For roughly 5 months...on a dare...I, Wacko, have done something that I thought not humanly possible...I have kept my mouth shut regarding one of the biggest announcements of the boxing world...of my decade, atleast...but no more!

This has snowballed into one of the most widely scrutinized and anticipated fights of the last ten years.

This is the one fight that could sort out the boy's from the men...the one fight that could finally make the unthinkable...well...thinkable. This could be the very fight that makes one "Pretty Boy" look ugly & one "Golden Boy" lose his lustre...

Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The news broke on November the 14th, 2006 & our glorious forum (along with every boxing related website world wide) was flooded with polls, threads, bets, threats, questions, answers, doubts, & more speculation than a standard day at the stock market.

But...I kept good...I stuck to my promise (except for a few comments that Smash & JT drug outta me back in December) that I made you all...my fellow forum goers...but alas...that time is over...I got a lot to say & now's the time to say it...so without further delay...I present to you...once again...

(Drum roll please!!!)

Just Another One of Wacko's Drunken Round by Rounds featuring Oscar De La Hoya (42 fights, 38 wins with 30 ko's, & 4 losses) vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. (37 fight with 0 losses & 24 ko's).

As I said back in November...this is one of those fights that come along that I actually didn't want to see made.

A fight that feature two of my favorite fighters.

A fight that quite possibley could break all records in boxing history.

A fight that quite possibley be...make or break for both men involved.

A fight in which I would finally have to break down & actually pick against one of my favorites.

Now...all that crying...all that pissin & moanin...all that crap being said...it's also one of those fights that comes along in which the expectations are so high that they can't be met no matter what the outcome.

This is one of those fights that defines boxing history for the fans of a certain timeline...I highly doubt this...but...we shall see.

Either way...it's time for me to finally man up & come across with what I have affectionately grown to call...the Wackster's Factors of the Fight.

Now...you being me bwoys...well...you know me. You know that I could come up with two handfuls of analogies, queries, & arguements for & against both men...instead of doing that...I'll just come up with ten that I believe will be worthy of discussing.

So here we go.

Factors for & against Floyd:

#1: The Weight. This is the main factor that I believe will honestly be against Floyd...even though he made the jump to 147 quite easily & handily defeated Judah, but most impressively Baldomir...I still think that he's finally bitten off more than he can chew with Oscar. I've always believed that Floyd was naturally set for 130lbs...so this 24lb jump is nearly career suicide...not to mention the fact that he's in with one of the most dynamic & renowned fighters of the past twenty years. When Oscar fought within or around his natural weight class he was damned effective & nearly unbeatable, his power was almost unbearable. It was when he moved up & started taking the chances within the jumps he became mortal. In the end...this is the same path that I believe Floyd will take & has followed. If he trades with Oscar, this will be his first career loss...of that I am almost sure.

#2: The Speed. Clearly, Floyd has the upper hand...that goes without saying. Oscar is fast...but an on point Mayweather is as close to lightning bottled in a human body as one can get. That's about all I can say about that. Edge to Floyd.

#3: Chin. This is a tuffy...I want to say that it's even up here based on the fact that Mayweather has never really been hurt...or even actually stunned. He's almost too slick to be caught flush...that being said...if anyone can do so...it'll be Oscar.

#4: Age. At 29 years old, Floyd is 4 years Oscar's junior...but wer'e just talking numbers here. Although Oscar is a few years older than Floyd...he's not OLD by any means. On his way to the top Oscar has come out of his battles fairly unscathed & he continues to rise to the occassion...no matter who the opponent might be. I wouldn't go looking for Oscar to get old overnight against Floyd...I just don't see it happening.

#5: The Defense. Clearly...advantage to Floyd...& he's gonna need it. Floyd's in with one of the hardest hitters that he has ever faced. Floyd's reflexes are remarkable & his defense is quite nearly flawless...but if were to fail him against Oscar...even for a second...the tide could turn & all advantages are out the window.

#6: The Title, Bragging Rights, & Pressure. First & foremost...the WBC's Junior Middeweight strap. Second, the right to be called one of boxing's greatest in history...Pound for Pound.

#7: The Last Go 'Round. Mayweather went 12 rounds toe to toe against Carlos
Baldomir & totally outboxed his way to winning the WBC's welterweight strap. Many fans & critics alike were overly critical of Floyd's performance...something that, to this day, I have failed to understand. Once again...Floyd had taken another step upwards & would walk away from the win...not gaining much of anything other than a belt. Clearly...Floyd had defied the odds...but not gained the fans. Again...I fail to understand this. As a champion, Mayweather has titles at super-featherweight, lightweight, junior-welterweight, and now welterweight. For those that can't count...that's five titles in five classes. You do the math & figure out why that doesn't equate to fans or respect. Pound for Pound...that S*** don't make sense.

#8: Floyd Mayweather Sr. No matter what either Mayweather says...this could & will be a factor either for or against Floyd. If Floyd starts winning he'll gloat over the fact...& may quite possibley get careless. On the flip side...if he starts losing...all he's gotta do is shoot daddy a look & senior falls apart. Any man worth his salts...no matter what has washed under the bridge...if he is a man at all, will not & can not stand by & watch his son be decimated under the tutledge of another student of the game...esepcially one of his own. Maybe I'm wrong here...but I don't think so. We shall see.

