Local boxing expert Alex Thompson of Irish-Boxing.com breaks down De La Hoya-Mayweather

I nearly drove off the road the other night when I heard a prominent national sports writer say on the radio that De La Hoya-Mayweather could be the last great fight in boxing. Not true. Not even close. But then this writer said this could be the last time a boxing match captures the fascination of sports fans who are not fight fans. I can’t argue with that as much as I’d like to. The sport I love has been fading away over the last decade. Not because there aren’t great fighters or great matchups anymore; there are plenty. It's because the public has lost interest due to factors such as four men in a weight class wearing shiny belts that say World Champion. Or how about the fact there are 17 weight classes…or is it 18? I dream about the fight game when I sleep and think about it all day and even I find the whole mess confusing and even embarrassing at times. The sound of a speed bag is like music to my ears and the sight of dried blood on a ring canvas where men share measures of courage only known by those who get in the ring is nothing short of beautiful in my eyes. I love this game. And I love that this Saturday night the whole world will be watching a fight that might just be the most anticipated matchup in 25 years.

If you go back far enough in this country, boxing was as popular as baseball. Everyone knew who the Heavyweight Champ was. In fact, at one time there were just eight weight classes and when they called you World Champion it actually meant something. By my math there are now 68 fighters who call themselves "World Champion" right now. But only one of them is truly fit to wear that title.

Floyd Mayweather is pound for pound the best fighter in the world. Oscar De La Hoya is arguably the most popular fighter of this generation. What has eluded Oscar is that one career defining moment. If you tell me he had that moment stolen from him by three blind judges in his fight with Felix Trinidad I would agree. If you tell me his first fight with Shane Mosley could have gone either way I would say maybe. If you tell me he didn’t get robbed in the rematch with Mosley I would say you were drunk when you saw the fight. When Oscar was being counted out from a paralyzing shot to the liver delivered by future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins , it looked as though the Golden Boy had lost his last chance to put his name up there with boxing’s immortals. But he’s getting one more shot. And it’s a shot some feel he can win.

Oscar has trouble with hand speed. Mosley and Pernell Whitaker proved it. Mayweather might be faster than both of them. So how can Oscar win? He will have to fight perfect for the full three minutes of every round. Speed kills and if Oscar loses focus or falls into a trap of going for the knockout blow without setting it up with his jab and punching in combinations it will be a long and painful night against Mayweather, who counter punches brilliantly. Oscar is stronger and punches harder than Floyd. If he lands a clean left hook the fight is over. But no one has yet to land that one clean shot on Mayweather in 37 professional fights.

This is Floyd’s fight to lose. He has beaten the bigger punchers and exposed the more technically sound boxers time and time again. He easily defeated the unbeaten Diego Corrales and toyed with blood and guts warrior Arturo Gatti in a fight where Gatti showed much more blood than guts. His gifts are ones that can’t be taught. He sees everything coming as if he is in a real life fight scene from the Matrix. He picks his shots and doesn’t waste any punches. And while he doesn’t run, his foot movement is nothing short of graceful. He’s always two steps ahead of his opponent. For the boxing purist, Floyd is a throwback to a forgotten era where defense could be used as a weapon. Somewhere Sugar Ray Robinson smiles when Pretty Boy boxes. He is that good.

So what do I think? I think this fight is all about how bad Oscar wants to be remembered in history. He talks of retirement and chose to train near is home so he could be near his family. How bad does he want this? Physically he looks to be the epitome of perfection, but mentally is he willing to go through hell once that bell rings? No one knows except Oscar. He has the smarts and the tools to give Mayweather problems and despite his trash talk Floyd is no fool. He knows about Oscar’s left hook. He knows the whole world would like to see the good guy win this one. He will be ready to do the only thing he has done in his professional career…to dominate the man across form him.

I want to see the Golden Boy shine. I want him to win. I want him to win by knockout so there is no controversy.

But Mayweather is just that damn good.

My head tells me Pretty Boy Floyd will win by decision.

But in my heart I hope that somewhere up there the boxing immortals are sitting around watching the fight and one of them, maybe Rocky Marciano says “Let's finally let the kid into the club” and Oscar ends it with a clean shot to the chin of the greatest fighter in the world. Maybe then for one more night boxing will show why when it’s at its best, it's like no other sport in the world.