Mayweather vs De La Hoya - what was the hype like?

[PittyPat]

I wasn't really into boxing in 2007, at least not until Mayweather-Hatton. I wasn't around for any of the hype for Mayweather-De La Hoya. So...

• What was it like on forums when it got signed? Was there even a rabid De La Hoya fanbase anymore?
• How much post-prime did fans think De La Hoya was?
• How long was it in the making, or when did fans first start thinking about the match-up?
• Were there any stumbling blocks before it got signed, or times where it looked like the fight was off?
• Who did the fans think was going to win?
• Who did the fans want to win?
• Were fans genuinely pumped for the fight?
• Any weird "He looks drained!"-type of theories after the weigh-in?
• How was 24/7 received by the fans?
• Did the fight seem as big as Lewis-Tyson or Holyfield-Tyson?
• Did anyone fear that the hype would fall flat, like the fight eventually did?
• Was Pacquiao even slightly on the radar for either fighter?

[f15bone]

DLH v Mayweather basically birthed 24/7....

[joseph5620]

I wasn't really into boxing in 2007, at least not until Mayweather-Hatton. I wasn't around for any of the hype for Mayweather-De La Hoya. So...

• What was it like on forums when it got signed? Was there even a rabid De La Hoya fanbase anymore?
• How much post-prime did fans think De La Hoya was?
• How long was it in the making, or when did fans first start thinking about the match-up?
• Were there any stumbling blocks before it got signed, or times where it looked like the fight was off?
• Who did the fans think was going to win?
• Who did the fans want to win?
• Were fans genuinely pumped for the fight?
• Any weird "He looks drained!"-type of theories after the weigh-in?
• How was 24/7 received by the fans?
• Did the fight seem as big as Lewis-Tyson or Holyfield-Tyson?
• Did anyone fear that the hype would fall flat, like the fight eventually did?
• Was Pacquiao even slightly on the radar for either fighter?

Oscar definitely had a rabid fan base but from what I remember Floyd was a slight favorite. No stumbling blocks that I can remember and Oscar was the A side in the fight. No theories either although Floyd didn't like the 10 oz gloves.

The fight seemed relatively easy to make after both left Bob Arum.

Pacquiao wasn't on the radar at the time from what I remember.


Floyd was definitely the "bad guy" on the 24/7 and talked a lot of trash.

The fight was big but Mayweather-Pacquiao will be bigger.


I don't recall the numbers for Lewis-Tyson or Holyfield Tyson but this fight was at least as big from what I recall.

Delahoya looked good against Mayorga and there was a good number of people giving him a good chance at 154 since it was Mayweather's first fight there. Freddy Roach was in Oscar's corner and Shane Mosley helped him spar.

The fight itself went pretty much as I expected. Oscar made it tough in the first four rounds but Mayweather adjusted and won a clear decision in my view. The fight eas tactical and not what I would call an action fight and I wasn't expecting that.

[Scott9945]

This will be the most anticipated boxing match since Duran-Leonard in Montreal. That's my opinion.

[joseph5620]

This will be the most anticipated boxing match since Duran-Leonard in Montreal. That's my opinion.

The Mayweather-Pacquiao fight will be the biggest fight I've ever seen live and that's saying something.


Bigger than Trinidad-Delahoya or any of Oscar's fights, Whitaker-Chavez, Lewis-Holyfield 1 and any of Tyson's PPV fights. All big fights but this one( Mayweather-Pacquiao) is almost surreal with the anticipation.


The purse for both is just unbelievable. I would be shocked if it doesn't surpass 3 million buys.

[The Old LefHook]

Knowledgeable boxing fans did not care, just as they still don't. The fight meant nothing at all, and time will not change that. The one handed fighter was way past sunset and trying to fight two handed under the ignorant eye of MW sr. He never did find the knack. Hoya was not an all time great even at his best. The only people who cared were ignorant fans p*ssing down their legs over what they imagined.

[MrRolltide91]

This will be the most anticipated boxing match since Duran-Leonard in Montreal. That's my opinion.

This........

[K-DOGG]

The phrase I remember the/most going into that fight.....and laughed the hardest at.....was "The fight that will save boxing."

That give ya an idea about the "hype"?

Over the top.

[billeau2]

I wasn't really into boxing in 2007, at least not until Mayweather-Hatton. I wasn't around for any of the hype for Mayweather-De La Hoya. So...

• What was it like on forums when it got signed? Was there even a rabid De La Hoya fanbase anymore?
• How much post-prime did fans think De La Hoya was?
• How long was it in the making, or when did fans first start thinking about the match-up?
• Were there any stumbling blocks before it got signed, or times where it looked like the fight was off?
• Who did the fans think was going to win?
• Who did the fans want to win?
• Were fans genuinely pumped for the fight?
• Any weird "He looks drained!"-type of theories after the weigh-in?
• How was 24/7 received by the fans?
• Did the fight seem as big as Lewis-Tyson or Holyfield-Tyson?
• Did anyone fear that the hype would fall flat, like the fight eventually did?
• Was Pacquiao even slightly on the radar for either fighter?

De La Hoya was starting to be characterized as past it....some of thought he was a six round fighter even way back but it was obvious he was starting to lilt. Thing was he had really showed a lot when he destroyed Nando, so there was a feeling he could still be dangerous.

mayweather, if you could believe it could not sell tickets to a bullroast in Texas! He was characterized as risk averse and not fun to watch. Gatti and Oscar where the big boys when it came to drawing fans in.

Thing about Gatti was his fanbase was local...Jersey Shore types, "Italian Stallions" with wife beaters on and fake tans, women who looked like models and sounded like drunken sailors.

De La Hoya well most of his fans were Latinos. Oscar played the two worlds as it was: he had both fans, to the Mexicans he was an azteca, to the Californians he was the patron saint of East LA.

most people thought Mayweather would win. I think more than a few thought it might be Oscar's cash out fight. I think Oscar's fan base was bigger than Floyd's at the time, hence a lot of people wanted De La Hoya....But its hard to say because like Jones, Floyd had a lot of people who appreciated his skills. Like Jones the machismo fan did not like to see Mayweather because both guys seemed risk averse and DEFINITELY people thought Oscar was easy pickings for Floyd.

At that time the heavyweight fighters were, with few exceptions, the big event. Tyson was definitely a bigger fight, the Oscar May fight I seem to remember was a bit of a suprise (I could be wrong), while the Tyson fight was known to be a draw. Pac was known, mostly for battling Marquez.

[LoadedWraps]

DLH v Mayweather basically birthed 24/7....

This. The hype was unreal. The last mega fight without question. DLH was a natural draw and still the face of boxing and cash cow at the time, and he was past his prime at that point. Casuals everywhere were talking about that fight. it was unreal. I think it was the biggest fight since DLH/Trinidad easily, the Pac/Floyd fight may generate more money but it won't come close as far as genuine hype, the hype for DLH/Mayweather was unforced, you didn't have to sell that fight to fans, it sold itself.