Leave Me Alone, I'm Watching the Game!
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao
By Ali Danois
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Pacquiao Proves That Bigger Isn't Necessarily Better
Most boxing experts predicted that Oscar De La Hoya would prevail in his bout with Manny Pacquiao this weekend. And that false assumption was based solely on the fact that Oscar was the bigger man. The majority of so-called experts labeled the fight as a mismatch and castigated Oscar for choosing to fight the respected, but supposedly overmatched and undersized Pacquiao.
For nearly the past eight years, the Golden Boy has fought as a middleweight and super welterweight. Pacquiao, who’d earned the prestigious label as the world’s pound-for-pound best once Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather abruptly retired, was seemingly in over his head. Most of the damage inflicted by the Phillipino mega-star had been in the lower weight classes. Less than a year ago, Manny was fighting at 129 pounds.Â
If the old adage – Â it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but rather the size of the fight in the dog – was ever in need of another exemplary illumination, here it is.
Manny not only beat De La Hoya, he summarily pummeled him into retirement. While being shocked by the dominating manner in which he won the fight, I was not surprised by the final outcome.Â
While Oscar looked good against the inimitable Mayweather, he was not able to consistently throw his jab in the latter stages of that fight. Had he done so, he might have walked away the victor.
Against Pacquiao however, he couldn’t consistently do anything other than absorb hooks, uppercuts, jabs and a plethora of straight left hands. The legendary, certifiable Hall of Fame fighter – who’d won an Olympic Gold Medal in ‘88 and captured world titles in six weight classes – could not answer the bell for the ninth round
I’ve always had the utmost respect for Oscar. Lurking beneath the veneer of that Golden Boy smile and polished image was the heart of a champion. He challenged himself with almost every great available opponent during his illustrious career. From Bernard Hopkins to Sugar Shane Mosley, from the great Pernell Whitaker to Felix “Tito” Trinidad, Oscar never shied away from matching fists with the best.
Unfortunately, he lost the majority of those fights against those transcendent talents (I still maintain that Pernell Whitaker was robbed in that so-called loss he suffered to Oscar) and this time was no different, save for the fact that it was the worst beating he’d ever taken in 44 pro fights.
At the age of 35, De La Hoya’s prime was some time ago. In fact, although his ability to attract pay-per-view dollars dwarfed the incomparable Mike Tyson in that regard, Oscar had lost three of his past six fights. And quite honestly, I’m not so sure he beat some obscure cat named Felix Sturm not too long ago.
While most called him a bully and wondered why he wouldn’t pick on someone his own size, I thought that it was Oscar who’d done a very honorable, and brave, thing by agreeing to fight Pacquiao, and not the other way around.
If we’ve learned one thing over the years, it’s never count out the underdog, no matter how undersized he or she may seem to be. And I cram to understand why this lesson never seems to hit home.
Remember little Dawn Staley, the girl from the projects of North Philadelphia or Muggsy Bogues from the projects of East Baltimore who made careers out of embarrassing larger foes on the basketball court?
Glance around the NFL landscape and you’ll notice Lilliputians like Warrick Dunn, Steve Smith, Brian Westbrook and Reggie Bush doing what Pacquiao did every Sunday.
What about Villanova over Georgetown in ‘85 or N.C. State over Houston in the ‘83 NCAA basketball tournament? Ever heard of some lady who was once a local newscaster in Baltimore named Oprah Winfrey? Some brash mouthed kid from Louisville named Cassius Clay who was supposed to be killed in the ring by the world’s most feared man, Sonny Liston? Or some nerds that started this little company called Microsoft? How about this guy that everybody can’t seem to get enough of named Barack Obama?
Sports, business, politics and every other facet of society is littered with examples of the quickly dismissed underdog proving the naysayers wrong.
No matter what the scale or tape measure says, the size of one’s heart, tenacity and belief in accomplishing the implausible can never be fully appreciated.
Until, that is, they do what Manny Pacquiao did, proving once again that bigger is not necessarily always better.
