Ringside with Reymundo 05.08.08: Oscar's Chances Against Mayweather & More
Posted by Raymundo Dioses on 05.08.2008
This week we go over Oscar's chances in a Mayweather rematch, his retirement plans and the status of the WBC welterweight title.
Of the 27,000 in attendance, of the celebrities and family member's ringside, and the millions watching from around the world, Oscar De La Hoya hoped to impress one person.
That person was current WBC champion and pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather.
In this writer's eyes, he didn't.
Saturday's fight against former ‘Contender' star Steve Forbes was to be a tune up for a rematch with Mayweather, yet proved little and even gave a hint of concern.
De La Hoya won a 12 round unanimous decision, yet failed to floor his opponent and was caught with enough punches that both eyes were visibly swelled, and the bridge of his nose red.
Sure, De La Hoya pitched a shutout. Yet what would have rung even louder in the ears of the boxing world, as well as Mayweather's, would have been a knockout.
I imagine Mayweather hardly raised an eyebrow towards Saturday nights UD, but if De La Hoya would have used his showcase left-hook and made the referee count to ten, both eyebrows may have been raised on the current WBC champion.
A chill would have run down the spine of Mayweather if the outcome was a KO or TKO. Oscar could have used Larry Merchant's mic and looked into the HBO camera and something in the territory of, "your next".
It did not end that way.
What this fight does give us is two fights post De La Hoya/Mayweather on both ends to examine.
Mayweather fought stiffer competition in the more decorated Ricky Hatton in December of last year. In that bout, Hatton was competitive throughout, and Mayweather laid the boom in the 11th, scoring a knockdown, and eventually the stoppage.
De La Hoya fought a ‘C' rated fighter at best, went all twelve rounds without a knockdown, and looked like he'd taken enough punishment to not go into the public eye for a few weeks.
Two things are evident with both boxers. De La Hoya is in the twilight of his career, and Mayweather is currently regarded in everybody's books as the best in the business.
De La Hoya can now look forward to his September showdown, and further prepare with Floyd Mayweather Sr. They now have 36 minutes of tape to dissect.
The Mexican boxer's role will reverse from the favored fighter, as his next fight will be champion versus challenger.
It will be a position that De La Hoya will not shy from.
The yin and yang that has been De La Hoya's career is this: although some of his fights have been sub-par performances, he has a desire to fight and beat the best, and attempts towards this are extremely admirable.
"This is personal. I'm going to beat him. You watch. I'm going to beat him."
Real talk from a real competitor.
In essence, this fight showed he can keep up the pace in the later rounds. Yet can he maintain that pace against stiffer competition?
Further, can he maintain that pace while absorbing pound for pound punches?
Tune in September 20th.
Ultimate Retirement?
With the first of three De La Hoya's farewell fights finished, he next looks to September 20 against Floyd Mayweather Jr. This will be the second installment of the scheduled trilogy, which leaves open the debate over who he plans to fight in December.
This writer is telling you right now, it will not be Miguel Cotto.
The Puerto Rican boxers name has been thrown around, and even out of De La Hoya's mouth. Yet with his rematch with Mayweather Jr. looming, barring an early knockout of his opponent, De La Hoya would need sufficient time to recuperate from a battle with the pound for pound champion.
Three months to promote, prepare and tackle another superstar in the welterweight division is not enough time.
It would be the ‘ultimate retirement' to leave the sport the unified welterweight champion, barring Miguel Cotto is victorious in July against Antonio Margarito. It would also mean that De La Hoya would knock off two of the ten best pound for pound fighters in the game.
Props to De La Hoya for having this grand dream. ‘Ultimate props' if he actually does it.
Where's That Green Belt?
Carlos Quintana is giving Paul Williams a chance to win his IBO welterweight title back June 7.
Miguel Cotto puts up his WBA title and Antonio Margarito puts up his IBF title in a super-bout this summer.
So where is that green belt?
WBC champion Floyd Mayweather isn't going to lace his gloves up for another four months. That would make it a total of 9 months of inactivity for the champion and his green belt. This greatly prohibits a contender from getting a title shot.
Mayweather is holding out for the cash cow that will be De La Hoya/Mayweather II.
While 9 months to a year of inactivity is normally a kiss of death for a boxer, some have other opinions.
I asked fellow 411 contributor Igor Frank while ringside at the thrilling Vasquez/Marquez III bout if Mayweather can beat De La Hoya while being inactive all year. He replied, "With one hand."
While that remains to be seen, regulations should be set by boxing official's to have a title holder defend his title at least every 4 to 5 months.
I must agree that Oscar stood still too often and got smacked around too many times. I don't know if it was him not showing any respect to Forbes' lack of power or perhaps it was Father Time catching up to him.
I think that it's the latter scenario. If such is the case then Mayweather will pull out a more convincing victory over the Golden Boy (116-112 or 117-111).
As far as Cotto goes, I would avoid Cotto if I were Oscar. Cotto is in his prime right now and has decent boxing skills and power to lay a whopping on De La Hoya.
But I guess we'll see what happens.
Posted By: Gordon (Guest) on May 08, 2008 at 02:18 AM
Of the 27,000 in attendance, of the celebrities and family member's ringside, and the millions watching from around the world, Oscar De La Hoya hoped to impress one person. 
Mayweather fought stiffer competition in the more decorated Ricky Hatton in December of last year. In that bout, Hatton was competitive throughout, and Mayweather laid the boom in the 11th, scoring a knockdown, and eventually the stoppage. 
Carlos Quintana is giving Paul Williams a chance to win his IBO welterweight title back June 7. 
