The Mayweather Promotions CEO says “Absolutely not” to a Mayweather-De La Hoya II.
Oscar De La Hoya will, as fans are aware, return to action in September when the 48 year old will face MMA star, former UFC champ Vitor Belfort. The big plan, however, is for De La Hoya to have “two fights” and then “call out Floyd Mayweather.” De La Hoya is still interested in getting back in with “Money,” who won a pretty close decision over him way back in May of 2007 – you know, when “The World Awaited.”
But has 44 year old Mayweather got any interest in facing “The Golden Boy” a second time? “Absolutely not,” said Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe when speaking on The Jake Asman Show.
“Absolutely not, it’ll never happen,” Ellerbe said when asked about the possibility of a Mayweather-De La Hoya II. “There is zero interest in doing it. Oscar De La Hoya is just trying to use Floyd’s name to create some buzz about whatever he’s trying to attempt to do, and nobody’s really paying him any attention.”
While it’s true many fight fans have long since grown weary of big-name exhibition bouts, there IS some interest in De La Hoya’s return. Put it this way, Belfort is a better, more credible challenge for Oscar than Jake Paul was for Floyd. The Mayweather-Paul thing pulled in big numbers but it’s possible the De La Hoya show will outdo it. Maybe, just maybe, if this turns out to be the case Mayweather will have a little more interest in going over old ground and doing something – exhibition or real fight – with De La Hoya.
But even if this did turn out to be the case, would there really be big interest in the rematch? It’s not as though the first Mayweather-De La Hoya fight was a classic or anything. Maybe De La Hoya really does crave revenge, or maybe Ellerbe is right, and Oscar the promoter is getting some free mileage out of Mayweather’s name.
All in all, it would be better if Oscar did not come back, just as it would have been better for the sport if Floyd had not boxed Paul in that stinker of an exhibition.