An official announcement is forthcoming, but Oscar De La Hoya has already decided against having Floyd Mayweather Sr. train him for his May 5 bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Richard Schaefer, CEO of De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, said the hiring of a new trainer has been discussed and will likely be finalized within a week. But Mayweather Sr., who was demanding $2 million to train his son's opponent, is definitely out.
"We felt that $2 million was excessive, and maybe it was Floyd Sr.'s way of saying he really didn't want to do it," Schaefer said Tuesday. "Oscar had his own doubts about whether Floyd Sr. should be doing it because at the end of the day, as even Floyd Sr. has said, Floyd Jr. will always be his son."
Phone calls to Mayweather Sr. and Mayweather Jr. were not immediately returned.
It's standard for trainers to make up to 10% of their fighters' purses, but De La Hoya's earning power is stronger than any non-heavyweight in history. His HBO pay-per-view fight at the MGM Grand vs. Mayweather Jr., the consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound champ, expects to generate record profits.
Mayweather Sr. says he has made a "six-figure" salary in previous fights with De La Hoya, whom he has trained since 2001. His demand to be paid at a premium rate for this fight was rejected only after Golden Boy did some homework, according to Schaefer.
"We checked with some other managers and found out what (Mike) Tyson used to pay his trainers," Schaefer said. "We don't want to be out of line. Oscar has always been very fair in what he pays to a trainer. But $2 million is way beyond what any trainer is ever paid."
More than money, Schaefer said De La Hoya was concerned about the bout being compromised.
"Oscar thought about it, and he doesn't want to put Mayweather into a difficult situation," Schaefer said. "It's not just father and son. It's the brother (Roger Mayweather, who trains his nephew, Floyd Jr.). It's the mother and grandmother. It's the whole Mayweather clan. Oscar doesn't want to stir up or create more friction."
Schaefer scoffs at suggestions that the feud between Floyd Sr. and Floyd Jr., who fired his dad eight years ago, could have sold tickets.
"It probably would've, but that's not what this is about," Schaefer said. "This is about not just the biggest boxing event but one of the biggest sporting events in history. This is not a circus. We want this to be a night when the sport of boxing can hopefully shine."