#9: The Gloves. Oscar, being the promoter, tossed this stipulation into the contract...& lord knows why...Floyd agreed. Brittle hands quite often being a factor against Floyd...I just can't understand it. This is clearly an advantage for Oscar. They are Reyes gloves which are known to be "punchers gloves". This is a bad thing for Floyd & a good thing for Oscar.

#10: Ring Rust. There is none. Floyd's fought five times since 2004 & he's shut out every man he's faced. Advantage to Floyd.

Factors for & against Oscar:
#1: The Weight. Oscar get's the points here...see Floyd's #1 Factor...no need in repeating meself here.

#2: The Power. Hands down Oscar walks with this one. If there is anyone out there that I believe could check Floyd's chin it'd be Oscar. The thing is...Floyd's had his chin checked before & no one has actually hurt Floyd. Judah & Corley clocked him but good & he just kept on working. That being said...Oscar has been in with full blown middles & he's given as good as he got. The power & the weight is going to be the factor's in Oscar's favor.

#3: Chin. Even up here even though Oscar has been checked & tasted the canvas from a chin shot...he's got the heart & smarts & strength to pull himself offa the mat & work it out. Only recently losing to Hopkins via his first knockout loss...it was a body shot...so we'll just scratch that one offa the list of factors here.

#4: Age. Even though Oscar is a few years older than Floyd...he's not OLD. Even though he's fought every worthy adversary possible...he's kept his youth intact & he's remained fairly unscathed...so don't go looking for Oscar got get old overnight against Floyd. I honestly believe that this is a factor that, like the above, evens out.

#5: The Jab. Another factor I believe will be totally in Oscar's favor. While almost unexistent in Floyd's vast arsenal of punches...Oscar has argueably one of the best in the business. Oscar's jab sets up everything & it's damned near a weapon of it's own.

#6: The Title, Bragging Rights, & Pressure. First & foremost...the WBC's Junior Middeweight strap. Second, the right to be called one of boxing's greatest in history...Pound for Pound.

#7: The Last Go 'Round. Back in May of 2006, De La Hoya pulled the same routine as Mayweather when he jumped into what was thought to be a tuff match up against Ricardo Mayorga. Just inside six rounds Oscar totally annihilated the Nicaraguan for the WBC's junior-middleweight strap. No small feat for a man that had been out of the ring for two years after losing by knockout. Clearly...Oscar was back...then again...how do you rate Ricardo Mayorga? Like Mayweather, Oscar is a title holder at multiple classes. Oscar has held straps at super-featherweight, lightweight, junior-welterweight, welterweight, junior-middleweight, and middleweight. Ask the fans...they'll jump outta their gotdam skin to tell ya...actually...you just read it from one. Heh heh heh.

#8: Floyd Mayweather Sr. The name of Mayweather resonates all around this fight...& not just based on the opponent. Floyd Mayweather Sr will be training Oscar to defeat his very own son. As a father...I just don't see it. How could a man do such a thing? Well...all's fair in love & war...& apparently in the pocket book, too. There aint enough cash in the world...I mean...you couldn't pay me to sit there & just watch a man beat the fwock outta my child...much less knock him out.

#9: The Gloves. Oscar, being the promoter, tossed this stipulation into the contract...& lord knows why...Floyd agreed. Brittle hands quite often being a factor against Floyd...I just can't understand it. This is clearly an advantage for Oscar. They are Reyes gloves which are known to be "punchers gloves". This is a bad thing for Floyd & a good thing for Oscar.

#10: Ring Rust. Oscar's been in the ring 1 time in 2 years & that fight was against a gimmee. While he looked great against Mayorga...Floyd aint gonna stand in front of him. If in the stupid event that Floyd chooses to trade & not to box on the back foot...it's Oscar's fight...but if Floyd moves...look for Oscar to come across as confused as he did against Mosley.

Now I'm sure that you all can come up with numerous more arguements...some of you...maybe just for arguements sake...heh heh heh...but these are the only factors that mean jack shat too Wacko.

So...you want me ole' prediction now right?

Well...I never bet against my guy...but these are both my guys...so I'll just be a pussy & say it's a draw...

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...I gotta go with Oscar...even though all my factors point to Floyd...I've grown up on Oscar & I never bet against him.

So...the fight's a long long ways off...but this is our forum...& we can hash this out like ladies & eeeerrrrrrrrmmmmmmm....well...ladies. Now be a man!!! Shoot that last shot, chug that last beer, pass around the chips & salsa, break out your poison of choice, & puke on the closest friend next to you...it's party time.

When we get closer to fight time...like maybe March or so...I'll be making this sticky...but for right now...tear it up bitches...let's get it on.

Now I know you all want me to make a pick...ready to be shocked?

Oscar De La Hoya by late round TKO.

Gotdam right.

