The challenger, Mayweather calmly took off his shirt, showcasing his muscular frame, and tipped the scales at 150 pounds – four under the division’s required weight.

De La Hoya, the apparent fans’ favourite, followed and weighed in at 154 pounds, surprising some with added bulk to his chest and stomach regions.

The fighters gathered in the middle of the stage for one last face-to-face meeting in front of a crowd of roughly 5,000 fans, and famed ring announcer Michael Buffer served as the master of ceremonies.

De La Hoya, who has won world titles in six different weight classes, is the clear underdog but his camp have exuded calm confidence in the run-up and the 34-year-old was looking forward to the fight after weeks of promotion.

“I feel real strong and ready to go,” De La Hoya said. “I’m just really anxious. It’s just a matter of controlling the pace and being smart out there.”

De La Hoya’s resume is second to none – at least heading into a fight that is expected to shatter records by grossing more than $100m (€74m).

The ’Golden Boy’ (38-4, 30 Kos) has only fought three times in the last 34 months. But he has won two of those fights, including an impressive victory against Ricardo Mayorga last May. He looked sharp in flooring Mayorga three times, proving to himself he could battle the undefeated Mayweather.

Mayweather (37-0, 24 Kos) will be fighting at his heaviest weight but the 30-year-old still is expected to be significantly faster.

“The added weight is no problem,” he said. “Skills win fights, not weight.”