Asked if he still has the heart of a fighter and contemplates of surprising “one-comeback” in the ring to fight Pound-for-Pound King Manny Pacquiao, De la Hoya only returned this writer’s question with unwavering smile. And the same, penetrating smile had lingered on the day…
LOS ANGELES, California – Getting a straight smile can be puzzling, especially from a multi-millionaire philanthropist, Oscar de la Hoya. Such transpired when De la Hoya hosted ribbon-cutting ceremony officially marking the grand opening of his namesake high school, the Oscar de la Hoya Amino Charter Junior High School, in Boyle Heights in Los Angeles on October 29, 2009. Asked if he still has the heart of a fighter and contemplates of surprising “one-comeback” in the ring to fight Pound-for-Pound King Manny Pacquiao, De la Hoya only responded my query with an unwavering smile. And the same, penetrating smile had lingered on the day when he graced another event at the White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles, while he he was asked by the same question.
De la Hoya is the major donor of the major building renovation of White Memorial Hospital,a Seventh-Day Adventist missionary institution founded by Ellen G. White, where his mother, Cecilia Gonzalez-De La Hoya, was hospitalized and died of breast cancer in 1990 at the age of 38. She had always hoped that her son would win a gold medal at the Olympics and her untimely death gave De La Hoya a concrete goal for the golden years onward.
When two of boxing’s biggest attractions, this Olympic gold medalist and 10-time world champion “The Golden Boy” Oscar de la Hoya and current Fighter of the Decade Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao collided in a catch-weight welterweight showdown on December 6, 2008, boxing fans invoked its reality as the type of epic match-up that fight fans dreamt about, “The Dream Match”.
Yes, it was such a day of infamy for De la Hoya who was defeated – one-sided – via TKO in the eightth by Pacquiao but relatively not under the mercy of a physiologic observer who understands the interplay of fluids and electrolytes in a catch-weight boxing match.
Consider rather a review of the article I have written early last year: Less understood neuro-science of boxing: The Jet-weight Theory of Conservation.
I will never forget the thrill of witnessing a boxer at the emergency room whose admitting electrolytes in the blood were as follows: Potassium 2.2 (3.5 to 5.5 millie-equivalents per liter), Sodium 112 (135 to 145 millie-equivalents per liter) and “the miracle mineral”, Magnesium 1.1 ( 1.7 to 2.2 milligram per deciliter).
According to report, this said athlete, 5’7″ weighed 154 lbs. on the tip of the scale during the official weighing, weighed 181 lbs. when he was admitted at the hospital. Sure, he was over-hydrated and malnourished.
Then, in less than two hours, another boxer was admitted who looked so drained and malnourished as well, 5’10” in broad body frame but weighed only 147 lbs. on fight night, of which his usual pre-fight weight was 154 lbs. But , as for this fighter, he tipped off the scale at 144 lbs. after three months of some sort of “body-conditioning”, they said. He was impractically tamed to live in the third world country where the scarcity of food made its mark as headlines in the newsprint, which Oscar de la Hoya somehow was put to a poignant test.
Meanwhile, Frank Lotierzo of Sweet Science must have said it well and unknowingly must have helped me expound my talking points when his article got published on September 22, 2009, that which my article as well, “Jet-weight is Mayweather’s story of a boxing scientist”, surfaced on the news prints on September 21, 2009. Lotierzo’s article was titled: “Cotto should emulate Mayweather and weigh-in at 147.”
Now, let’s talk about Mayweather and Marquez weight issue and my theory.
“Jet-weight theory of conservation”, as coined by this writer, is void of newness at all. But, as to the world of new trend in boxing, it is one of direct attempt of subjugating the very intent of “catch-weight”. In fact, it corrupts, if not forfeit, the very purpose of catch-weight acclamation.
As of this writing, I received 2038 e-mails commenting on my article published last Monday regarding ” “Jet-weight” is Mayweather’s story of a boxing scientist”.
Of these numbers, I spent nearly six hours spot-reading their respective contents.
To my surprise, the majority gave good comments. But, I would like to address one out of dissenting thirteen who clearly misunderstood my supposition.
And for the senders, I thank you for expressing your opinions.
Here’s one of the comments:
“Your moronic comment doesn’t appear to be convincing to me. If Floyd is not foolish, he shouldn’t agree to fight at the agreed weight of 144 lbs . He has no honor then! That’s why lots of people call him Fraud Mayweather. He should fight the real welterweight then!”
