Post fight analysis: The changing of the guard
LAS VEGAS?Could you have ever imagined in your wildest dream a Filipino retiring the great Golden Boy?
Of course, Oscar De La Hoya?s retirement is not official. But to many boxing experts, who witnessed the dismantling of De La Hoya ringside, the Golden Boy?s last fight was indeed Saturday night against the Pride of the Philippines Manny Pacquiao. The date December 6, 2008 should be etched on De La Hoya?s boxing gravestone.
The Golden Boy was a blue bruised boy. After eight rounds of taking hits like a human pinball, De La Hoya sat on his stool with a left eye the size of a baseball, dejectedly nodding his head, as trainer Ignacio Beristain explained to him that he was stopping the fight.
De La Hoya?s refusal to enter the ninth round, capped off a truly historic night on Saturday at the MGM Grand.
In front of 15,001 screaming fans, Pacquiao prevailed in true fashion using his speedy footwork, lethal left hand and improved defense to dominate the fight. It was his third win; in a third different weight class this year.
Pacquiao?s demolishment and the deterioration of De La Hoya Saturday night also signified the changing of the guard in boxing.
The saying goes as one falls, another rises.
For De La Hoya, some may say that the total destruction against Pacquiao was good for him, that this should keep him from ever setting foot in the ring as a boxer again. His last mega match performance against Floyd Mayweather Jr. was too close a call for him. The narrow split-decision lost against Mayweather Jr. (and unanimous decision win against Contender TV star Steve Forbes earlier this year) convinced him that he?s still on top of his game and at the age of 35 could still compete against the best of them.
De La Hoya was wrong.
Pacquiao?s trainer, and De La Hoya?s former trainer, Freddie Roach was right all along. De La Hoya can?t pull the trigger anymore. If he did it was full of blanks.
“If this is Oscar?s last fight, then we have to remember what he did for boxing, what he did for the sport all those years,” said Top Rank President Bob Arum at the post fight news conference. “If he does retire, God bless him and we should thank him for what he?s done for boxing.”
“I sort of feel sorry for him,” Roach told the Asian Journal bluntly after the fight. “I think he should retire.”
Many people think so, too.
De La Hoya has been a great ambassador for the sport. Nobody could ever take away De La Hoya?s contribution to boxing. What Mike Tyson?s ear-biting incident messed up in the sport of boxing during the mid-1990, De La Hoya cleaned up during the late-1990 and early 2000. He was the boxing worlds bright and shining star, a real life Golden Boy, for more than a decade. He was the Mexican-American pretty boy who brought screaming girls, (who would have never paid attention to boxing), to the ring. He won the Gold Medal at the 1992 Olympics. He marketed himself well. He has a smooth and charismatic charming personality in two different languages. He?s made millions of dollars inside the ring and now, outside the ring as the face and President of Golden Boy Promotions. He?s also given millions of dollars to his hometown of East LA and in turn, deserves that 14-foot bronze statue of his likeness in front of Staple Center.
But now it?s the Pac-Man?s turn.
What many people did not realize, except what the people in the Philippines already knew, is that Pacquiao is the real deal.
And that this is his time, his legacy in boxing. Simply put, it?s Pacquiao?s turn.
For the past five years, the Pac-Man has gobbled up opponents like the character in the video game.
De La Hoya was another Mexican notched on his boxing belt. Like a modern day explorer, Pacquiao has conquered some of the finest and greatest Mexican boxers in this time.
If De La Hoya does indeed retire, De La Hoya joins a list of other Mexican greats?Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales?that Pacquiao has retired.
“Nothing personal,” said Pacquiao at the post-fight press conference. “It just happens that there are a lot of Mexican champions in my division. I want to put on a good performance so I could make people happy. I don?t want to beat all the Mexicans. I love Mexican?s too.”
There might not be anymore Mexican boxers out there for Pacquiao, at least none with a marketable name.
Roach told the Asian Journal that there wouldn?t be anymore small (money) fights for Pacquiao especially after fighting the biggest name in the sport.
“Only big fights. Mega fights,” said Roach.
Roach has targeted two big names?Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Hatton has a legion of British fans that will follow him anywhere in the world. A bout with Mayweather would pit the former pound-for-pound great against the new pound-for-pound champion.
Hatton has already expressed interest. Mayweather is still retired.
Pacquiao said he?s just going to play it by ear.
“I?m just a fighter. It?s my promoters job [to choose who I fight],” said Pacquiao.
Who knows whom Pacquiao will fight? He?s conquered many of Mexico?s greatest champions and like any great explorer; Pacquiao is setting his sights beyond the horizon.