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The Mexicutioner, huh? Somehow, as I watched the end of the Golden Boy era, I couldn’t help notice the resemblance of Manny and the centipede from The 5 Deadly Venoms! He took away Oscar’s left by constantly moving right (while hooking and upper-cutting as he did do). He also landed so many left direct hits that Oscar probably should be commended for not falling down. That would have been the only way to make the beating worse. Oscar has had a nice career in the ring but he is also a talented business man. Its time to transition.
Great article Mr. Lee!
> Ricco Keyes
Mr. Lee,
Great analysis as usual. Yes…it was a great night for the underdogs. As my (un)natural position in this struggle is that of the underdog, like Nas, I usually find myself “…[rooting] for the villain…”. I’ve got a lot of respect for Mr. de la Hoya, but it was good to see someone shock “the experts.” Great fight by Manny Pacquiao.
> DaveS
Great article and true. I wish that I had bet on the fight myself, because I would have taken Pacquiao. Good job on the De La Hoya section where you talk about the fact that he is really the only guy of his era who consistently took the big fights. The one thing that I might have done is written a little more on Pacquiao’s bonafides, although that is not really the point you are trying to get across. However, in terms of the point that you are trying to get across (David vs.. Goliath or unknown to the US public vs.. well known), you did a really good job of it.
> bill
I think that Oscar and his people (GoldenBoy Promotions) set out to fight guys that they thought oscar could beat or at least put up a good show…its entertainment. For promoters this recipe worked well up until Oscar/RJ Jr. reached a certain level of status/money, at which point they had to fight better fighters such as Pacquiao/Calzaghe.
Today…its all about the dough. C.R.E.A.M!
I’m looking forward to GoldenBoy Promotions to set up the ultimate “pound-4-pound” best fight(ers)in our (gen x) time… PAC-MAN vs PRETTY-BOY!
> marcus chapman
Yo, my hats off to Manny. I know he’s fast but I didn’t realize just how much. He made Oscar look like he was stuck in neutral with those damning straight lefts. Oscar just didn’t have it and I think he should hang up the gloves. I’m with Ricco – it’s time for the official transition.
I’m guessing Mayweather may be brought back from retirement. Now THAT will be a fight.
> Billy J
the manny pacquiao versus floyd mayweather jr fight would harken back to the times when sugar ray leonard, marvin hagler, thomas hearns and roberto duran were banging each other out in the ’80s. that would be a spectacular fight, a fan’s dream match and a pay per view bonanza.
marcus,
i disagree. oscar tookalot of tough fights, consistently, unlike many of his contemporaries. when oscar fought bernard hopkins, shane mosley, floyd mayweather, trinidad, pernell whitaker and a few others, he was not considered the favorite to win. coming up in weight to fight hopkins? don’t let that pretty boy stuff fool you. that dude’s got all the heart in the world.
the steve forbes and felix sturm (and sturm gave him all that he could handle)fights were definite tuneups, but the golden boy never ducked anyone. most current fighters are directed by their promotion and management teams to take the path of least resistance while collecting that check.
that’s why hopkins and oscar get all the props. but today is the day that manny pacquiao begins his reign as the world’s finest fighter.
> ali
the mistake that roy jones made was that he waited until his skills had eroded before fighting calzaghe. that fight should have happened years ago. now there, marcus, is a case of someone taking lesser fights in order to keep the gravy train churning. and roy paid for it in the end. oscar and roy hung on a little too long, but de la hoya took the best fights oot there, for the most part.
> bookman
I actually thought Oscar had hung up the gloves a year or so ago. Good article. Spot on.
> Buck
I like the way pacquiao still gave oscar his props after he whooped that ass. he still referred to him as his idol and acknowledged the legend that he is.
> Dawn
manny’s a classy guy who aprreciates what oscar’s done throughout his career. they both have the ultimate respect for each other. as they say, “game recognize game”.
> ali
Thanks for this and all of your other articles. You continue to educate us and lift up these great athletes– the known and lesser known.
Who’s next!!!!
