Boxing

Pass the Handkerchief; Dry Your Eyes and Grow Up, Mute Your Ears Because This is What You Don't Want to Hear

By Mike Samuels

18.09 - I didn't, in my wildest dreams, imagine that I'd have to spend time writing about the 'controversy' over Shane Mosley's unanimous (and rightly deserved) decision victory over Oscar De la Hoya on Saturday.

Boy, oh, boy, was I wrong.

I'm getting sick of hearing about the black eyes of boxing. It's no secret that boxing has more than a dozen to its credit, but the biggest black eye the sport has is the fans.

You heard me right.

Cry. Moan. Cry. Moan. And do it all over again.

That's the typical response from the average boxing fan (or drunken observer) when things don't go his or her way after a big fight. Everyone immediately points fingers; everyone immediately finds a place to stick the blame for something not going according to plan. Everyone has a problem with every decision in boxing, and most importantly, everyone - including people who don't watch the sport - spends all of their time crying and looking through the thickest pair of negative glasses the black market has to offer.

Oscar De la Hoya and Shane Mosley didn't give boxing another black eye. The three judges, who as a matter of fact, came to the same 115-113 conclusions after the fight, didn't kick boxing when it was down. The media and boxing writers of America didn't tarnish the image of the sport. If you want to hear the truth, instead of all the recent garage posted on the internet over the last week, then look in your mirror or at your friends and you'll be staring at the people who black eye boxing. It doesn't get any simpler than that, and anyone who feels differently is obviously still hung over from last weekend's riots (if you are an Oscar fan) or the celebration (if you're a Mosley fan).

I picked De la Hoya to win the fight and I've always been pro-De la Hoya. So before you think that I'm the latest version of Mike Katz (who actually isn't what the media has made him up to be since his recent column), try to understand that I was rooting for De la Hoya the entire night.

The decision shouldn't be something to cry or lose sleep over. It was a close fight. It wasn't, however, a fight that De la Hoya lacked stamina. You can make that argument in the Trinidad fight four years ago, but not against Mosley this time. Oscar De la Hoya trained for the fight of his life. The reason he wasn't one hundred percent for the championship rounds was Shane Mosley. De la Hoya was hurt, gasping for air, cringing every time Mosley hit him and every time his body moved. So don't cry the stamina card or say that De la Hoya 'faded' the last part of the fight. That's nothing but crap. De la Hoya didn't fade at any point during the fight. He was beaten.

But that's a concept not many De la Hoya fans will ever agree with.

I had nothing against De la Hoya before this fight, but it's become painfully obvious that he is a sore loser. He's no Sherlock Holmes and calling for investigation over his 'disputed' loss against Shane Mosley is one of the stupidest, if not the stupidest thing (besides Tyson becoming a cannibal and DeMarcus Corley's outfit against Zab Judah) I've ever seen in boxing.

And that says a lot. Believe me.

What's even more moronic is the huge backing the pro-De la Hoya (minus myself) is giving this investigation. There have been far worse decisions in boxing and when have you ever heard of a fighter acting upon an investigation?

Where is the investigation with Pernell Whitaker and Julio Caesar Chavez?

When's the court date for Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield?

I heard Johnny Tapia was in court. I hope it was to challenge the decisions against Paulie Alaya. Alaya happens to be a Bob Arum fighter, too.

Those fights make last weekend's 'disputed' decision seem like Childs play. The mere fact that De la Hoya is investigating such a decision is scarier than the actual horror flick.

What's worse than De la Hoya and his groupies (yes, I know it's hard to be worse) is Bob Arum having a temper tantrum after the fight. Both Arum, much like De la Hoya has said, will now walk away from boxing because, as he said, it's the garbage can of sports.

Please. How Bob Arum can even be given time to argue and cry is beyond me. He's the same Bob Arum that charged that gross $50 price tag behind the Yory Boy Campus fight. He's the same Bob Arum that doesn't feel fighters other than those of Hispanic notion should be given a shot at anything.

Anyone heard much of Floyd Mayweather's fight with Phillip N'Dou lately?

It's hard to believe, but it's time to believe that Mayweather was right about the scandalous promotions of Top Rank, which happens to be run by none other than … you guessed it, Bob Arum.

Don't hold your breath with Bob Arum. Boxing is better without him. Nobody did any investigating when Pernell Whitaker was 'screwed' against Oscar De la Hoya, did they?

And no, I don't think Pernell Whitaker won. But the latest argument has been with the CompuBox numbers, which showed De la Hoya out landing Mosley by a hundred punches or so. So what? Before the Oscar groupies get their panties in a twist, try watching the CompuBox numbers for the Whitaker-De la Hoya fight. You might find it hard to believe, but Pernell Whitaker out landed Oscar De la Hoya and he lost the fight. Yet there was no investigation. Boxing wasn't given a black eye. Wonder why?

Bob Arum. It's simple. Bob Arum got his way and a happy Bob Arum is a happy sport. Or so that's what you're told to believe.

There was no investigation for Paulie Alaya after he got two gift decisions over Johnny Tapia. Come on people, the first fight between these two wasn't even close, or at least not nearly as close as Mosley and De la Hoya, or even De la Hoya and Whitaker. Why not?

Bob Arum. Once again it doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to figure out that Bob Arum loves boxing until he's on the losing end. In fact, I'd bet almost anything that Arum would tell everyone in the room that Tapia lost both of those fights to his fighter. After all, Bob is always right and when he's not, well, boxing is the garbage can of all sports.

Boxing lives today and it will live tomorrow. Boxing will be around forever, with or without Bob Arum, and with or without Shane Mosley or Oscar De la Hoya. The fans are a big part of the sport, but boxing will survive without the crybabies, without the Oscar De la Hoya groupies, and without the unneeded controversy.

People don't think so, and, to be blunt, people are wrong. If you are going to cry about the decision then don't watch boxing anymore. Pack up your whiney, temper throwing self and don't let the door hit you on the way out. Because for every ignorant, childish and unreasonable fan there are ten level-headed people waiting to take in this beautiful sport.

My advice for those who can't, or claim there is no beauty in boxing: Wipe your tears, bury your face on someone's shoulder and grow up. Just then, and only then, you might actually see something worth watching.

Mike Samuels can be reached for comments at Tyson180@aol.com

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