Classic Forums Thoughts on Pac-DLH

Well, this is boxing; even the best observers are wrong a regular basis, and even the worst observers and biggest pricks (Teddy Atlas) are right sometimes.

I expected De la Hoya to win, but i never considered it a mismatch. Of course, 90% of the general forum that was calling it a mismatch and a cheap way to cash out for De la Hoya yesterday, is now saying they called the upset, etc. A bunch of sad, little men.

 

I simply said I knew Pacquaio's southpaw stance and speed would give De La Hoya problems in my prediction. And I was right on that. Typical? What you on about? Once you had a go at me for not giving a solid prediction once because I sat on the fence. I have no history for giving a prediction then changing my tune afterwards.

I'm not acting like I got the prediction right. :good

 

............I was amazingly wrong on this pick. I really thought Oscar's natural size would be too much. Guuhhhh.......

That aside, I appreciate what Oscar brought to boxing. It's rare that you get a fighter so compelled to go out of his way to fight the best competition he possibly can. Whitaker did it too, but he didnt have the star power Oscar had. He helped bring boxing as close to mainstream as any fighter since Tyson.

I remember when he beat Rafael Ruelas for his first real title. Naysayers and those that despise "media fighters" scoffed and noted Ruelas' shaky chin, poor balance, and bad defense. "Let's see what he does against someone like Chavez; he'll get eaten up then."

........So he fought Chavez twice, and stopped him twice.

Then they said "oh well.......Chavez was old; we saw that coming a mile away. It seems he hasn't had the sack to sign to fight Whitaker, Quartey, or Trinidad yet. Ha."

.......So he fights all three. Argue if you must that he lost at least two of those fights. I might agree with the Whitaker fight, but all three were so painfully close, and this was one deep welterweight division. Any bleatings of who won each of those matches is rather beside the point. He fought the guys the "experts" claimed he didnt have the balls to fight, and he was right there with them every step of the way.

Throw the grudge match with Vargas into the mix and you have a hell of a resume if he'd stopped right there. In that fight (not to mention gutting it out against Quartey) he showed the fire such a rich media darling isn't supposed to have. It should have become clear to all at that point that money was not the only mitigating factor with him, but still many scoffed. They couldnt get beyond the polished image, the good looks, the wealth.


It's a pity that some still can't get beyond it. Even now, with the long record there in front of us.

 

This is a great analysis from BxgScn forum:

I guess Oscar was stupidly trying to make a point with his weight and ,in doing so,terminated his own career.

 

Kinda reminds me of when Chris Byrd coming down to light heavy

 

Thanks, JT and all those who noticed.

Handicapping boxing matches is about as tough as it gets and not a little of it is based on blind luck so no one should be too impressed. One well timed left hook by Oscar and I'd be eating crow myself.

(by the way, MDwC, "eating crow" is the Americanized version of the English "eating humble pie.")

 

Excellent post. Always a great read, Stonehands...

 

Great post Sal.

I can't believe some of the vitriol Oscar still attracts amongst some clowns who try to pass themselves off as boxing fans.The man actively sort out the best fighters for nearly his entire career and if that can't garner him some respect then I don't know what can.He fought any and all styles,wasn't afraid to face big punchers and didn't let his precious record stop him from stepping in against the best fighters out there.

Sure he got the benefit of a few dodgy decisions but he also had some go against him as well which you seldom hear his detractors admit.

Oscar was the biggest name in boxing for the best part of a decade,faced probably the toughest level of opposition of anyone in the last 20 years and at his peak was one of the best fighters of the last 15 years.

Like him or not Oscar De La Hoya was great for boxing.

 

I agree with this and Sal's post. While I believe that Oscar has not been very motivated to be great for years now, he has without a doubt honored boxing with his charisma, ability, and willingness to accept challenges. I'm still impressed with how easily he beat Chavez back in '96.

--and I'm also getting more impressed with those performances against Shane -who was hell to fight. Especially because Oscar was in all likelihood fighting a man who was on performance enhancing drugs. Word is, Shane admitted this to a grand jury during the BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative) testimony -that he took EPO (a banned oxygen-boosting drug) almost 10 times before the fight.

 

I read this about Mosley as well.

It really does put a new slant on their fight's considering they were both very close (I thought Oscar won the second fight),hard fought affairs.It makes you wonder if the results would have been very,very different if the BALCO stuff didn't allegedly happen.

It certainly gives a new meaning to the term an "honourable loss" for Oscar if it is true.

 

Yes, but too bad it didn't happen 2 years later because it would be what it should be -which is a "no contest". I think it should be taken to a review board and re-categorized anyway if it turns out to be the case.

 

Thank you -that's quite the complement coming from a high caliber observer like you.

(By the way, I enjoy your articles and try to read them when I can...)

 

Wow Stonehands89, you outdid even Pacquiao's performance against DLH!:good

Since you analyzed it almost perfectly 89......What are your thoughts on DLH officially weighing 145 lbs after not having fought at even 147 lbs for 8 years?

......and even more than that, what could have happened to have DLH only gain two pounds overnight!


3 weeks ago, the HBO 24/7 cameras caught DLH weighing 145 lbs after a workout.
I said back then that the scale must have been rigged to have DLH weighing so low with over 3 weeks to go to fight night......


I'm trying to rationalize not Pacquiao's win, but the pitiful non-performance of DLH........could it be that DLH and his team made a grave mistake in getting his body too low too quick with their rationale being that DLH would be better off getting accustomed to being and fighting at the weight.

I would have thought that 3 weeks prior to the fight, DLH would be somewhere in the low 150's after a workout, and working to get himself to come in at exactly 147 lbs on the weighin date..........then rehydrating himself back up about a dozen pounds.

Seems like in an effort to drop weight to be quicker and faster, DLH gave up the enormous advantage he had in weight, strenghth, and punching power......his reflexes certainly suffered in the process, he could'nt avoid a Pac shot, even when he was'nt thinking about throwing a shot in return, and just looking to block it.
When you look how good DLH's defense was against a quicker and faster Mayweather just a year and a half ago, nowone expected DLH to look and be as inept as he was.

I would like to hear your thoughts and anyone of the regulars from the classic section on the matter....Stonehands,, SSF, JT, Sweet_Scientist, Robbi, and others????

 

The weight loss definetly was a factor but I also believe he just got old in the ring overnite. The brain/ego was there but he just could not pull the trigger anymore. Nothing to take away from Pac , he had to do what he had to do but he fought a heavybag who did not fire back at all, it is not to difficult looking spectacular under those circumstances.

I actually picked Hoya to win because I believed he had enough in the tank to pull it off against a smaller hand picked brawler but after the weigh in I started to have severe doubts about my prediction and the possibility of a Pac Ko or outhustling Hoya down the stretch became a distinct possibility.