BOXING/WBC world light-middleweight title:The meeting of Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather has captured the imagination of the boxing public. John Rawling sets the scene for their eagerly awaited fight in Las Vegas

The war of words between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather before their WBC world light-middleweight title fight at the MGM Grand Las Vegas has been world-class. A torrent of trash-talking has flooded from the Mayweather camp only to be elegantly rebuffed by the more sophisticated De La Hoya and his entourage. But now the business gets real.

Whether the contest - which will take place in the early hours of Sunday morning Irish time - will match the hype is a different question as De La Hoya, the only man to have been a world champion in six weight divisions, tries to negate the speed and athleticism of the undefeated Mayweather.

Plenty of respected judges suggest De La Hoya, 34, will be too big for Mayweather. He stands two-and-a-half inches taller at 5ft 10½in and is used to fighting in the division, while Mayweather is stepping up to light-middleweight for the first time. Their argument is that Mayweather cannot run for 12 rounds and win and De La Hoya has the edge in power and strength.

Trainer Freddie Roach has had De La Hoya sparring with the world welterweight champion "Sugar" Shane Mosley, about as good as pre-fight preparation can get. Mosley has twice scored narrow wins over De La Hoya and has the hand-speed and mobility to ape Mayweather's style.

"Oscar needs to be more physical than normal. He has a better jab than Mayweather and we intend to use our size. The idea is to take advantage of Mayweather's flaws, and we all have flaws. Oscar's going to be ready for whichever Mayweather turns up, the guy who runs in and out, the guy who lies on the ropes and the guy who runs," said Roach.

"We'd love to slug it out of course but Floyd's not man enough for that. Oscar's not the slowest and I doubt that Mayweather can hurt him. Whatever happens, I don't believe Mayweather can win going backwards. We have got to be smart and aggressive and I see Oscar making it a short night."

Mayweather (30), would be claiming a world title in a fifth weight division if he were to win.

Whether or not De La Hoya has been riled by being called "a pussy" and "a fake" remains to be seen but Mayweather has cemented popular support firmly behind the Golden Boy. "I'm going to knock him out. You can have Bill Gates's money but you can't buy my talent," is a typical offering from the Pretty Boy, while his uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, has said "speed don't mean shit", adding that his nephew would win because of "sheer talent".

He also dismissed the argument that De La Hoya would win because of his physical advantages, saying: "Weight don't win fights, skill wins fights. Roy Jones come from middleweight to win the heavyweight title. If weight won fights, Michael Spinks and Evander Holyfield would never have won the heavyweight title."

The key factor is whether De La Hoya can find the punches to get to his challenger. Roach may be a cooler and shrewder head in the corner than Mayweather's volatile uncle and it may be that De La Hoya, star of so many glamour nights, will handle the atmosphere better.

But above all De La Hoya is fighter and promoter.

To win, effectively on De La Hoya turf, Mayweather will need the performance of his life. His natural inclination may be to fiddle his way to a points win and that strategy may not be enough here, so the smart money may be going on another glorious night for the Golden Boy.

Guardian Service