Insider Notebook: De La Hoya's Future, Mosley and Balco

[nozorok]

Oscar still has bad memories of Margarito beating him up often during sparring years ago. For that reason I never really saw Tony as a real option for DLH. No one could have guessed that he would look so bad at 147 including getting such an embarassing beatdown at the hands of tiny Pacquiao.

[nnamme]

In one post-fight interview made on Pacquiao inside the plane, when he went back to the Philippines, he said that perhaps one of the reasons why De la Hoya was "off" that night was the preparation Oscar made using the "accupuncture" therapy-thing (shown during the HBO 24/7 series).

Accupuncture, Pacquiao said, is only used to make make the muscles relax, to relieve stress and tensions. But if a fight is coming up, you don't use that kind of preparation, it will only lessen your reflexes and reduce your power.

[cheering]

poor oscar.

he's gonna be busy for quite a while counting all that money.

maybe in a few years he'll cme back and fight sugar ray leonard.

[litez.owt]

oscar should have hung it up a long time ago margarito would have beat him so much worse thats why he wanted no parts of tony as far as mosley goes hes full of **** if he says he didnt know what he was taking

[K U Y I P]

a farewell fight with chavez jr. at 154lbs. oscar can redeem himself by beating chavez jr., i think.

[snake]

I think Larry Merchant was saying to keep in mind that a fight with Margarito would have taken place at 150 or most likely 154 pounds. Because Pacquiao was his only option, it allowed Pacquiao to dictate the terms of the fight, and they were able to force Oscar down to 147, where he did not belong. The lighter a boxer is, the shorter his career. Oscar could have dictated the terms against Margarito, or against Cotto had he won that fight.

Even at his current state, a healthy non-emaciated Oscar could have easily outboxed Magarito the way Cotto should have...assuming that he is not at the end of his career already. We have no way of knowing, considering the horrible appearance of Oscar at the Pacquiao weigh-in. The problem with Oscar has never been physical talent though, but his mental strength.

Teddy Atlas hit the nail on the head when he said that Oscar loses all his big fights. He mentally finds a way to lose them or from superior opposition, it doesn't matter...he loses all his big fights.

Merchant was also dead on about how these older big-name boxers target fighters in their own age brackets and avoid the prime boxers in their weight range. Or else they cherry pick opposition they know they can beat, as Hopkins did. Oscar must have bought into his own hype machine or felt that Pac would be a smaller easier target that could set up a bit Hatton fight in England.

[larryx]

i bet he didnt wanna talk about boxing at the meeting.....yea oscar its over....

[slickwalt210]

Thoughts

I think Palomino had it right; the weight played a major role in this fight and I know Oscar is kicking himself for agreeing to make it. Oscar at 154 is a much better fighter. I also goes to show, when you have "yes" men around you it doesn't benefit you at all. His team knew what the weight loss was doing to him camp, but nobody wants to question the boss. I have been in and around boxing for 26 years and had I been with Oscar, I would have totally disagreed with him taking the fight. And this special diet crap!!! What was that all about ??? Oscar has been in the game long enough to know that drastic changes at this point in his career are not good. You would think that at the "elite" level there would be more smarts. But then again, look at the economy, it has been ruined by people at the "elite" level not laymen such as myself. I guess it is just like going to work everyday and disagreeing with the bs your boss wants you to do. You suck it up because you need a paycheck. And I here Oscar pays well.

[FLY TY]

I think Larry Merchant was saying to keep in mind that a fight with Margarito would have taken place at 150 or most likely 154 pounds. Because Pacquiao was his only option, it allowed Pacquiao to dictate the terms of the fight, and they were able to force Oscar down to 147, where he did not belong. The lighter a boxer is, the shorter his career. Oscar could have dictated the terms against Margarito, or against Cotto had he won that fight.

Even at his current state, a healthy non-emaciated Oscar could have easily outboxed Magarito the way Cotto should have...assuming that he is not at the end of his career already. We have no way of knowing, considering the horrible appearance of Oscar at the Pacquiao weigh-in. The problem with Oscar has never been physical talent though, but his mental strength.

Teddy Atlas hit the nail on the head when he said that Oscar loses all his big fights. He mentally finds a way to lose them or from superior opposition, it doesn't matter...he loses all his big fights.

Merchant was also dead on about how these older big-name boxers target fighters in their own age brackets and avoid the prime boxers in their weight range. Or else they cherry pick opposition they know they can beat, as Hopkins did. Oscar must have bought into his own hype machine or felt that Pac would be a smaller easier target that could set up a bit Hatton fight in England.

yea, i'm quite sure jt, tarver, winky wright, calzaghe, pavlik were all underdogs hopkins was expected to dominate........gtfoh. hopkins was the underdog in each of those fights............

im sure nobody can argue w/ older fighters not wanting to fight young guns that are faster, have more energy, hit harder...can you? its also no wonder why younger fighters "target" the older guys for the opposite reasons. so who on that list was hopkins "expected" to beat, and who was older than hopkins?

I think Palomino had it right; the weight played a major role in this fight and I know Oscar is kicking himself for agreeing to make it. Oscar at 154 is a much better fighter. I also goes to show, when you have "yes" men around you it doesn't benefit you at all. His team knew what the weight loss was doing to him camp, but nobody wants to question the boss. I have been in and around boxing for 26 years and had I been with Oscar, I would have totally disagreed with him taking the fight. And this special diet crap!!! What was that all about ??? Oscar has been in the game long enough to know that drastic changes at this point in his career are not good. You would think that at the "elite" level there would be more smarts. But then again, look at the economy, it has been ruined by people at the "elite" level not laymen such as myself. I guess it is just like going to work everyday and disagreeing with the bs your boss wants you to do. You suck it up because you need a paycheck. And I here Oscar pays well.

the weight was HUGE. not saying that's WHY he lost, but in the article it stated "why would DLH weigh in at 145, and go to only 147 for the fight?"

i think many ppl forget that there was a stipulation in the contracts that said DLH would have to pay pacman a certain amount for every pound he was over 147.......DLH should blame himself for being greedy....from taking the fight in the first place, to agreeing to all kinds of stipulations, DLH has noone to blame but himself.....

[j.razor]

hangin up, odh! u jus got beat up by a miget, LOL!