Mailbag: Oscar, good and bad

Oscar De La Hoya is a man who stirs passion among those who follow boxing. He's been on top of the sport for more than a decade and has his share of detractors, as well as ardent supporters.

On the eve of yet another De La Hoya mega-fight, when he'll meet pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, it seemed appropriate to make a list of the pros and cons of De La Hoya's career.

So here are one man's take on five great things about De La Hoya and five not-so-great things about him.

The good

1. Longevity: De La Hoya won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and has pretty much been one of the game's biggest names ever since. He's fought at an exceptionally high level for 16 years and helped keep the business relevant when interest in the sport was otherwise fading.

2. Competitiveness: De La Hoya has a fierce competitive streak and has pushed himself to take on challenges that others in the sport have not done. His fight with Pacquiao is the second time in his last three bouts in which he's taking on a man recognized widely as the best in the business. How many other 35-year-old fighters do you know who do that?

3. The left hook: The left hook has long been De La Hoya's signature punch and is one that has led to many memorable moments. He used the power in his left hand to beat back the bully when he stopped archrival Fernando Vargas in 2002. If there's an enduring picture of De La Hoya that should stick in one's mind, it has to be a photo of him landing his left hook.

4. The speed: Speed and quickness have long been two of De La Hoya's greatest attributes. And as he's hit middle age, a time when boxers often rely more on guile, De La Hoya's speed remains one of his greatest assets.

5. Faced just about everyone: There are few fights in his career that De La Hoya could have taken that he didn't. Yeah, he didn't meet Kostya Tszyu at 140 pounds or Vernon Forrest at welterweight, but no one can legitimately argue that De La Hoya ducked anyone.

The not-so-good

1. Flip flopper: Those who have followed De La Hoya's career over the years have come to realize you can't believe what he says entirely when he makes these definitive long-term statements. He insisted he'd retire at the end of 2008, but now says he's fighting indefinitely. He said he'd never fight another bout without Freddie Roach, but he dumped Roach after just one fight.

2. Whining: He didn't accept his decision losses very well and whined incessantly about them. In the case of his 2003 loss to Shane Mosley, he suggested some sort of conspiracy against him and demanded an investigation. That was hardly good for the integrity of the sport that made him rich.

3. Firing trainers: De La Hoya has gone through a series of the game's best trainers, which is his prerogative. However, he's fired most of them without first telling them personally. Roach find out he was axed by reading the newspaper. De La Hoya sent subordinates to tell most of the others they were gone. Changing those who work for him is his right, but he should have been man enough to deliver the bad news himself.

4. Fading: De La Hoya's conditioning often betrayed him late in fights and he frequently was running on fumes. It seems to have been more of a mental issue than a physical one, but it's something he's never really solved.

5. Lost the big one: As good as he is, he's lost his most significant fights. Most of those bouts were close, too. One figures a fighter as skilled as De La Hoya would have been able to find a way to win at least one of them, but he's 0-for-5 in his top bouts. He lost twice to Shane Mosley as well as once each to Felix Trinidad, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Bernard Hopkins.

With that, let's move on to your questions and comments about De La Hoya, Pacquiao and their big fight Saturday in this week's edition of the boxing mailbag. As always, my answers are in italics.

Manny against Pretty Boy?

Assuming Manny Pacquiao defeats Oscar De La Hoya, do you see Floyd Mayweather Jr. coming out of retirement to fight Pacquiao? It would be a great match, pitting the top two fighters in the world against each other, and I think the money would be there to seriously entice Mayweather Jr. to make a one-fight comeback. Assuming this fight actually happened at 135, who would you see winning the fight?

Dave
Baltimore

I do believe Mayweather will make a return in 2009 and will face the winner of Saturday's fight. It's going to be difficult for him to turn down the astronomical payday that will await him to meet the winner. That said, if Pacquiao is the winner, the bout would be at welterweight, at 147 pounds. Mayweather has no chance of making 135.

Still a mismatch?

Great piece on trainer Freddie Roach, Kevin. It's one of the best articles I have read so far on De La Hoya-Pacquiao. I wonder though if your earlier comments about this fight being a mismatch still stand. The way Pacquiao and Roach have prepared for this match, I anticipate at least a competitive clash between a younger fighter regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer against the sport's most popular but perhaps over-the-hill figure. I just want you to know that I enjoy reading all your articles. They are honest, perceptive and well-written.

Jun Medina
Alexandria, Va.

Thanks, Jun. I don't believe the fight is a mismatch in terms of talent, only in terms of size. Pacquiao is a more skilled fighter than De La Hoya, but he's never faced anyone who can punch like De La Hoya and has De La Hoya's frame. That is why I believe De La Hoya will win. I can't imagine De La Hoya being hurt by Pacquiao's punches, as he's shown a great chin while facing hard punchers who are naturally far bigger than Manny. So, I imagine De La Hoya will manage to get into an exchange at some point where he's able to land one of his left hooks that will turn the fight in his favor.

