“In the same way the magicians are intrigued by Houdini, golfers look to 9-time golf major winner Ben Hogan as the ultimate golfing genius: the most skillful swinger and shot maker of all time”

“William Benjamin Hogan is what Mozart is to music, Einstein is to science and Muhammad Ali is to boxing.”
—John Andrisani, Golf Digest Editor.

The same could be said of boxing superstar and amateur golfer Oscar de la Hoya on his boxing know how deemed by fighters and afficionados as “pure genius” creating through boxing experience the megawatt Golden Boy Promotions.

What the Ben Hogan Golf Company is to golf Golden Boy Promotions is to boxing—-parallel success stories transcending sports and business.

San Francisco’s City Hall was abuzz as Oscar dela Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr.—boxing’s latest legends– bared the specifics on boxing’s version of swinging and shot making before an appreciative crowd anxious to know more about their May 5 outing at Vegas’ MGM Grand Casino.

First to tee off was the brash Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather, Jr.who thanked his fans for the opportunity and promptly bragged that he’s the world’s best—pound-for-pound.

Conciliatory and respectful (unusual for Floyd), the Pretty Boy enthused, “I’d like to thank Oscar for the chance to beat him up. I am looking forward to doing future business with his Golden Boy Promotions.”

Quite a contrast to their earlier meetings with media when Floyd accused Oscar of throwing his fight against Bernard Hopkins.

Doing his own impression of ‘The Greatest’ ,Floyd Jr. was an absolute thrash talker at the stare down with his saliva-laden yammering on target at the nattily-dressed de la Hoya.

The Golden Boy stood bemused with stares that reminded everyone he is the promoter and the fighter to give him a “beat down”.

The month before, The Golf Channel featured Oscar hitting 250-yard drives and sinking 10 ft putts at the Bob Hope Classic. Playing partners Jesper Parnevik and tournament host and Oscar’s buddy George Lopez helped hold Oscar’s belt as he chipped out of a sloped incline for a save.

By contrast, Floyd looked as if he was set to break dance— rapping and gesturing like a hip hop mogul while counting ‘wads of ‘greenbucks’.

The slugging Golden Boy vs boxing’s Pretty Boy are set to dish out one of the greatest if not the greatest fights of all time—-Old School vs New, Pomp-and-circumstance, Style vs substance….you name it.

The favored de la Hoya is now deep in training with his new cornerman Freddie Roach in  Puerto Rico, where he awaits two of his favored hopefuls, Ray “Boom Boom” Bautista and Alex John ” AJ” Banal in the much-awaited card aptly tagged “The World Awaits.”

The unbeaten Rey, dubbed “Boom Boom” is matched against an equally undefeated Argentine Sergio Miguel Medina in a stellar support of the sold out classic.

AJ Banal is being groomed to tangle with Argentina’s IBF international super-flyweight champion — Sergio Santillan.

“Having witnessed how valiant Gerry Penalosa measured up to Daniel Ponce de Leon, I think Ray is ready for the world championship. But first he has to take care of Medina,” boxingman Hermie Rivera declared.

“As for AJ, Oscar saw a world beater and promptly signed him up.” Rivera added.

Tony Aldeguer’s mainstays at his renowned stable are now training at the Wild Card Gym and then onwards to San Juan, PR where ‘trainer of the year’ Roach awaits them for the concluding grind while ‘The World Awaits”.