Oscar De La Hoya made his split from trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. official Tuesday when he announced Freddie Roach would train him for his May 5 megafight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“It really wasn’t a difficult decision,” De La Hoya told reporters on a conference call. He said he picked Roach as someone who “will be passionate the way I am” for what he called “the perfect moment for me to have the perfect fight that I have always wanted.”
He and Roach both called the bout against Mayweather, considered boxing’s current best pound-for-pound fighter, a “must-win situation.”
That was a strong statement for the charismatic multimillionaire who has been a champion in six weight classes from 130 to 160 pounds, earning him Boxing Hall of Fame credentials regardless of the outcome May 5, when he defends his 154-pound title against Mayweather.
De La Hoya insisted that the decision to switch trainers was not based on the elder Mayweather’s $2 million demand, but on the trainer’s admitted hesitancy about teaching someone to beat his son, whom he will have to “face for the rest of my life.”
The parting of De La Hoya and Mayweather has removed what was becoming a growing prefight debate: Would Mayweather Sr.’s working the corner of his son’s opponent benefit De La Hoya with special insights the father brought from his many years watching and helping Mayweather Jr. learn to box? Or would the son, already one of the best-prepared athletes in the sport, get even more training incentive because his father had joined forces against him?
Now, those questions are flipped. Will De La Hoya lose an edge by losing Mayweather Sr.’s counsel? Or will Mayweather Jr. lose some of his motivation?
Asked if he expects Mayweather Sr. to stay neutral, De La Hoya said no. He insisted he would not be distracted if Mayweather Sr. became involved in helping his son for the May 5 bout.
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mhirsley@tribune.com
