Oscar De La Hoya Reveals Floyd Mayweather ‘Didn’t Hurt Him’

The crown prince of boxing, Floyd Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs), is currently gearing up for his rematch against mafia scion John Gotti III (2-0, 1 KOs) after a rather catastrophic initial showdown. As the Arena CDMX in Mexico City awaits the two fighters, there have been a few statements from Mayweather’s former opponents, which has undoubtedly added to the drama. And it now looks like ‘Golden Boy’ Oscar De La Hoya has jumped on the bandwagon.

De La Hoya was recently a guest on the Club Shay Shay podcast hosted by Shannon Sharpe. In conversation, Sharpe pointed out that Mayweather’s knockout ratio has remained relatively low and probed if he was a powerful puncher. “Oh, he has power, he has power. He has power,” De La Hoya responded.

However, without skipping a beat, he quickly added, “I mean, he didn’t hurt me. But he has power. I have a good chin. (Manny) Pacquiao didn’t hurt me, Bernard (Hopkins) didn’t hurt me. I mean, he caught me with that body shot. I have a good chin, but Floyd has power.” De La Hoya further mentioned that Mayweather played it smart after beating him (like the businessman he is) and was careful about throwing punches during fights to ensure the longevity of his career and his moneymaking potential.

“You Got Schooled”

There is no denying that De La Hoya had a few lessons to take home from his bout against Mayweather. Lessons that he tried to impart to his once close friend turned adversary, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. In fact, he had even tried to dissuade Alvarez from facing Mayweather in 2013. “I told Canelo, ‘Do not fight Floyd because you’re too young and you have no experience. But he’s 21 years old, flexing his muscles like, I can take on Floyd. I’m the very best,’” he told Sharpe.

“Guess what you got schooled. You got schooled. I mean, it wasn’t even close.” Not heeding De La Hoya’s advice proved costly for the Guadalajaran. Alvarez’s fight against Mayweather at the MGM Grand Arena in 2013 saw him suffer the first loss of his professional career. In turn, it also losing the WBC and The Ring light middleweight titles.

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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