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Sports ExaminerDennis "dSource" Guillermo
September 8, 2009 PM
Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O' Neal stepped inside the boxing ring and faced 6-division world boxing champion Oscar De la Hoya in ABC's TV show "Shaq Vs" which aired tonight at 9pm.
Entering the ring, O' Neal went by the alias "Manny Shaquiao" and was accompanied by the trainer of the real Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach. De la Hoya on the other hand had his business partner and former light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins.
Obviously, the fight was for show than the real thing but at the same time, it wasn't scripted either. Wearing head gears and throwing half-****ed punches, the fight actually was more entertaining than I expected. Come on, how competitive do you really think would a fight between a seven-footer against a 5'10 guy would be? Shaq was light on his feet and was able to deal with De la Hoya's speed in the ring and if it weren't a TV show, I was almost at the edge of my seat waiting for a haymaker from "Manny Shaquiao" that would've surely taken De la Hoya's head off.
Looking at both trainers, it was hard to tell whether the fight was simply for TV or a real title bout- that's of course until the 5th round when Shaq punched Hopkins upside his head from the top rope. After the bout, Hopkins jumped on Shaq and in WWE fashion, Roach came to his ward's aid and tried to pick a fight with De la Hoya and his crew.
At the end of the day however, De la Hoya was declared the winner via unanimous decision. I guess De la Hoya can finally retire and walk away from boxing with the thought that the last time he was inside it, he defeated a guy 200 pounds heavier than him and about 2 feet taller as opposed to being beaten up by a smaller guy.
The show was very entertaining and gave boxing some primetime exposure. Also, it further solidified Manny Pacquiao's status as a legitimate pop icon. Who would have thought a decade a ago that Shaquille O' Neal would step in the ring paying tribute to a little man from the Philippines by donning a moniker based on him?
September 8, 2009 PM
Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O' Neal stepped inside the boxing ring and faced 6-division world boxing champion Oscar De la Hoya in ABC's TV show "Shaq Vs" which aired tonight at 9pm.
Entering the ring, O' Neal went by the alias "Manny Shaquiao" and was accompanied by the trainer of the real Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach. De la Hoya on the other hand had his business partner and former light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins.
Obviously, the fight was for show than the real thing but at the same time, it wasn't scripted either. Wearing head gears and throwing half-****ed punches, the fight actually was more entertaining than I expected. Come on, how competitive do you really think would a fight between a seven-footer against a 5'10 guy would be? Shaq was light on his feet and was able to deal with De la Hoya's speed in the ring and if it weren't a TV show, I was almost at the edge of my seat waiting for a haymaker from "Manny Shaquiao" that would've surely taken De la Hoya's head off.
Looking at both trainers, it was hard to tell whether the fight was simply for TV or a real title bout- that's of course until the 5th round when Shaq punched Hopkins upside his head from the top rope. After the bout, Hopkins jumped on Shaq and in WWE fashion, Roach came to his ward's aid and tried to pick a fight with De la Hoya and his crew.
At the end of the day however, De la Hoya was declared the winner via unanimous decision. I guess De la Hoya can finally retire and walk away from boxing with the thought that the last time he was inside it, he defeated a guy 200 pounds heavier than him and about 2 feet taller as opposed to being beaten up by a smaller guy.
The show was very entertaining and gave boxing some primetime exposure. Also, it further solidified Manny Pacquiao's status as a legitimate pop icon. Who would have thought a decade a ago that Shaquille O' Neal would step in the ring paying tribute to a little man from the Philippines by donning a moniker based on him?
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