A
> Andrea
TRUE. Oscar is done and that is sad. The Pac-Man’s heart really surprised me because he was definitely over matched in size and he fought like that by sticking and moving but he never seemed scared, respectful but not scared. Freddie Roach is a hell of a trainer hands down. Pac-Man sticking with that lead left coming from every angle and moving constantly was beautiful. But the era of the Golden Boy Boxer is not over I think with a few adjustments he could have got Pac-Man. One main adjustment would have been move his head and stop waiting. De La Hoya’s body shots reminded Pac-Man he is smaller. But Oscar got that money coming in good I think he should take the Floydd route. He deserves it he is an official star of the sport if not legend he has nothing else to prove.
Great article Ali, its refreshing to read about sports from a real sports guy that has a totally different view that makes you think. Keep it coming.
> Zack
thanks for the love zack. i’ll keep bringing the heat.
when it comes to boxing, once you lose that millisecond of speed and natural reaction time, that can mean the difference between great, just good and mediocre. oscar lost that zip on his fastball and couldn’t make the necessary adjustments like he would have in the past. great fighter, big heart, hall of fame, no question. but he couldn’t pull the trigger anymore. that’s when it’s time to go.
and it’s not like pacquaio was some bum. he’s the pound-for-pound best in the world, a transcendent talent, the finest at his craft. oscar has nothing to be ashamed of. his legacy as a fighter is secure. now it’s time to expand his legacy on the commerce side. thanks again zack.
> ali
This is a great article. I have always loved the story of the underdog. These stories always promote hope and determination. I don’t care if it’s boxing, football, or basketball.
Like most things in life, Boxing doesn’t seem to have the same appeal that it used to. Does anyone remember what you felt like the night Muhamed Ali lost to Leon Spinks(Aging myself) or when Mike Tyson lost to Buster Douglass? Man, what about the reign that Roy Jones Jr had. He was a beast for a long time. Anyway, the underdog will always be the heart of soul of our communities.
> DQ
Sometimes you have to know when to say when<<<<
And too often too many boxers don’t know when to call it a day.
But there is no way to measure heart. And I have to say that anyone who climbs into the squared circle has heart.
> LG
hey dq, i think boxing has lost some of it’s appeal due to the current dearth of great american heavyweights. back in the day, you had guys like ken norton, ernie shavers, ali, smokin’ joe frazier, mike tyson, larry holmes, etc in the ’80s.
the great black heavyweight champs are now playing linebacker in the national football league, making much more money than their predecessors of earlier eras.
but i think things are cyclical and when the next great crop of american heavyweights show up, boxing will be big again.
the shame is that some of the greatest to ever lace ‘em up like bernard hopkins, shane moseley, oscar, manny pacquiao, floyd mayweather and others fighting in the post tyson era could have been appreciated by many more people.
> ali
Once again, another perfect article. I also read your article on Roy Jones. I have to admit that I think the end is near (or has come) for De La Hoya also. Would you agree?
> Valeriani (Ralphy)
without a doubt ralphy. oscar’s needs to ride off into the sunset, focusing on his burgeoning promotion firm, Golden Boy. He’s always tested himself against the best in the ring and he’s no longer at that elite level. Sugar Ray Leonard hung around too long and got smashed by Terry Norris. hopefully, oscar realizes that he can’t pull the trigger anymore and walks away with his health intact. it’s a wrap.
> bookman
yes, ralphy. the end has come for oscar. he had one heck of a ride and made enough dough to bake biscuits for the projects. it’s time to move on.
> ali
Oscar suffered from the same problem that most Champions have. they don’t know when to quit. I’ll neve rforger how i felt when spinks beat ali or for that matter, when Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson. That’s what makes Boxing the Sport it is. What’s on paper doesn’t mean “Spit”. Like Fat joe said in one of his songs, “Even Roy Jones was forced to lean back”.
> Carl Elliott
Sorry for spelling the word, “Forget” wrong on the 2nd line of my last comment.
> Carl Elliott
Congratulations Manny Pacquaio sa iyong muling pagkakapanalo laban kay Cotto. Wala na talagang tatalo pa kay Pacquaio.. ~
> Taylor Swift
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