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“The
Standing Eight Count”
For those who read my column, I want both of you to pay close attention. For sixteen years, I have been the Kool-Aid sipping Oscar De La Hoya apologist that in public I would ridicule. As I noted in my column entitled “Dear Oscar, I Quit” a month ago, I have always made excuses for “The Golden Boy” as it relates to his Machismo and ring skills.
Over the last four years, I have written no less than five articles in defense of Oscar. That was until the day I read that it was official that he would slap us all on the face and take a fight with an Umpa–Lumpa by the name of Manny Pacquiao. How dare he?, I thought. All this hard work I’ve put in to making excuses for him over the years and now he takes a fight against someone who he can’t possibly lose to.
Upon hearing the announcement of the fight against Pacquiao, I immediately rushed to my computer to write my very unfriendly and as it turns out unfair column about this sham of a fight that would take place this past Saturday night in Las Vegas.
I did everything in my power to belittle this contest and berate De La Hoya. I would boldly and defiantly state that I am no longer a supporter of De La Hoya and for the first time in his career I would be rooting against him when he stepped in the ring to face Manny Pacquiao.
In the week before the bout, Oscar was given a statue in front of the Staples Center in Los Angeles and I laughed. “What a joke for this guy to give himself a statue” “What nerve he has”
I was angry with Oscar and felt that he betrayed me. When I woke up this past Saturday morning, I knew Pacquiao had no chance to beat the bigger and stronger De La Hoya, but oh how a sparkle came to eye when I thought for a minute how incredible it would be if “The Pacman” went “Sugar Ray” and pulled the upset and taught that media darling De La Hoya a lesson.
As six o’clock approached and I pondered how I would be able to afford my next Direct TV bill that would show not only the purchase of this fight, but also the Calzaghe-Jones fight, my excitement was at its peak. We ordered a couple Pizzas and the entire Wilcox family sat down to watch the fight.
I told my wife that we had won a free Pay-Per-View and that of course we wouldn’t have to pay the $64.95 for this crap. Please don’t tell her that there is an outside chance that I might have stretched the truth a little with that. She’ll never know and I’m sure I’ll be able to snatch up the bill from the mailman before she sees it. I had plenty of practice as a youngster intercepting report cards from my High School, so no worries.
As I slept through that thrilling undercard, I continued to dream of the unlikely beating that Manny would give to my former hero. My youngest son would wake me up just in time to watch the walk to ring by the fighters and we were ready and hopeful that the upset would come true.
As round one started, Oscar certainly looked taller, but I couldn’t help but notice his legs looked like something that came off my Turkey a few weeks earlier on Thanksgiving and that Manny’s legs looked like tree trunks. It appeared that in fact, size might not matter.
The first round ended and Manny looked very sharp while Oscar looked very slow. I figured it would be only a matter of time before the “power” of Oscar would change everything.
As rounds passed, it became apparent to everyone in my front room, including my twelve year old son and wife who really doesn’t watch many fights, that Oscar had no chance to win. He was taking a tremendous beating from Pacquiao and couldn’t seem to pull the trigger on his own punches. It looked like every time Oscar thought about throwing a shot, Pacman would hit him with two of his own.
My wish was coming true! That no good, pretty boy was taking his much deserved beat down and all is good in the world........or so I thought.
A funny thing happened to me as I sat and watched Oscar De La Hoya look frustrated, confused and beaten as Pacquiao worked up a “number six” on him. In about the third round, I started realizing that this it! Oscar is done as a fighter and a big part of Boxing will be gone with it. At the risk of being called the same names that I called Oscar before the bout, I actually shed a few tears while watching Oscar’s career in the ring end before my very eyes.
I sat silent for the final five rounds hoping for the end to come and for different reasons than I had just three hours earlier. I wanted this thing over as soon a possible. I couldn’t stomach much more of watching “The Golden Boy” take this punishment.
As Oscar sat beaten in his corner after the eighth round, I was begging my 58" Big screen to stop the fight. There was no reason for this to go on. At that point, Oscar couldn’t throw any punches and Pacquiao couldn’t miss with his. I think it could be argued that the always respectful Manny Pacquiao took it easy on De La Hoya and probably could have taken him out at anytime if he pressed the issue.
When his trainer suggested that the fight be stopped after the eighth round, for the first time in all the years that I have watched Boxing, I wanted a fighter to agree with his trainer to stop fighting.
Thank God Oscar did just that, because nothing good would have come from that fight continuing on.
As De La Hoya rushed off his stool to congratulate Manny, I again shed tears thinking about the end of an era.
It was the same feeling that I had as feather fisted Hector “Macho” Camacho knocked out Sugar Ray Leonard in 1997. Luckily my son was born on that same day, so that took the pain away a little bit.
Whether you like Oscar De La Hoya or not, you must admit what a great figure he has been for Boxing. Post Mike Tyson, he has carried our beloved sport and without him, I’m not sure where we would be. I will not sit here and say he is an all-time pound for pound great, but he is unquestionably an all-time great attraction and ambassador for Boxing. I would put him in the Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard class of guys that have transcended their sport.
Oscar, thank you for the Olympic Gold Medal you won for your mother and your country. Thank you for giving me one of the greatest joys of my Boxing viewing life when you finally shut up that loud mouth, Fernando Vargas but most of all, thank you for keeping big time Boxing relevant in this MMA world that we unfortunately live in.
I take it all back Oscar, thanks for the memories.
Keep Punching 
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