bear the brunt of El Matador’s attack. Oscar’s trainer and former boxer, Floyd Mayweather, Sr., also got into it with Mayorga when he took the podium. In the middle of his statement, Mayweather was called a “coward,” enticing the trainer to trade verbal jabs with the Nicaraguan fighter. Mayweather stated, “Oscar may not be able to put his hand on you, but nothing is stopping me from beating you down right here!” This lead to another profanity laced pissing match between the trainer and boxer.
When Mayweather lost his patience with Mayorga, he simply let De La Hoya come to the podium to finish off the late morning press conference. “You can talk all you want, but it is only adding fuel to the flame; I do my talking in the ring,” De La Hoya declared. “I do not dislike or hate anyone in this world, except for one person. You are that person. On May 6th, I will knock you out. I will knock you out!” De La Hoya left it there, and sat back down to let Don King return to the stage with some concluding remarks.
“This is going to be one of the greatest fights ever,” said King. “De La Hoya is a good man. He was once a “People’s Man’ – a member of the proletariat. But now, after having successes in boxing and amassing millions of dollars, he is now bourgeois. Yes, he has a big heart, and still helps the poor. But the poor are hungry. When you are hungry, you fight. Mayorga is hungry, and on May 6th, De La Hoya is dinner!”
I would suggest not watching this fight over dinner. Scheduled to take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, De La Hoya – Mayorga will certainly be a nasty occasion that may cause a degree of uneasiness in your stomach. Indeed, it will be an interesting fight, as De La Hoya brings experience, championships and gold medals to the ring, while Mayorga fights with a reckless abandon as well as the toughness and fearlessness of a street brawler. The bad blood has just started, and no doubt the tension and fireworks will built over the next eight weeks. While Don King may be a man full of hype, for once he may be on point about just how big this fight will be.
