Big Fight leaves behind a big void

Floyd Mayweather Jr fulfilled his vow to defeat Oscar De La Hoya to become the WBC superwelterweight champion on Saturday night.

Floyd Mayweather Jr fulfilled his vow to defeat Oscar De La Hoya to become the WBC superwelterweight champion on Saturday night. Now, the fight8217;s slogan, 8220;The World Awaits,8221; could apply to whether the bout will provide any short or long-term momentum for a sport that is only occasionally relevant.

Mayweather said that he would retire, but retirement promises by boxers in their prime are about as useful as Confederate currency, especially with the tens of millions of real legal tender that he would pocket in a rematch.

If De La Hoya decides to keep fighting, he may not want to face Mayweather again. The last time he agreed to a second encounter with someone who had defeated him, he lost for a second time to Shane Mosley.

There was no rematch clause to trigger Mayweather-De La Hoya II.

8220;I came in on top and I8217;m leaving on top,8221; Mayweather said after the split decision against De La Hoya at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

It is more than obvious that there is no fight looming in the near future that is likely to excite a sports audience much beyond boxing8217;s fan base.

The best-known and most accomplished of the four heavyweight champions, Wladimir Klitschko, who holds the International Boxing Federation title, will try to avenge his loss three years ago to Lamon Brewster, in a rematch July 7 in Cologne, Germany. Klitschko is very big in Germany, where his last fight attracted 13 million viewers.

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With his trainer, Emanuel Steward, by his side Saturday afternoon, Klitschko said at a news conference that 8220;I am just attaining my prime time.8221; He added, 8220;I8217;m not as top as I8217;d like to be,8221; as a heavyweight, 8220;but I8217;m topper than the others,8221; meaning his division8217;s other champions, Shannon Briggs, Oleg Maskaev and Ruslan Chageav.

Whether Mayweather8217;s victory provides a halo effect for boxing will be debated over the next few months. If he retires, and De La Hoya follows, it is difficult to imagine any fighters meeting in megafights for a while. The last one was the Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson bout five years ago.