Saturday, May 06, 2006

De La Hoya Dominates the Mouthy Mayorga

My, oh my, Oscar De La Hoya put a whuppin' on Ricardo "The Matador" Mayorga. Taking the WBC light middleweight belt from his foul-mouthed opponent wasn't enough, so the Golden Boy beat and humiliated the tough Nicaraguan brawler, finally finishing him in the sixth round.

De La Hoya fought his smart, disciplined style that Mayorga simply could not stop. After dropping Mayorga in the first round, De La Hoya continued to lead with his crisp jab, follow it with a variety of power punches, and he blocked or avoided most of the wide, looping bombs for which Mayorga is known.

At times Mayorga was able to close and land uppercuts and the occasional chopping right, but this availed him little. By fight's end, De La Hoya's face showed little sign of Mayorga's vaunted punching power. Mayorga failed to live up to his nickname, charging about the ring like a crazed bull, while De La Hoya played the role of matador, weakening the bull before going for the kill.

De La Hoya continued to punish Mayorga, stayed smart, and did not allow Mayorga to goad him into a brawl. De La Hoya dismantled Mayorga throughout the early rounds, dropping him again midway through the sixth round. Rising from the knock-down, Mayorga showed courage, but it was clear that it was only a matter of time. De La Hoya has a great killer instinct, and he finished Mayorga with a series of power punches, as the beaten brawler sagged against the ropes. Referee Jay Nady stepped in at precisely the right time, even though he knocked De La Hoya to the mat in doing so. I wonder if that will cost Nady any future "Golden Boy" jobs.

I don't know if De La Hoya will take this opportunity to retire "a winner", but I do know that he will lose if he challenges "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Oscar didn't want to retire after losing to Bernard Hopkins, and I don't know how his ego would handle the likely ease with which Mayweather would dispatch him. Also, if the Golden Boy and the Pretty Boy "get it on", De La Hoya will be doing it with out his trainer, Floyd Mayweather, Sr, who won't train a fighter who's up against his son. If Oscar must fight again, I can't help but think that a Trinidad rematch would provide a better chance to go out "on top", and avoid the bitter nights of introspection that haunt so many who box beyond their prime.

De La Hoya is a smart businessman, and the chance to promote a fight between himself and Mayweather, who is currently a free agent, might be too much to pass up, though it certainly looks like De La Hoya doesn't need the money. I'll be watching.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

touchgoloves.com

You must check out our hero Paul over at touchgloves.