I stumbled across this article while googling: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/freddie-roach-bite-oscar-de-la-hoya-article-1.354252 Its an old article about the DLH Pac fight and in it Roach is quoted as saying that DLH couldn't pull the trigger in the Mayweather and other fights. Here's a quote: Oscar's heyday was before my time, but I do recall people talking about how he lost all his big fights. I'm curious as to whether you think Oscar gave some of his fights away due to not being able to pull the trigger or due to lack of confidence or something mental like that.
Most people "can't pull the trigger" against Mayweather. Oscar was drained and shot when he fought Pac, no more and no less. Oscar didn't look all that great in the previous fight against Stevie Forbes. Forbes had fractured Oscar's eye socket in the fight.
Meh, he really went after FLoyd but FLoyd was too good at the time. Against Manny... he was done. Just look at the punches. As i like to say, FLoyd fought and beat an old Mosley and De La Hoya. Not shot, worn out or washed up but just older men whose physical condition were not as good as some years ago.
As far as mental strength goes, I'd say Oscar probably did feel the pressure of living up to his popularity, ie sometimes he seemed more focused on not losing than winning. Plus he's always been a fake, he's no Golden Boy outside the ring, that takes it's toll on a person.
Read the mans dam book, his persona was all fake folks. MENTALLY, HE WAS NEVER TOUGH. HE WAS A DAVID BECKHAM CLONE!! SEE, AND DONT OPEN YOUR MOUTH TYPE!
I think Roach meant it in that DLH was past his best. He was having a hard time pulling the trigger against Mayweather. And against Pacquiao it was clearly gone not only due to age but I'm sure the weight as well. I don't think he had a hard time pulling the trigger in his earlier fights. He should have a win against Mosley and Trinidad so that notion he lost all his big fights is a bit of a stretch.
If you give him the 2nd Mosley fight and the Trinidad fight and don't question the decision against Whitaker and whatever other decision is disputed (Quartey?) then he's got one loss to Mosley which he avenged, 2 loses in a weight class he had no business being in in the first place (Middleweight) and 2 losses as a 35/36 year old. That's a pretty damn good resume. Didn't he try to fight Winky but Winky priced himself out, the same as he did for a fight with Floyd?
Like a lot of fighters Oscar moved up in weight to chase big money fights. Had he fought the majority of his career at 140 (I believe his best weight) and moved up no higher than 156, if even that then I think he could have been a long time Lineal champ like Hagler. Maybe he would have been better remembered by boxing fans but less remembered by casual fans and not as rich.
That stuff about Oscar De La Hoya not being able to "pull the trigger" is just bull****. Invented stuff by a trainer whose finances depended on Oscar De La Hoya's ability to earn money. What was he supposed to say? "My fighter lost fair and square to superior fighters, it's just that those other guys are better than my guy. All hail the new champion"?
I'd agree with that if not for the 2 Mosley fights, the Vargas fight, and the Quartey fight... If he had a problem with pulling the trigger, those fights wouldn't have been what they were Trinidad is the only occasion I can think of where he had a mental lapse that lost him the fight... Hopkins is inconclusive
