07.05.06 – By Frank Gonzalez Jr., photo by David Martin Warr / DKP: After a fairly long layoff, Oscar De La Hoya returned to the ring in top form, made a ton of Pay-Per-View money and proved that being a gentleman should never be confused with being weak. These days, just about every high profile fight is hyped as, “sworn enemies” and other over-exaggerated labels that fade as soon as the fight is over.
Guys who go out of their way to be obnoxious in promoting a fight are expected to say the usual crap, but Ricardo Mayorga went a wee bit overboard. He insulted Oscar De La Hoya’s wife with sexual innuendos that were totally below the belt.
The truth unfolded Saturday night in the square circle at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where Ricardo Mayorga (28-6-1-23 KO’s) paid for his lack of manners leading up this fight. His lack of class, skills and mental discipline rendered him incapable of dealing with the power of a fully functional, insulted and understandably pissed off, Oscar De La Hoya (38-4, 30 KO’s)..
Round 1
Mayorga blasted away at Oscar with a combination jab, hook and overhand rights, scoring a few good shots in the opening moments until Oscar caught him with a clean left hook that cocked Mayorga’s head from left to right before he fell to the canvas. After getting up, Mayorga was shaken and barely had a chance to clear his head as DLH proceeded to punish him with scoring combinations that again wobbled him before the bell. 10-8 DLH.
Round 2
Tentative early, Mayorga pressed with offense, often throwing that same jab, hook, overhand right combo but DLH blocked most of his predictable punches, countered beautifully and rocked Mayorga with precision punching. 10-9 DLH.
Round 3
Mayorga tauntingly waited for DLH as close to center ring between the referee, to start the third. Mayorga tried to fight smarter, box more, and brawl less. It mattered not. The results were the same. Oscar did most of the damage. They boxed. They brawled. Mayorga landed a clean uppercut that jerked Oscar’s head back but Oscar sucked it up and went on to win all the following exchanges with cleaner punches, better defense and superior ring generalship. Mayorga was completely outclassed. 10-9 DLH.
Round 4
DLH rocked Mayorga with a right cross and combinations early. Mayorga landed a few shots to the body late. Oscar easily won the first half of the round. Arguments could be made that Mayorga had his best moments since the first round in the latter part of the fourth. With charity in mind, I called this round, 10-10 Even.
Round 5
A slapping head butt paused the action in the opening moments. Referee Jay Nady, gave both men a look. When action resumed, DLH was starting to use his jab effectively and frequently tagged Mayorga, who was warned by Nady for hitting behind the head. Anyone familiar with the finer points of pugilism could see that this fight was a mismatch between a polished boxer and an undisciplined brawler. Oscar gave Mayorga a boxing lesson. 10-9 DLH.
Round 6
They exchanged punches at center ring. DLH landed flush shots to the jaw of Mayorga, who fell again, got up only to take a further beating as Oscar smelled blood and went for the finish. Nady rushed between them as Mayorga fell to a knee from the barrage, while Oscar was practically tackled to the canvas by Nady in the process of stopping the fight. It was over. De La Hoya won by TKO 6.
I had no problem with the stoppage but arguments could be made that Mayorga was still punching back, and deserved a ten count. Its doubtful Mayorga had any chance to win the fight and was likely to be seriously injured had it continued. The ref’s job is to protect the fighters. Nady did his job well.
I find it annoying that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been talking for years about fighting DLH. Considering that Floyd’s father is Oscar’s trainer, its too awkward a proposition to take seriously and Mayweather Sr. has expressly stated that he wants no part in that fight because Floyd is his son. How do you ask a man to train a fighter to beat his own son? Beside the fact that it’s classless to even consider, it’s a conflict of interest on a few levels.
It’s understandable that every fighter in the sport wants to fight Oscar; he’s not called, “the golden boy” for nothing. All fighters want the chance to make the most money they’d ever make in their entire career fighting Oscar. Weighing in on the circumstances, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is simply not a viable candidate to fight Oscar. Now why would anyone publicly call out someone they know they’re never going to fight? If Floyd is the best p4p fighter in boxing, why is he not chasing down Ricky Hatton or Antonio Margarito? It’s curious but not unfamiliar.
The best money fight for Floyd right now would be against Ricky Hatton in England, where Hatton draws huge money. It would be high risk for a high reward. Until Floyd fights Hatton, he has some serious unfinished business to address. Both guys are undefeated; both are at the top of their game right now. So, what’s the problem?
Congratulations to Oscar De La Hoya for winning the WBC Super Welterweight Title. He approached Mayorga after the fight to tell him he forgives him for all the ugly things Ricardo said. Mayorga was humbled by Oscar’s graciousness (and the ass whooping he just received) and behaved with respect.
At 33 years old, Oscar showed that he still has plenty of boxing left in him. If he continues to fight, he can still be a major player. If he wants to retire, this could serve as a nice finale to arguably the most financially successful boxing career of all time. Oscar’s always been a gentleman and a credit to the sport. Whatever he decides, I wish him all the best.
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