My take as premise: The fight as per agreed changed of the contract was at catch-weight of 144 lbs. binding in the Welterweight limit of 140 to147. In other words, Floyd Mayweather,Jr. had the latitude of freedom to deviate from the agreed catch weight limit of 144 lbs. on the condition of paying the penalty as stipulated, or to adhere to it so long as “he tries to work it out” on such time of official weigh-in, which he did, in fact. But it’s just he weighed-in 146 lbs. – still a pound below the Welterweight limit of 147.
And as reported, its entirety of the contract was agreed as well by Marquez as manifested by his signature, to work it out within the Welterweight limit.
Of the stipulations, however, both parties also agreed that any excess of weight on the official weigh-in carries a penalty of $ 300,000.00 for each pound. And the contract and its inclusive terms remained enforceable to materialize the fight, as clearly discussed and as they made sure no one exceeded 147 lbs. on such exact time of official weigh-in, which Mayweather made it to 146 lbs.
Therefore, there’s nothing wrong with Mayweather’s tactical plan, if, indeed, he ever planned to deviate from catch-weight. That’s his power of choice. He paid the price of his choice, which he deemed as his best alternative course of action. Likewise, there’s nothing wrong with Marquez’s choice of just reaching 142 lbs. during the weigh-in.
But, what truly set their choices apart was a matter of principle and understanding of their own philosophy along with the pulse of time, in that the fight must transpire considering the millions of dollars being spent for the campaign: “Number One versus Numero Uno”.
And here’s the complexity of their respective power of choice: it’s operative and can only be rescinded unilaterally at the option of Marquez, which Marquez did not pursue believing that he can still weaken and take down Mayweather, So he agreed to all terms, nevertheless.
Rightly so, Marquez consented to its legal narrative of terms, simply penalizing Mayweather by having him pay $ 300,000.00 per pound of the excess based on the agreed catch-weight limit. Otherwise, there could have been no fight at all last Saturday unless another counter-offer was agreed upon.
Conversely, in any event, this was something foreseeable.
So, why sour-grape when the “grape juice” has turned into “unfermented wine”?
That’s part of sweet science!
My proposition as to “jet-weight theory of conservation” has become an effective, winning ploy only for those who understand the effective management of fluids and electrolytes in their body, which, I think Mayweather understood its significance and the trap of “catch-weight”.
And, it’s nothing new at all.
But, remember: Size does not translate strength and speed, which, for Mayweather, it successfully enhanced both, if not physiologically maintained his metabolic advantage.
Meanwhile, whatever my supposition in that said article as commented should not be treated as mere intellectualization but rhetorical one.
And it can be “moronic” as one said, or I must say it’s “viagratic” by intimation, so to speak. But, that’s the intricacy of my theory potentially rationalizing a tactical, counter-strategy for low riders of “catch-weight”.
And let me tell you this: If only Oscar de la Hoya opted to this supposition, then he could have “pulled his trigger” and nullified Freddie Roach’s nagging statement saying that “Oscar de la Hoya can no longer pull the trigger.”
With so much being made about weight, both fighters in Saturday night’s main event came in light. Pacquiao’s camp cannot be faulted of De La Hoya’s own choosing to weigh a lot less than 147 welterweight limit. It was not a catchweight match at all.
Manny Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs) weighed-in Friday afternoon at 142 pounds, five below the welterweight limit. Oscar De La Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs), who hasn’t fought at 147 since 2001, came in two pounds under.
What if De la Hoya weighed-in at 147 pounds at such time of official weighing and entered the ring at least 10 pounds or a bit more and not necessarily becoming over-hydrated?
What if Oscar de la Hoya’s transport of oxygen through his hemoglobin was one of a healthy athlete?
That’s why “The Golden Rematch” is imperative, much more at 154 pounds!
What about his muscles which, in some way of his momentary stupor in the ring, had been so poor in tone and mass, if not edging into the state of becoming lethargic?
And, what about his thinking process being affected by all these imbalances?
When Pacquiao fought De la Hoya, was it just about the speed and style of the former that made the big difference?
Was it just about the display of the law of physics? Or, was it not also about the invincibility of the law of physiologic balance?
Yes, it’s all about the balance of fluids and electrolytes as well.
And I call it : “The Jet-weight theory of Conservation”.
