Boxing: Oscar was the moral winner; Seconds Out.

Byline: NICK PEET 

TALK about waking the neighbours.

I was screaming at the box at 6am last Sunday morning when Floyd Mayweather Jnr's was handed the split decision win over Oscar De La Hoya.

I had the 'Golden Boy' winning all but two of the first nine rounds in Las Vegas - Mayweather edging the first and fifth only - so despite Oscar running out of gas in the last three rounds my card read 115-113 De La Hoya.

Forget about all this 'a world title becomes vacant prior to first bell rubbish', for me a challenger should always take the belt from the champion.

Mayweather is a supreme talent, but his negative tactics last weekend almost scarred boxing for life.

Had Oscar not taken the fight to Floyd we would have had one of the most negative title fights in history - just as the entire world was watching.

For me Floyd never kept his side of the bargain - to put on a great show.

Oscar was the one forcing the pace of the fight. Oscar was the one lifting the crowd with his bursts and Oscar was the one throwing everything he had into the fight.

Can Mayweather say the same?

Naturally, talk now is of a rematch but I don't think we need it.

For me Mayweather is a supremely gifted athlete with wonderful skills who will probably talk his way into the Boxing Hall of Fame.

But he will never stand alongside the names De La Hoya will.

The pro game is about so much more than talent. It's about heart, taking on all comers and being prepared to leave your heart in the ring.

De La Hoya's career is littered with performances that inspire, but once again Pretty Boy Floyd flashes just enough of his talent to get the job done.

Meanwhile, the WBC light-middleweight title fight smashed all records it was confirmed this week.

The Las Vegas showdown raked in 2.15 million PPV buys and pounds 6Omillion in PPV revenue.

The previous record for PPV buys for a non-heavyweight bout was 1.4 million for De La Hoya's bout against Felix Trinidad in 1999.

Saturday's fight eclipsed the overall record of 1.99 million buys set in 1997 for the second meeting between heavyweights Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.

The revenue also surpassed the previous record of pounds 56million from Tyson's bout against Lennox Lewis in 2002.

CAPTION(S):

TRUE CHAMP: Oscar De La Hoya took the fight to Floyd Mayweather in Vegas