Oscar De La Hoya remains committed to fighting for the last time as a pro in December. Finding an opponent, however, is proving to be difficult.
Talks between De La Hoya and WBC lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao ended recently without a deal being reached. That breakdown in negotiations has De La Hoya back in the hunt for a viable opponent.
Fortunately, there are several fighters in the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions eager for a shot at De La Hoya. Early reports have De La Hoya giving WBC junior middleweight champion Sergio Mora a close look.
Mora’s name isn’t the only one being tossed around. Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Vernon Forrest and WBA welterweight champion Antonio Margarito are among those being considered.
The list of opponents is long. It is impossible at this time to predict who the frontrunner is, but of the fighters being considered here are a few pros and cons:
MORA: Pros — He is undefeated and has a win over Forrest. Also, Mora has some name recognition — became a popular fight figure with an appearance on “The Contender.” De la Hoya plans to hold the fight in Los Angeles. This should help Mora’s chances, being he is a Los Angeles native.
Cons — He has no punching power, just five knockouts in 21 pro bouts. And though he is a busy fighter, Mora’s style isn’t very exciting.
MOSLEY: Pros — He has beaten De La Hoya twice, but each fight was exciting and competitive. Mosley also brings name recognition. And he grew up in the Los Angeles area.
Cons — He has beaten De La Hoya twice. He has a fight in September against Ricardo Mayorga. Mosley is expected to come away victorious, but a hard bout with Mayorga could take some excitement away from a potential third showdown with De La Hoya.
MARGARITO: Pros — Margarito looked terrific again last month when he stopped then-WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in 11 rounds. He is a nonstop puncher, who comes forward all the time. Margarito also possesses knockout power.
Cons — He is a junior middleweight who can cut down to welterweight, which could turn off De La Hoya. Margarito has not proven himself to be a major draw.
JUDAH: Pros — He has a very exciting fighting style. Judah has good punching power for a welterweight, but not enough to seriously hurt De La Hoya. There is something about him fight fans seem to like — Judah sells.
Cons — Judah has lost four of his past seven fights, and the wins have come against C-level opponents. After four rounds, his work rate drops significantly.
PAUL WILLIAMS: Holds the WBO welterweight title belt. He registered an impressive first-round knockout of Carlos Quintana during his most recent bout. Has a win over Margarito. Williams throws a lot of punches.
Cons — While he has an eye-opening professional record (34-1-0, 25 KOs), few fight fans know much about him. He has never been part of a high-profile fight. He is still in the learning stages.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR: Pros — Highest-profile fighter in the business. He has exceptionally fast hands and solid defense. Mayweather possesses a very high boxing IQ. He is well-known and has a win over De La Hoya — split decision.
Cons — Mayweather is retired and has not shown signs of returning this year, though there is talk in Las Vegas that he is training vigorously on a daily basis. He and his father, Mayweather Sr., have been at odds for some time. Mayweather Sr. trains De La Hoya and Junior might not want to participate in a fight his father is involved in.
Et cetera
It is not uncommon to hear a hard-punching fighter predict a knockout in his next bout. Such predictions often go unfulfilled. But the next time junior middleweight JOEL JULIO vows to stop an opponent early, he should be taken seriously. Julio stayed true to his word Wednesday night by forcing a battered JOSE VALERA to retire in the sixth. The power display Julio put on left a lasting impression. He dropped Valera several times en route to his 34th career win, 31 by knockout, against one defeat. Valera, who suffered his second loss in a row, fell to 23-4-0. The man arrested in the shooting death of former Olympic boxer RHOSHII WELLS says he acted in self-defense. ROGER RANDOLPH, 26, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he fired his gun at Wells after the junior middleweight punched him in the eye and robbed him of $100. The statement contradicts eye-witness reports that Wells and Randolph were fighting over a woman. Wells, 31, earned a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. He had a professional record of 18-2-0 with 10 knockouts. SHANE MOSLEY doesn’t appear too concerned about his next opponent, RICARDO MAYORGA. The two are scheduled to exchange pleasantries Sept. 27 (HBO pay-per-view). But Mosley is so confident of walking away victorious that he has begun campaigning for his next fight — a showdown with WBA welterweight champion ANTONIO MARGARITO. “I go after the best fighter,” said Mosley, who is 44-5-0 with 37 KOs. “Margarito is the best welterweight out there right now, so I want Margarito.” Margarito is considered by many to be the best 147-pound fighter after registering an impressive 11th-round stoppage July 26 of former WBA titleholder MIGUEL COTTO.
Light heavyweight/super middleweight king JOE CALZAGHE has been fighting for a long time, and he can see the end of the road. With 45 professional fights under his belt, all victories, the 36-year-old Calzaghe is talking retirement. He is scheduled to face ROY JONES JR. in November at Madison Square Garden and recently said he will consider calling it a career if he wins. “At the moment I’m definitely going to retire,” Calzaghe said. “As long as I win, and I win in style, then it’ll be my last fight. I’ve achieved everything I can in boxing. … I love boxing, and I love what the sport has given me, but I want to retire undefeated.” Former WBA heavyweight champion JOHN RUIZ sure knows how to carry a grudge. Ruiz, who lost his title to NIKOLAI VALUEV by majority decision in December 2005, promises to make the judges unnecessary on August 30 when the two meet in Berlin. “I have to knock him out to win,” Ruiz said recently. “That is my plan, to be aggressive from the first round.” Ruiz (43-7-1, 29 KOs) has fought twice in Germany, each time he has lost a close decision. The rematch with Valuev is for the vacant WBA heavyweight crown. Valuev is 48-1-0 with 34 knockouts.
Losing the WBC junior middleweight title in June continues to be a sore spot with VERNON FORREST. He is scheduled to face the man who took it from him, SERGIO MORA, on Sept. 13 and vows the outcome will be different. “There is no doubt I am going to beat Sergio Mora,” Forrest said from his training camp in Atlanta, Ga. “I peaked early during my training for our last fight, but I know what I need to do now to win. Camp is better than ever and I am 100 percent.” NABF cruiserweight champ MATT GODFREY is scheduled to defend his title August 29 against EMMANUEL NWODO at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. The fight will air on ESPN2. “Nwodo is tall and has a lot of power,” Godfrey said. “He’s a little one-dimensional, but he has a lot of experience. I know that I am going to be in a tough fight.”
