AN OPEN LETTER TO THE GOLDEN BOY
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 10 Dec 2008
Los Angeles, CA:- We love you Oscar, but I must tell you that your time is up and you have to quit! I could not tell it to you more bluntly than that. Hopefully you will listen.
I know that is easily said than done, but after what we witnessed last Saturday, I say you have no other option, unless you do not care about your future, your wife and your kids. And, the sweet science that helped put you where you are now, financially at least.
You have no more reason to continue.
You have attained many good things in your life and career, the gold medal, the ten titles and the millions in revenue. But most importantly, the respect of pure boxing fans across the world.
We know in your heart you still want to continue. That is not totally unexpected as the Mexican warrior blood run in your veins. But when the mind is the only one left to continue and the body has reached its peak, it?s time to quit.
For you, sadly that time is now!
So far in spite of all the head shots you absorbed in the past years, your faculties appear intact. I can assure you however, another fight like the one you awfully lost to Manny Pacquiao will most certainly cause problems whose consequences you can not even imagine.
Just take a good look at former boxing great, Muhammad Ali. Even a mild Parkinson?s like Freddie Roach? is far from comfortable. I can assure you, you would not like to suffer like them.
You need to stay healthy because your family, particularly the kids need someone normal to see them through life. Not even all the money you have can buy the love you can offer them.
But most especially, we need you to keep other promoters on their toes. Without the Golden Boy involve in boxing (as a promoter) it will not be what it used to be.
You would not like to leave the sweet science to guys like Shaw and the company to guys like Hopkins, do you?
Hopkins can not run the GBP. He has no class much less and the charisma to attract boxing fans. All he got is a big mouth and an empty head. Just see what he did at the weigh-in last week.
Shaw on the other hand is something else!
Truly Oscar, if you quit fighting and concentrate on promoting, boxing will continue to prosper.
That is were we would like it to stay.
Take a good rest, enjoy the holidays and the family. See you soon at a fight hopefully, in a business suit.
Good luck and God bless!
PHOTO BY DR ED DE LA VEGA.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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