Oscar De La Hoya thinks Floyd Mayweather Jr would've beat Manny Pacquiao if they fought in their prime. The former six-weight world champion shared his prediction in a recent chat with Club Shay Shay.
De La Hoya's opinion carries weight. He stepped in the ring with both fighters and came up short against each. Mayweather took his WBC light middleweight title in a split decision in 2007. Just 18 months later, Pacquiao stopped him in the eighth round of what turned out to be De La Hoya's last fight.
"It would probably have been a controversial decision. A closer fight than their actual 2015 bout. Floyd probably would have pulled it off. At their peak, Floyd would've won the fight."
De La Hoya said this during his appearance on Club Shay Shay. He added that the Pacquiao from earlier in his career might've given Mayweather a tougher time.
"When Pacquiao was coming up, he was literally a Pac-Man, chomping, wouldn't stop throwing punches. That Pacquiao probably gives Mayweather a better fight."
Mayweather and Pacquiao did eventually meet in 2015. The bout was called "The Fight Of The Century", but many felt it happened years too late. Mayweather won by unanimous decision, keeping his WBC and WBO welterweight titles and taking Pacquiao's WBO crown. The win pushed his perfect record to 48-0.
De La Hoya's prediction adds to the ongoing debate about this dream matchup. Even though we'll never know for sure, it's clear that a prime Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight continues to capture boxing fans' imaginations.
