The New England Patriots would probably be the Detroit Lions were it not for Bill Belichick. The St. Louis Cardinals would be defending a fourth-place finish in the National League Central if not for Tony La Russa.

Good coaches help win games. Great coaches help win championships.

I believe that sincerely, at least until I watch Floyd Mayweather Jr. box. In his case, anyway, coaching makes little difference. Mayweather would lick anyone in the house if he had Bob Barker in his corner. The guy's that good.

OK, so he's delusional when he says he's better than Sugar Ray Robinson. But what do you want him to say, that his life's ambition is to be remembered as the guy who was as good as Johnny Bumphus?

Mayweather is about a 2-1 favorite to defeat Oscar De La Hoya on May 5 in the biggest fight since Lennox Lewis fileted Mike Tyson in 2002.

Mayweather ought to walk to the ring that night to Tina Turner's "Simply the Best," just to remind the Golden Boy what he's in for. Mayweather will deliver the punishment with his fists, but what may be toughest for De La Hoya to take will be the taunts from Mayweather's team.

His father, Floyd Sr., was formerly De La Hoya's trainer and returned from a six-year separation to help him. And his uncle, Roger Mayweather, was released from the Clark County Detention Center on Monday and reclaimed his post as chief trainer.

They'll handle the verbal assault on the opponent that is a part of every Mayweather Jr. fight.

"Floyd's done everything De La Hoya has except win a gold medal and they robbed him of that," Roger Mayweather said Friday after he ran his nephew through a two-hour workout at Barry's Boxing Center.

This will be Mayweather's gold medal fight, then. And that means a long night for De La Hoya. Everywhere he turns, he's going to see a Mayweather. Floyd Jr. is so fast, De La Hoya may think he sees two or three of him. But he really will be buried amid a blizzard of Mayweathers.

Mayweather Sr. trained De La Hoya from 2001 until January, when De La Hoya opted to hire Freddie Roach. A few weeks later, father and son ended their six-year separation with a friendly reunion in a suite at the MGM Grand.

While Roger Mayweather was serving the final days of a battery conviction, Mayweather Sr. was preparing his son to beat the man who was his meal ticket for six years.

The younger Mayweather was schooled by his father and his uncles, Roger and Jeff, all of whom were successful fighters. The sport is in his DNA.

At this stage, he's all but on auto pilot. Mayweather Jr. knows what it takes to prepare for and win a fight at this level and he could do it with his father, either of his uncles or Bozo the Clown carrying the bucket.

A trainer has four primary tasks: to teach the boxer the basic skills and fundamentals, get him into shape, formulate a game plan and make adjustments during the fight.

There is no better conditioned fighter than Mayweather, nor is there one with superior skills. When it comes to in-ring adjustments, Mayweather is the best since Sugar Ray Leonard. Witness the changes he made midway through his April 8, 2006, win over Zab Judah that turned a close fight into a runaway.

But have no doubt, Roger Mayweather's return will have an impact on the fight. His presence, more than anything he'll do or say, will provide a steadying influence.

Mayweather Jr. is Secretariat, but it's not like De La Hoya is Mister Ed. De La Hoya didn't win a gold medal and world championships in six weight classes without plenty of skills of his own.

As long as Roger Mayweather reminds his nephew of that, the outcome will take care of itself, regardless of which Mayweather actually trains him.

Kevin Iole's boxing column is published Saturday. He can be reached at 396-4428 or kiole@reviewjournal.com.