By Cliff Rold
After being part of pay-per-view cards over the years that saw Oscar De La Hoya (38-5, 30 KO) face off, between superfights, with non-pay worthy foes Javier Castillejo, Felix Sturm and, least notably, Yori Boy Campas, Oscar was quoted last week stating that he’d like to do a ‘free’ HBO fight this May as a thank you to the fans.
The announcement warmed hearts from sea to shining sea.
I’m certain that many fans would rather be thanked by seeing a proposed September rematch with World Welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather (39-0, 25 KO) aborted, but that wouldn’t make cents for the premier parties.
Instead, Oscar faces a resumption of the (sort of) hostilities of last May with Floyd. Putting aside the business bonus of Oscar fighting for only cable subscriber fees, in athletic terms his willingness to take a fight this May is a good thing. Rather than step into the ring with arguably the best fighter in the world off of a one-year plus layoff, Oscar will be working to give himself the best chance to compete by shaking off potential rust.
That is only one component if Oscar is serious about trying to win the rematch.
The other component is selecting an opponent that prepares him for the task. The temptation might be there to select an opponent that sends the fans home thrilled, one that provides the opportunity for a Sports Center-level knockout and a subsequent echo chamber amongst the layman sports fan about his chances in September.
It’s tempting.
However, when one considers what transpired in the first Mayweather bout, there’s an argument against temptation. Oscar was strong on the scorecards through the first eight rounds last May but faltered down the stretch like…well, like a guy who had only gone through six live rounds (against Ricardo Mayorga) in the almost three years between his fights with Bernard Hopkins and Mayweather.
The three opponents reported to be under consideration for Oscar’s May day, at this site and others, all offer different looks.
The Sports Center-likely launch victim being floated is Dmitriy Salita (27-0-1, 15 KO), a Ukrainian Welterweight fighting out of Brooklyn. It’s a nice record, but one with lack of substance. Salita has been dropped three times in his last five fights against journeymen and, with a pressure style, would be hard pressed to stand up to Oscar’s left hook. Promoted properly, the fight could garner some solid press and Salita’s record would create the appearance of legitimate competition. Would it do much to prepare Oscar for Mayweather? And how would Salita’s refusal to fight on Shabbat, as an orthodox Jew, affect the likelihood of this fight even happening?
A veteran option is 30-year old former Jr. Lightweight titlist and Season Two Contender finalist Steve Forbes (33-5, 9 KO). He’s the most likely to give Oscar building blocks en route to Mayweather. He’s a right handed, quick fisted counter puncher with solid defensive skills and good in-fighting ability. In other words, he’s sort of a scaled-down Floyd. The Oscar bout would likely be at Jr. Middleweight and, lacking power even at 130 lbs., Forbes wouldn’t be a physical threat. He would be a threat to win some rounds early, to be competitive throughout, and to give Oscar a winnable but professional go. If Oscar is as serious about the preparation to win as he likely will be about the preparation to collect after Mayweather II, he’ll be seriously looking at Forbes.
The third option might be the most dangerous. Current IBF Jr. Welterweight titlist Paulie Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KO) has been named as a potential foe and it’s an interesting idea. Like Forbes, he’s not a physical threat. Like Salita, he fights out of Brooklyn, promising East Coast eyes. He is the also biggest threat to pull the upset. Malignaggi has fast hands, is elusive, has shown a solid chin and is 27 years old. Oscar will be 35 come this May and a chase sequence bout against Malignaggi might be his worst nightmare.
Or he might land the hook on any and all of the above.
There is no realistic reason to think Oscar will risk the Mayweather bout with a May bout against someone like a Vernon Forrest or Antonio Margarito (two men attempting to get their names in the race). What is realistic is to expect Oscar to balance a preparation to win this September with the protection of a bout it is fairly assumed that he won’t win no matter what he does.
The world awaits the announcement of how Oscar will be thanking the fans this May.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
