By Dan Ambrose: Antonio Margarito says he’s ready to face Oscar De La Hoya for his exhibition bout in September. The former IBF/WBA/WBO welterweight champion Margarito (41-8, 27 KOs) says he’s already told the ‘Golden Boy’ De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) that he’s available to fight him next at whatever weight he chooses.
De La Hoya, 47, is said to be looking for an MMA fighter for his exhibition, not a boxer. At 43, Margarito might be overqualified for what the former five division world champion De La Hoya wants for hix exhibition.
De La Hoya hasn’t fought since 2008, and might have problems with Margarito, who hasn’t seen action since 2017. Unlike De La Hoya, Margarito still looks slender, and he wouldn’t have problems getting in good shape by September.
It’ll be harder for De La Hoya because he’s still chunky-looking, and it’s unclear whether he can train harder enough to lose the paunch that he’s put on during his 13 years out of the ring.
Margarito ready for De La Hoya
“I’ve been watching and unfortunately right now in boxing there aren’t fighters like the ones in the past,” said Antonio Margarito to Fighthype. “That’s why I believe they’re doing exhibitions, but it’s good for the public because they like watching them.
“Come on, I’m right here,” said Margarito when told that Oscar De La Hoya is looking for an opponent for his next fight. “We’ve already told him, ‘We’re right here ready to fight, of course.”
Margarito is close to the same age as De La Hoya, but he’s not let himself go physically the way ‘Golden Boy’ has done since retiring from boxing.
If De La Hoya wants to get the attention of the boxing public, he’ll choose Margarito as his opponent. But, unfortunately, it will not help De La Hoya get PPV buys from boxing fans if he picks out an MMA fighter for his exhibition.
Margarito would be perfect for De La Hoya, but he’d also be very risky. You can bet that Margarito would be looking to take De La Hoya out with body shots in the same way that Bernard Hopkins did in 2009.
Margarito is arguably a better body puncher than Hopkins was, and we saw how Bernard stopped De La Hoya with a hard shot to the midsection in the ninth.
De La Hoya can choose the weight
Some boxing fans believe De La Hoya could have gotten up because he was punching the canvas while he was down. However, if Oscar could punch the canvas, he should have been able to get back up.
“Honestly, whatever weight he’s more comfortable so they don’t say I have an advantage,” Margarito said when asked what weight he wants to fight De La Hoya at. “Honestly, we’re open to any weight he wants.
“He looks good, and that’s why I believe it’ll be a good exhibition,” said Margarito in responding to a question about what he thinks of De La Hoya’s workout videos.
