On Saturday, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Oscar De La Hoya takes on champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a 12-round boxing match for the junior middleweight championships.

Getty Images

THE RUNDOWN WHAT: Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. WHEN: 8 p.m., Saturday, May 5 WHERE: Pay-per-view HOW MUCH: $54.95, $64.95 in HD INFO: hbo.com/boxing

For some, the release of the much-anticipated “Spider-Man 3” on Friday, May 4, will be the highlight of the weekend.

For others, however, the weekend's true main event won't take place until the following night.

On Saturday, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Oscar De La Hoya takes on champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a 12-round boxing match for the junior middleweight championships. Tickets for the event sold out in mere hours, which makes sense considering De La Hoya and the undefeated Mayweather have combined to hold title belts in 10 boxing divisions.

The much-ballyhooed match also is expected to draw a record crowd on pay-per-view.

With that in mind, here's a tale of the tape between De La Hoya and Mayweather.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA
Nickname: The Golden Boy
Record: 38-4, 30 knockouts
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Height: 5-11   Weight: 154 pounds
Reach: 72 inches  
Age: 34
Strengths: Experience. If anyone knows how to prepare for a big fight, it's The Golden Boy.
Weaknesses: Age. Since turning 30 in 2003, De La Hoya is only 3-2 in the ring, with losses to Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley.
The rundown: It speaks to De La Hoya's drawing power when he is an underdog but will still earn significantly more for this fight than Mayweather. Of course, once the two men step into the ring, dollars and cents don't mean a whole lot.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.
Nickname: Pretty Boy
Record: 37-0, 24 knockouts
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Height: 5-86/3/4 Weight: 154 pounds
Reach: 72 inches Age: 30
Strengths: Confidence. Mayweather is undefeated and is regarded by many as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Weaknesses: Confidence. It sometimes breeds cockiness, which would be detrimental against an experienced fighter like De La Hoya.
The rundown: This fight could very well generate the most pay-per-view buys in boxing history, so Mayweather finally will get to showcase his skills in front of a massive audience. Some fighters react well to the pressure. The bright lights, meanwhile, blind others.

THE 210 TAKE: De La Hoya has trouble with smaller, quicker fighters (Shane Mosley), so Mayweather could very well dance circles around him. Or he could choose to go toe-to-toe and slug it out with The Golden Boy, which would be a colossal mistake. Look for Mayweather to do the former because, although De La Hoya is unquestionably the star of the show, Mayweather — at this point — is simply a better fighter.

THE 210 PREDICTION: Mayweather wins via 12-round decision

Clint Hale | 210SA