Cheers & konneecheewah.

In light of recent events...things being what they are & the fact that these are two of my favorite fighters of all time...I'm heading to Vegas...I leave the Drunken Round by Round in the more than capable hands of me bwoy Dano.

I give you...Dan's breakdown of the fight...he done me proud! Take it away Dano:

Oscar De La Hoya v Floyd Mayweather. I know it was being talked about for a long long time but did anyone truly believe the fight would actually come off? I didn't. Not in a million years, simply because it was almost too good to be true.

This match-up is bigger than a unification. It's bigger than the old "Someone's 0 has to go" cliche. It is simply the most important fight in modern boxing history. A legend will be born on Cinco De Mayo.

This fight is so important, for so many reasons. You have Oscar De La Hoya, the six weight world champion, the family man, the squeaky clean image. But the image has flaws, defeats. They put is legacy in jeopardy. But his errors can be undone, on Cinco De Mayo.

And you have Floyd Mayweather, the undefeated four weight champion. Despite this, and his p4p #1 status, he lives in a shadow, cast over him by doubters, critics and Oscar.

What adds a bigger edge to this fight are their styles. Both of them were great amateurs, its easy to see why, both of them have textbook fundamentals, and more importantly, few flaws.

Big Factors affecting Oscar's victory - Preparation
Trainer
Floyd Snr ain't in the fight, because Oscar thought he ain't worth $2m dollars, he was offering him $0.5m if he lost and $1m if he won, Floyd Snr declined. S***. I'm not going to read into it too much but the main thing is that Oscar won't be trained by the father who created the unique style of Floyd Mayweather. Thats a big loss, if Oscar loses I think he may regret that one. As great as Freddy Roach is, I don't think he's the right guy, maybe Mosley's pop is, he did train Shane of course.

Work Ethic
Oscar is hungry. This is his chance to 'erase' the losses on his record, and earn even more payday's. So he's gonna train, and make himself the best he can be, provided he isn't bobbed down by my next factor.

Press Conferences
Oscar is the daddy of these, but he's gonna have a lot of them to do, and probably arrange too, with the Mayorga fight he didn't have to go 12, so we don't know for sure, but his fairly new found responsibilites as part of Golden Boy may affect how he trains, we don't know.

Big Factor's affecting Floyd's Victory - Preparation
Weight
154lbs is long way up. Floyd was 148lbs in the ring in his last fight. Thats his natural weight, I don't know if he's planning on bulking up, if he does obviously he is risking his speed.

Reyes Gloves
This is the big one. With brittle hands, and a kinda philly shell style, you don't want Reyes gloves. I think he'll have to accomodate the gloves into his training, and tweak his style a little. Don't quote me, but to my recollection the last time he wore Reyes was against Castillo I, and although he has evolved, Jose did land some very good punches, smaller gloves prevent a bigger gap, and Oscar will be hammering the gaps with precision, hitting him harder than anyone he's ever fought, will he fold?

Ring Size
Oscar will be keeping this as small as he can, so he must be thinking 18-20ft top, cos he won't have too much space to 'run' from Oscar (no dis-respect that's how I describe his stick and move style his style).

No Uncle Roger
I think the dude is in prison, wasn't too great a problem against Baldomir, but could be a factor in this one.

The referee
Clearly, it looks like another factor that could be influenced by Oscar or his team, it's probably gonna be one that likes to let action carry on inside. He needs to factor this in to his preparation.

Oscar's keys to winning the fight

Closing the gap will be the hardest hing for Oscar to do, he needs to be thinking pressure, pressure and more pressure.

He needs to have a high workrate, never give Floyd any time to settle, in order to win the rounds.

Timing Floyd will be hard, but is essential if he wants to break Floyd, he needs to make every shot hit something that ain't shoulder, elbow, glove or air. With the Reyes gloves it will be a little easier.

He must be careful with his jab, if he leaves it out there too long he's gonna eat Floyd's money punch, that straight right. Oscar will have something up his sleeve here I think, a slip to the left from Floyd's straight right might give him time to land that left hook.

Stamina may be an issue, it always could beat for Oscar, so he'll need to conserve energy, which'll be hard to do if he plans on pressure fighting.

Floyd's keys to winning the fight

In my opinion his chin makes him the favourite in this fight, despite what people say, I believe Floyd has never been rocked as a pro. Part of this is his becuase he's almost impossible to hit clean. Oscar has possibly the best chance yet of being the first to do this though.

Avoiding clinches will help him out, these will drain him of his energy because Oscar will no doubt be much stronger.

He'll need all his speed to outbox Oscar all night, and not let the occasion get to him, it never has before.

I can see Floyd going to the body a lot, that'll help him to slow down the pace as the fight goes on.

Other than that, just being as he calls it "The same old Floyd," will help him out, he's undefeated, and his confidence helps him to get away with his style. If he doesn't look like losing, and Oscar's hitting thin air all night, how can the rounds be scored against him?

My prediction - Oscar by knockout, but as long as the winner is clear then I don't mind who it is, I just wanna know how the better man is. I can't wait!