For all of the functionality of the sport of boxing and we know that the sport is made up of stars and their egos. It can be said that last night’s bout between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya had all that one could’ve envisioned from two of the biggest stars in the sport. De La Hoya one again trying to prove that he’ll willingly take on anyone as long as the price is right. But not all too willing to admit when he’s made a profound mistake.
Manny Pacquaio the WBC lighweight champion throws a right hand to the head of Oscar De La Hoya during their none title bout held in Las Vegas, Nevada. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Eric Jamison….
Well for Oscar last night that held through as he was unwittingly surprised and beaten by his Filipino opponent in an 8th round TKO in their none-title fight. De La Hoya unable to answer the bell for the ninth round just sat on his stool as Pacquaio was later announced the winner. Much to the joy of fans in attendance who were supporters of the victorious Filipino , Manny Pacquiao.
De La Hoya stands ground as Pacquaio throws a right to the head of his opponent during the fourth round of their fight. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Eric Jamison ……………
Now for De La Hoya comes some home truths as to the future of his career. He may well think of himself as the savior of the sport during these turbulent times. But if anything this particular loss has proven that he’s now way past his prime once and for all. And though a rematch may not be out of the offing , I’d think that after tonight’s decision it wouldn’t prove anything were Pacquiao enter into such a discussion. Such was the lopsided of the bout that De La Hoya has to admit at no point was he in a position to conclusively win the bout outright. H certainly didn’t take the pace of the fight and if anything it was Pacquiao who held the upper hand right from the start and through much of the duration of the bout.
De La Hoya connects to the head of Pacquiao during their welterweight bout in Las Vegas on Saturday night. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Ethan Miller ……………..
Businesswise De La Hoya comes out a winner as he was co-promoter of the the event through his Golden Boy Promotions Inc, alongside Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc. And with Arum the promoter of Pacquiao proving to be victorious it’d appear that everyone came off a winner in this PPV event. With the price of $54.95 being charged for subscribers to the event. It can be said that it was more than a profitable night for all. Both the Arum and the De La Hoya camp were hoping for in excess of 2m buys for the event as that would bring a whopping $110m alone in terms of the PPV revenues. And less one forgets we also have the paying members of the public in attendance plus the concessions to be accounted. In light of that we could well hear that this bout being close to if not surpassing the take of the previous highest grossing PPV bout. Which again De La Hoya was a part of when he faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. That fight took in over $160m in gross revenues inclusive of the PPV total. Business is business and when it comes to the financial pulling power it would appear that in the worldof boxing no one has that power other than De La Hoya himself. He knows it and he craves both that and the limelight that it brings. And for a fighter that it’s said has earned purses in excess of $275m and counting over the course of his career. Another $10 or $20m mightn’t do him anymore harm when it’s all said and done.
De La Hoya is hugged by his Filipino opponent Manny Pacquiao after a surprising end to their much heralded bout. Pacquiao was declared the winner by a TKO after De La Hoya was unable to answer the bell for the ninth round. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Mark J Terrill …………………
The fact of the matter is the more Oscar continues to fight albeit that he’s willing to take on allcomers as long as he feels that he’s in with a chance of beating that opponent. He’ll fight and it will have nothing to do with his legacy as it’s now become nothing more than about the money at the end of the day. Well those days now may well be coming to close after what’ll be viewed as a much heralded loss against an opponent he was favored to beat.
Oscar De La Hoya on his stool ringside looks across at his opponent Manny Pacquiao during the interval of the fifth round of their fight held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. picture appears courtesy of getty images/Jed Jacobsohn …………….
The outcome to many may not have been surprising at all when one considers the punching power of Pacquiao. What may have surprised many in the audience and those viewing by PPV was the abrupt way that the fight ended. De La Hoya seemingly unable to defend himself with any great authority looked tired and old in the ring. And what might’ve been viewed an advantage for him in terms of him fighting at a weight that he’d seemingly become accustomed to. In many respects for Pacquiao it was he who looked the more accustomed fighter at the welterweight division than De La Hoya. For Pacquiao to move up two weight classes and still sustain such power and aggression is compliment to the fighter and his profound skills. And for De La Hoya it now appears that those days if being the big draw in the sport are now coming mercifully to an end. If ever a fight and the way in which he was defeated ouhgt to signal an end to an illustrious career. Then this was that fight without a doubt !
Manny Pacquaio of the Phillipines celebrates his 8th round TKO victory over Oscar De La Hoya with the accompaniment of his country’s Vice President Noll De Castro standing to his left. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Jae C Hong …………………..
The future now is so bright for Pacquiao that it’s now extremely hard to see how he could top this feat. Not only has he tamed a legend but he beat that legend ever so convincingly. The excuses from De La Hoya’s camp may well be rife. But it’s plain to see that Oscar is no longer the supremely gifted fighter he once was or he that he himself thinks he still is.
Manny Pacquaio connects with a left hook to the body of Oscar De La Hoya during their welterweight bout in Las Vegas on Saturday night. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Ethan Miller …………..
No one can deny the acclaim that De La Hoya has brought the sport and the rewards that he’s attained from it. But at the end of the day old Father Time has cought up with a fighter whose better days are most certainly not ahead of him but if anything he can actually see those days for himself have passed him by and he can view them through a rear view mirror. Slowly as they say all good things must come to an end. And now is the time Oscar to call it quits once and for all. No amount of excuses can be made for the severity and abruptness of this loss. And even if he makes the claim of wanting a rematch against Pacquiao. Is there really anyone of the opinion who’d view the outcome any different ? Oscar you’re good but on this night Manny was markedly better. And he was so by a very wide margin !
A forelorn De La Hoya looks on duriing the interval of the third and fourth rounds as his trainer Ignacios Beristain implores his fighter to keep his guard up. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Mark J Terrill ….
The public may well clamor for a rematch and most definitely it’s not out of the realms of possibility that Oscar might want to redeem himself against Pacquiao. But the fact the matter he threw his hat into the ring once too often an this time around he was found to be wanting. As alluded to before this may mark the end of an illustrious career once and for all. But there’ll be those around De La Hoya advising him otherwise. The cash cow that is Oscar De La Hoya brings along with him much more than the sport itself but also name recognition. And at a time when the world is undergoing an economic crisis it is the big marquee names that the fans are interested in. And not the bottom feeders within the sport as whole. One can understand that at this juncture there aren’t many recognisable names within the sport. Merely from the lackluster talent and in many cases many of the titlists being unwilling to face each other or major contenders. With the sport being so fractured it can only left to the likes of De La Hoya and Pacquiao to offer the fans what they so desperately crave.
A broken and beaten Oscar De La Hoya looks on after his loss to Manny Pacquiao in their welterweight bout held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Nevada. picture appears courtesy of ap/phot/Mark J Terrill ……………………..
Surprisingly though what I now crave to see Oscar ride off into the sunset once and for all. For if he still really has anything to offer the sport. Then it can be done by involving himself in the promotional side of the sport. And in nurturing future talent that the public may well be interested in seeing. I’d rather see him now doing that than viewing him flailing inside the ring with skills being questioned and being ridiculed by the fans. If nothing else we tend to remember our heroes when they’re more so on top. But when they’re on the decline we tend not to look at them so deservedly with the reverence with which we once held them.
tophatal ……………………….