‘Controversy’ De La Hoya v Trinidad? – Countdown to May 5

by Suzanne Nield

Far be it from me to suggest that a fellow writer is a card-carrying lunatic who wouldn’t know talent if it sat on him and wriggled. But I came across an internet article recently which espoused the view, in all seriousness, that Bernard Hopkins is more talented than Oscar De La Hoya. I had to lie down to laugh properly at that one.

Bernard Hopkins is the luckiest mediocrity alive. A light-heavy debutant, he boiled down to hammer his way through little guys and into the hearts of the US media giants. They wanted a darling and they picked him – like a rich old lady picks the gardener. He was in the right place at the right time.

The only names of note on his record: Trinidad, a career welterweight, who failed to adapt on his feet and was badly let down by his corner in that fight. And Oscar, who came up from super-featherweight, but still managed for eight rounds to outbox a man who entered the ring at an unofficial 169 lbs. One good meal and Hopkins could’ve weighed in with Maccarinelli.

Britain’s Golden Pair Spar Mosley, Meet De La Hoya

Hennessy Sports promoted John Murray and John O’Donnell continued to soak up their US experience yesterday when they sparred four times world champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley.

The ‘Golden Pair’ stepped in with the current WBC welterweight champion shortly after watching their US co-promoter Oscar de la Hoya complete his final spar ahead of his highly anticipated showdown against Floyd Mayweather at the MGM Grand on Saturday night.

May 2007 British Ratings

By Ben Carey

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for, correction the moment I’ve been waiting for considering I’ve been getting round to compiling this feature since January. Click the link below to discover where we rank the leading fighters in Britain. We also list the champions currently holding traditional titles from the heavyweights to the flyweights.