Oscar De La Hoya officially retired from boxing Tuesday, although the permanence of this status might be determined solely by how much money it will take to lure him back to the ring for one last mega-fight.
But if he does stay away from the fight game, I’d like to send him off with a sentiment that I realize is in the minority of many boxing fans.
I’m going to miss him.
And if you’re a true fan of the sport, you should, too.
Many Oscar haters seem to never grip the concept that Golden Boy didn’t mean Pretty Boy, even if the boxer was blessed enough to be about as gifted genetically as was technically inside the ropes. The latter nickname was reserved for his flash-and-dash opponent, Floyd Mayweather, who tries to make up for in gab what Oscar earned with grit.
In other words, De La Hoya was the subject of widespread resentment because he was good looking, articulate, wealthy and successful, a lethal combination to a high percentage of the masses who would love to stake claim to just one of those traits.
Here are two other words that should define the Golden Boy’s legacy -- champion and warrior. Snicker if you will, but I dare you to find evidence that can firmly dispel this claim.
De La Hoya was one of the greatest boxing champions of our time, and he deserves to be remembered as such. Unlike many past and current champions – this means you, Roy Jones Jr. and Lennox Lewis – he fought every top contender of his generation, and never dodged an opponent even when doing so might have been in his best interest. As slick as he might have been outside of the ring, he was fierce inside it.
Sure, he might have stayed for an encore or two too many, but who can blame him? The money was great, his skills, while eroded, were still there, and there’s no question that the Golden Boy enjoys the limelight. What’s the crime in that?
His 39-6-0 final record includes just one truly one-sided loss, his last hurrah against current pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. You’ve got to respect a guy who understands when it’s time to call it quits.
You’ve also got to applaud him for not walking away before his time. Although he lost his past few big fights, how can you not admire the challenges he took on? His last seven fights included a (second) robbery against Shane Mosley, a fight against the bigger, stronger Bernard Hopkins that ended on a body shot, and by far the closest anyone has come to beating Mayweather, in which he lost a split decision.
When you factor in another controversial loss to Felix Trinidad, the Golden Boy has never been outclassed with the exception of his last bout, and he’s never failed to come prepared and give fans their money’s worth.
His resume includes victories over many prominent former champions, including Pernell Whitaker, Hector Camacho, Julio Cesar Chavez (twice) and Arturo Gatti.
Who could forget his thrilling rematch against Fernando Vargas (Oscar won both), in which the trash-talking and ‘roided-up Vargas came into the ring weighing nearly 180 pounds, and Oscar still knocked him out. He did the same to smoke-blowing, would-be tough guy Ricardo Mayorga, making the Nicaraguan pay for his insulting comments about the Golden Boy’s family before the fight.
De La Hoya has long been boxing’s biggest name and one of its most exciting fighters. His looks might have helped sell a few extra pay-per-view packages to the starry-eyed female contingent, but I can tell you this: I ordered Oscar’s fights for the entertainment value, and I’ve never asked for a refund.
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