Age sneaks up on professional prizefighters, at least in terms of their competitive abilities. There are exceptions–Archie Moore, George Foreman, James Toney–but they are rare. Typically, a high level boxer can go from legitimacy to retirement in a matter of minutes. The most recent victim of ‘Father Time’ was Mexican Superstar Oscar De La Hoya, who looked completely outclassed in what would be his last bout–an 8th round TKO loss to Panamanian sensation Manny Pacquiao.
Ironically, much of the concern before the fight centered on Pacquiao and his ability to handle the naturally larger, stronger and more powerful Mexican warrior. These doomsday scenarios quickly dissipated as boxing’s reigning ‘pound for pound’ king completely overwhelmed De La Hoya From the outset. He was able to hit his opponent at will, while De La Hoya was unable to find the elusive ‘Pac Man’ to return fire.
As the fight progressed, it became nothing less than a one sided beating. His only effective flurry came in the 5th round, when he scored with a few solid body punches. It did little more than prolong the inevitable finish. Between the 7th and 8th round, trainer Nacho Berenstein told his fighter that he wasnt going to let him stay out there and take a beating if he wasnt throwing punches. After the 8th round, Berenstein stopped the fight and Oscar smartly didnt object to what was clearly the right decision.
The judges scorecards at the time of the stoppage vividly reflect the one-sidedness of the contest: two of the three judges scored the fight 80-71, with Pacquaio winning all eight rounds (with a 10-8 margin in the 7th). One judge charitably gave De La Hoya the fifth round,resulting in a 79-72 margin. De La Hoya displayed the class of a champion following the fight, keeping the focus on Pacquiaos masterful performance. He stopped short of retiring in the ring, but certainly sounded as if he were leaning in that direction as he observed:
“At this stage when you face someone like Pacquiao, it’s going to be a hard fight. I worked hard and trained really hard to get ready for this fight, but it’s a lot different story when you’re training than when you are actually in the ring. I just felt flat, like I didn’t have it. My heart still wants to fight, but when you physically don’t respond, you have to be smart.”
De La Hoyas post fight behavior should be required viewing for all aspiring prizefighters to learn how a champion carries himself with class, dignity and respect for the sport even in defeat. De La Hoya is an international superstar worth nearly a billion dollars; if he can conduct himself with grace and humility there’s simply no excuse for other fighters not to follow his classy example.
The most poignant moment came as De La Hoya prepared to leave the ring to allow Pacquiao to enjoy the glory he had earned. As De La Hoya gave him one last congratulatory hug, Pacquiao assured him that Youre still my hero.
To which the incredibly classy De La Hoya responded: No, now youre my hero.
Ross Everett is a consulting handicapper for a number of offshore sportsbooks and an authority on sports betting . He’s a noted expert on sports handicapping and stock investing theory. He contributes to a number of online media outlets providing insight on how to bet on UFC, MMA and boxing.