PAALAM, OSCAR AND THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 15 Apr 2009
Los Angeles, CA: Today at a well-planned press conference that was opened to the public and held at the posh LA Live near the Staples Arena, Oscar de la Hoya said goodbye to boxing.
Oscar de la Hoya, the Golden Boy of the ring will be no more. He will no longer engage in fighting, but he will still remain in the sweet science as a promoter.\
And, he will have more time with his nice family.
The handsome and captivating boxing idol from the barrios of East LA at 36, ends his career with 10 world titles in 6 different weight classes and an Olympic gold medal to boot.
De la Hoya dedicated his Olympic gold medal to his dying mother, a feat that tenderly touched the inner being of millions of boxing fans thus giving his professional career a running start.
The fact that boxing guru Bob Arum took control of his career did not hurt either.
In 1995, de la Hoya started his career with a bang. He knocked out Rafael Ruelas in the second round. With that and the many victories he won, he gather a lot of Latino followers.
Until he beat the Mexican legend, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.
Many Mexicans never forgot that fight and the hated him for it. In fact, they were hoping that de la Hoya will end his career with a fight with Chavez Junior. But with his retirement, that is not meant to be.
Although he won several spectacular fights and the titles that went with them, in the end his losses to Trinidad, Mosley, Hopkins, Mayweather Jr, and Pacquiao stands up the most. That?s just because they were blots in his victory record.
His lost to Pacquiao however stood up like a sore thumb.t. He was supposed to be the bigger guy and the more experienced. But something somewhere did not work as expected. He was placed on a diet meant to pull him down to the contract weight of 147 lbs.
When he got on the ring, he was dry as a floor wiped by shamwow.
He had nothing to give in response to the incessant onslaught of the Filipino spitfire. With that, he had to quit at the end of round eighth, beaten to the pulp and embarrassed to the max.
De la Hoya?s feat however makes him a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer. He deserves it too for what he has done to boxing both as a boxer and a promoter.
So with his, we say to Paalam (Goodbye) Oscar, and thanks for the memories.
You have done good and made all boxing fans proud. We wish you the best in whatever you will do in the future.
Salamat and Mabuhay!
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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