Floyd gets no Oscar from irate former champion

OSCAR de la Hoya, the former multiple-world champion, has launched a withering assault in the December issue of Playboy magazine on Floyd Mayweather, branding him as “boring” and that the sport will be better with the undefeated champion gone following his retirement.

He also accused Mayweather of being “afraid” and of fighting Manny Pacquiao five years too late, having avoided his peak years. Boxing, said De La Hoya, would be better off “without the mouth. Your mouth, to be precise, the one that created ‘Money’ Mayweather.”

De la Hoya fought, and lost, to Mayweather on a split points decision in 2007, and promoted 10 of Mayweather’s last 12 fights. But there was always an edge in the relationship between the two boxing icons.

Writing an open letter in Playboy, De la Hoya states: “You did it. You made it to the 49-0 mark, a milestone that you like to say

You’ll [only] be remembered as the guy who made the most money

only the great Rocky Marciano reached but that was actually achieved by others, including my idol Julio Cesar Chavez — but who’s counting.

“And now you’re retiring. Again. [The first time was after our fight in 2007]. This time you say it’s for real. You’re serious about hanging up the gloves.

“So I’m writing to you today to wish you a fond farewell. Truth be told, I’m not unhappy to see you retire. Neither are a lot of boxing fans. Scratch that. MOST boxing fans.”

The ex-fighter then accused Mayweather of being boring, and ducking opponents. “I got into this business to take chances. I took on all comers in their prime,” he wrote. “The evidence? I lost. Six times.

“Let’s face it: You were boring. Just take a look at your last hurrah in the ring, a 12-round decision against Andre Berto. How to describe it? A bust? A disaster? A snooze fest?”

On the Mayweather-Pacquiao contest, which grossed $500-million, with 4.4-million pay-perview buys, De la Hoya added: “You should have fought [Manny] Pacquiao five years ago, not five months ago. That, however, would have been too dangerous. Too risky. You’ve made a career out of being cautious.”

Then, in a cutting attack on Mayweather’s legacy, he added: “You’re going to have a legacy. You’ll be remembered as the guy who made the most money. As for your fights? We’ve already forgotten them.” — © The