Was all that money worth it? The last fight I paid to watch was Lennox Lewis versus Mike Tyson, and I only did it because it was a friend’s birthday. So you get that I am not much of a boxing aficionado. However, I know a good fight when I see one, and the Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Oscar De La Hoya about lived up to the hype.

My friends and I gathered like most people, bought a pizza, some beer and threw down five bucks apiece in hopes of seeing something good. What we saw was the last of what boxing has to give us. Muhammad Ali is the most well-known boxer, yet that is the very reason why boxing is suffering. Outside of the Klitschko brothers fighting each other, there will not be another great fight in our lifetime thanks to Ali.

The two biggest names in boxing fought this weekend, one of whom many people did not know until Saturday night. The problem is that they are not heavyweight fighters, who everyone knows brings out the most hyped fights and biggest crowds. Boxing is about knockouts – along with high energy, and flurries – but really about knockouts. A display such as Saturday’s won’t ever be seen in the smaller divisions.

Muhammad Ali has ruined the sport because of the side effects he has been forced to endure. Boxing is a contact sport to say the least, and for Ali the contact got the best of him. Youngsters today want to be able to speak and walk at age 40. Ali’s post-career health has damaged the credibility of the boxing industry. Yes, he had a great career. He was the best athlete in the biggest sport during his time, but nobody wants to end up like him.

Mayweather says that he only started boxing because his uncles were boxers. This lack of motivation to enter the sport proves that it is indeed on its way out. It’s a dying sport and this fight was possibly the last of both De La Hoya and Mayweather’s careers. Don’t expect to see anyone else come along in a long while who will earn that massive pay-per-view payout.

I am an amateur viewer when it comes to the sport of boxing, so the statistic that I looked at to define the fight was percentage of punches landed, which Mayweather owned. De La Hoya tried to make it a fight, but the truth is that Mayweather was too good to begin with, as displayed with how he gained weight prior to fight in this match. Yes, it was Cinco de Mayo, but there was no way that De La Hoya won as judge Tommy Kaczmarek had scored. What fight was he watching? The point is that everyone is a De La Hoya fan, but the truth is that Mayweather came in, used little energy and still easily took eight rounds.

Mayweather says he is retiring and De La Hoya is definitely out of his prime. What does boxing have to offer us anymore? Is there ever going to be another fight worth the money? The chances are slim. There are no great fighters in the lower ranks and now that the two best are calling it quits. The sport is done. I guess this means that $65 will be better spent.

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