By Tim Williams: The Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KOs) has come in the past two days, saying that it’s time for him to hang up his gloves after he completes three more fights that he has on the agenda, thus wrapping up a 16 year professional boxing career, including a Gold Medal in the 1992 Olympic Games. De La Hoya, 35, has planned bouts against light welterweight Steve Forbes (33-5, 9 KOs) on May 3rd, followed by a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on September 20th. It remains to be seen who De La Hoya will choose for his final bout, perhaps WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto or light welterweight Ricky Hatton.
Oscar De La Hoya
De La Hoya – Could He Have Found A Better Opponent Than Forbes?
By Jim Slattengren: With this past week’s news that Oscar De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KOs) is reportedly set to fight his tune-up bout against former star from “The Contender” reality TV series light welterweight Steve Forbes (33-5, 9 KOs) on May 3rd at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California, I kind of wonder why De La Hoya, 35, didn’t opt to fight at better opponent than him. At least pick a fighter that is a legitimate welterweight and not a fighter that has fought virtually his entire career at 140 lbs. Of course, De La Hoya had to pick someone, and most people assumed it would be a fighter with little boxing skills or ability with which to make it tough on the aging De La Hoya.
Malignaggi: The Perfect Opponent For De La Hoya
By John Dower: With so many fighters to choose from for his May 3rd tune-up bout, Oscar De La Hoya (38-5, 30 Kos) must feel like he’s in a giant candy store, especially when the opponent is very likely going to be one that he can literally beat the stuffing out of and look good in the process. However, in selecting the opponent, De La Hoya, 35, has to make sure that he doesn’t make the mistake up drifting too far down in the chain for quality opposition, for both the boxing public and general fans will let him know about with complaints.
So far, we’ve heard names like Steve Forbes and Paulie Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KOs) mentioned as potential opponents. The second name, however, Malignaggi, is the one that De La Hoya needs to be focusing on, mostly because of Malignaggi’s already huge popularity, but also because of the fact that he is so beatable. Let’s be clear here, Malignaggi, 27, would seem to be the ideal opponent because of his lack of punch. He only as a pitiful five knockouts on his record, and isn’t likely going to be able to hurt De La Hoya with any of his fast jabs or light punches.
De La Hoya – In Search of The Beatable Opponent
By Chris Thomas: According to the latest rumor mill, Oscar De La Hoya is considering fighting former junior welterweight Steve Forbes (33-5, 9 KOs) for his May 3rd tune-up bout. Nothing has been nailed down at this time, but the 30 year-old Forbe’s name has rose to the head of the list for potential opponents. At 5’7,” Forbes would be at a considerable disadvantage against the taller 5’11” De La Hoya, who could stand back and pound away at him all fight long without even getting a scratch. Though it’s quite normal for fighters to fight less than impressive fighters in their tune-up bouts, I had expected a little better from De La Hoya than this, if this indeed turns out to be his opponent for his tune-up bout.
De La Hoya To Fight Tune-Up On May 3rd
In the latest boxing news, former six-time champion Oscar De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KOs) will be fighting a tune-up bout on May 3rd against an un-named opponent before Oscar takes Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a rematch which will likely be held on September 20th. Best of all, De La Hoya’s tune-up fight will be shown on regular HBO, giving the fans a break from not having to fork over $49.95 for a PPV bout.
De La Hoya vs. Mayweather II On May 3rd
In the latest boxing news, it looks as if Oscar De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KOs) is going to be facing undefeated World Boxing Council welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (38-0, 30 KOs) in a rematch on May 3rd of this year, with the location still to be announced. I can’t say that I’m surprised that De La Hoya, 34, has decided on facing Mayweather again so soon, as De La Hoya has few options of winnable fights over top opponents to choose from, and if he were to fight a couple of more times – and likely losing them – De La Hoya would be destroying the possibility of his big money bout with Mayweather.
De La Hoya To Face Chavez Jr?
According to the latest from the rumor mill, Oscar De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KOs) is considering fighting Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (34-0-1, 27 KOs), the younger son of the great fighter Julio Cesar Chavez. The rumor, if it’s true, is coming from Boxing confidential writer Michael Marley, who says that the 34 year-old De La Hoya is unhappy with the huge money demand made by Floyd Mayweather Jr., who reportedly wants $20 million to fight De La Hoya in a rematch. Instead of giving into his demands, De La Hoya is thinking of possibly taking on the young undefeated 21 year-old Chavez in September.
To an unknowing public, this might be a fight that would sell a great deal of tickets, as many of them would no doubt be enamored by the name of Chavez, though I have doubts whether most of them have even seen the young Chavez Jr. fight. However, to those who know boxing – and have actually seen Chavez fight – they would most likely be shocked at such a bout. De La Hoya, even though he’s a mere shadow of himself at 34, having lost three out of his last five bouts, and probably should have lost the fourth bout as well.
Who Will Be The Next Opponent For De La Hoya?
With Ricky Hatton’s recent defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr., it essentially wiped out Oscar De La Hoya’s leading candidate for his next opponent, whom he has plans on fighting on May 3rd, whomever that may be. Hatton, however, due to his knockout loss to Mayweather, is no longer a viable opponent for De La Hoya, since the public wouldn’t likely enjoy watching a bout with two fighters coming off of losses, especially a one-sided knockout loss, like in Hatton’s case.
Of course, you never know, De La Hoya may still opt to fight Hatton, since he’s the less imposing fighter that De La Hoya could face without having to dip down into the lighter weight classes and try to line up a fight with someone, say, Manny Pacquaio, a super featherweight (130 lbs). Previously, De La Hoya has stated that he’s not interested in fighting Miguel Cotto, the Puerto Rican welterweight boxing star, because of Oscar’s promise to his wife that he would never fight a Puerto Rican fighter. However, there’s not too many big-named fighters for De La Hoya to pick over, at least ones that won’t beat him into coma, that is. Clearly, he’s looking for a fighter with a big name, but not the ability to beat the stuffing out of him, like Felix Sturm did, or stop him within the distance like Bernard Hopkins did with him.
Looks Like De La Hoya Is Out Of The Picture For The Defeated Hatton
Now that Ricky Hatton has been flattened by Floyd Mayweather Jr., the prospect of a mega bout between the once-great Oscar De La Hoya and Hatton appears to be all but finished. The bout was always considered a long shot from the very beginning due to the odds against Hatton defeating Mayweather, but the one-sided nature of the fight, and the final finish – Hatton being brutally stopped in the 10th round – makes it nearly impossible to interest the boxing public.
It seems as if most boxing fans, even casual ones without much knowledge, would have a prerequisite that the fighter in the ring with De La Hoya should have a mystique of invincibility, even if it’s one build up on less than impressive fighters. Now, however, that’s been removed from the equation with Hatton’s humiliating loss to Mayweather. The fight was never remotely close from the very beginning, which will make it difficult to justify a bout with De La Hoya. It could still happen, but only if it receives a different kind of billing, something on the lines of “former champions go at it,” or something to that effect.
De La Hoya Striking Out
Oscar De La Hoya, the CEO of the promotional outfit Golden Boy, has had big run of bad luck as of late with losses of fighters Shane Mosley, who was defeated recently by Miguel Cotto, Marco Antonio Barrera, who was easily defeated by Manny Pacquiao, once again, and De La Hoya himself, in his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr earlier this year. There’s not much to look forward for De La Hoya, the promoter, in terms of immediate wins in the near future. Bernard Hopkins, another one of Golden Boy’s fighters and also a manager in the company, has been playing cat and mouse with super middleweight Joe Calzaghe.