Oscar should be top 100

Were you kidding when you stated that Oscar De La Hoya isn't a top 100 boxer of all-time? If you make a list, you are going to be scratching your head before you reach 25 and wonder why you didn't write down Oscar's name. This is a man who never walked away from challenging anyone. Look at today's fighters who do this regularly to protect their future. This statement is the craziest I've ever heard from you. I challenge you to make a list of your top 25 boxers of all-time and back your thoughts behind why Oscar is not on your list. I guess all of those titles meant nothing to you.

Shaun Hampton
Denver, Colo.

I wasn't kidding and I stand by that assessment 100 percent. De La Hoya is a slam dunk for the Hall of Fame when he's through, but the top 100 of all-time is a very different thing. First, while Oscar has won all of these titles, he's lost nearly all of his most significant fights, as I mentioned above. As for 25 fighters I'd choose over Oscar, that's easy. Here you go: Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Joe Louis, Harry Greb, Muhammad Ali, Benny Leonard, Willie Pep, Sam Langford, Archie Moore, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Barney Ross, Mickey Walker, Barney Ross, Roberto Duran, Gene Tunney, Jack Dempsey, Stanley Ketchel, Charlie Burley, Jose Napoles, Larry Holmes, Tony Canzoneri, Ike Williams and Aaron Pryor.

Weight difference intriguing

I believe myself to be a dedicated boxing fan and talk to a lot well-informed fans. I am going to watch the De La Hoya-Pacquiao fight, but the only thing exiting about it is the weight difference. I guess everyone wants to see a small man versus a big man. Big deal. I would like to see Pacman rematch Juan Manuel Marquez. A lot of well-informed fans agree with me that Juan Manuel Marquez won the most recent brawl. Also, some of the commentators on HBO had Marquez as well. Do you believe as I do that this is what the fans want?

Gus Velazquez
Long Beach, Calif.

Well, Gus, let me start by saying I agree with your contention that Marquez won the March fight between them. It was a close fight and I can see how someone scored it for Pacquiao – it was not an outrageous call – but I felt Marquez won. He deserves a rematch. Given that, there is no way that Pacquiao-Marquez III will sell as much on pay-per-view as the De La Hoya-Pacquiao fight will. So from that sense, it's clear the public would rather see this fight than a rematch.

Bout makes mockery of the weight classes

There have been and still are calls to ban boxing, which I completely disagree with. People misunderstand boxing. They see danger, hurt, blood, etc., and yes, they sometimes see death. De La Hoya is fighting a much smaller man and in doing so is making a mockery of the weight system that exists to insure fair play. You don't pick on someone smaller, not in the schoolyard and certainly not in the ring. De La Hoya is capable of really hurting the much smaller Filipino. Total mismatches like this should be banned.

Bryan Moylan
Walnut Creek, Calif.

I have been fairly clear that I don't like the bout because of the size difference, but let's be clear that this is not a total mismatch. Pacquiao is a highly skilled and talented fighter, arguably the most gifted active boxer. A total mismatch would have been something like De La Hoya against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., a bout that was at least proposed to the Golden Boy and which he wisely declined. I agree with your contention, though, that the weight classes are there for a reason. When I asked De La Hoya in the spring while he was on his book tour if he would face middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, he quickly said no and said Pavlik is too big. De La Hoya would have had to move up one class to face Pavlik, but has no problem with Pacquiao jumping two classes to fight him. It doesn't make sense.

Oscar abandoned the jab

I just wanted to say that one of your answers in last week's mailbag on De La Hoya not winning the fight with Mayweather because he was facing a younger fighter is typical of a so-called boxing fan who doesn't know what the hell he is talking about. If Oscar would have continued to jab and create distance and also score points, he would have been able to set up his power shots, which neither fighter seemed to be willing to risk taking. Once he started to get away from the jab, Mayweather became the aggressor and scored more points simply because he was landing more punches. I guess De La Hoya didn't really care what the outcome of the fight was because he made $40 million in one day.

Gerald
Clinton Township, Mich.

You need to get what I said correct, Gerald. I said he lost because he was facing a younger and more skilled fighter. You're right when you say Oscar should have jabbed more, but there are two men in the ring. Give Mayweather credit for taking Oscar out of his game plan.

Is Manny worthy of the Hall of Fame?

I'm an avid reader of your columns and I really respect your opinions. In your honest opinion, is Manny Pacquiao qualified for a place in the Hall of Fame?

Jose Mari Catap

Win or lose Saturday against De La Hoya, Pacquiao is clearly a Hall of Famer and he'll get my vote when the time comes.

• Can't get enough of Kevin Iole's mailbag? Then check out last week's edition.