Was De La Hoya wrong for retiring?

[purtyboy]

Oscar said he would love to continue fighting, but that after fighting Manny Pacquiao and getting stopped he felt he did not have what it took to compete anymore. After watching Pacquiao stop Ricky Hatton(Ring belt, ibo light welter champ) and Cotto (top 10 p4p at the time) was Oscar wrong? After all Oscar was never knock down like hatton, or cotto... I felt Oscar made the correct decision at the time but now after what Pac has done it leads me to believe that Oscar could at the very least still compete. The weight drain issue also comes in hand all in all i feel Sure he is not what he once was but not very long before he fought Pac he had fought Mayweather to a Split Decision... I think Oscar could still compete based on what Manny has done. Anyone else agree? Or do you think Oscar did the right thing?

[Dizaster]

I think any boxer can really go on longer than they think... And i'm sure that DLH could go on and fight still, but his level of opponent would need to come down... I don't think that he can be as efficient of a fighter as someone like Hopkins, who's style has carried him through some really tough fights for a boxer of any age...

But you make a good point that Pac was a pretty intense opponent for him, but he did do well against Forbes just before that.. There was also the weight to factor in. He just did not look good at that weight. He didn't put weight back on, his punches had no pop in them. He would have looked slow against ANY opponent, his defence and movement isn't at all what it used to be.. He was flat footed even before Pac had landed 5 punches on him.... I think it would be a futite task to try competing against A level opponents again. His faculties just aren't there anymore... But some people just have a passion for boxing, the ring, the training, the atmosphere, the routine, etc etc, and if he let's go of expectations, and just fights for the passion of it because it's still in his blood, then I think of course he can keep fighting...

A bit like a Roy Jones, or Tito to an extent.. Don't even bother to be a part of the A grade show, but can compete for themselves and to, I suppose, give certain other lower level fighters the once in a lifetime experience of being in the ring against a former champion....

Most people will say he's stupid and should stay retired, but anyone at that point of their career isn't trying to prove anything or impress anyone, or achieve anything great,,,,, they are just fighting because they love the game, and DLH was good enough in his prime that he would still be able to handle himself in the ring now...

[miron_lang]

90% of all boxing forum attributed the result of PAC-DLH to Oscar being drained which is just 50% of the equation.

The result of that fight comes from Oscar's performance plus Pacquiao's performance.

I didnt think that a Guy like Margarito can dominate Oscar the way pacquiao did. Sure Oscar was not as strong, do you remember what he did the last quarter of his fight againts Trinidad and Mosley? He box/Run. It would be easier againts a Margarito.


to the question : Oscar Should have retired after the Forbes fight. He dont need money, He's not adding up to whattever legacy he has. Just Pomote fights and earn millions.

[Nameless]

As far as I am concerned, he can do whatever he wants but retiring is the proper thing to do, especially as he's been renown for this stamina problems. You can like the game but it ain't an easy or an healthy one in the long run, why taking any chances then? I won't be outraged if he comes back as some in a far more critical condition do so but I don't think it would be a smart move neither.

[Dizaster]

As far as I am concerned, he can do whatever he wants but retiring is the proper thing to do, especially as he's been renown for this stamina problems. You can like the game but it ain't an easy or an healthy one in the long run, why taking any chances then? I won't be outraged if he comes back as some in a far more critical condition do so but I don't think it would be a smart move neither.

I agree with that

[Kel]

Who could he fight now? Cotto at 154? That might be very entertaining actually.

[purtyboy]

Who could he fight now? Cotto at 154? That might be very entertaining actually.

The Cotto fight would be entertaining. Chavez Jr would be a very intriguing fight, and well all know no matter what that fight would SELL! Maybe Ricky Hatton that would sell aswell.

[DaxxKahn]

90% of all boxing forum attributed the result of PAC-DLH to Oscar being drained which is just 50% of the equation.

The result of that fight comes from Oscar's performance plus Pacquiao's performance.

I didnt think that a Guy like Margarito can dominate Oscar the way pacquiao did. Sure Oscar was not as strong, do you remember what he did the last quarter of his fight againts Trinidad and Mosley? He box/Run. It would be easier againts a Margarito.


to the question : Oscar Should have retired after the Forbes fight. He dont need money, He's not adding up to whattever legacy he has. Just Pomote fights and earn millions.

Agreed on the Forbes comment, Oscar was makred up pretty good by a light hitting ex-LW champion who had little pop to his punches when he was prime, Forbes was pat best when he and DLH fought and still gave Oscar a good fight.

Oscar was fighting to personal ego more then anything in that and the Manny fight, I just hope he stays retired he has nothing else to prove and it hurts the sport more then anything

[Gandalf]

Oscar was right to retire. The signs of slippage were already there, especially so with the Forbes fight where he was getting caught regularly in a supposedly easy gimme fight.

Better to retire earlier rather than later in a tough sport like boxing.

[killersheep]

He's already done everything meaningful that he could do in the ring. I don't think there are any fights out there that he could win that would add to his legacy. PLUS he has waaaay too many distractions with The Ring, GBP, family, managing his estate etc. He was right to retire IMO so now he can enjoy what he's earned.

[J_Undisputed]

He did the right thing by retiring. Sure there are guys that continue to compete now with some fighters, but if you want to box to compete.. join a gym or police athletic league. The point of being a pro is to be the best and make it to the top (especially considering that boxing is not a team sport). All the guys at the top now are a new breed and boxing is becoming a different game now than it was before. A lot of the skill is being sapped right out of the sport. Most of the champs now are winning points on agression or they are purely volume punchers. Aging fighters than once won fights on skill, are finding their speed,chins, legs and everything else eroding from underneath them. Experience was once the equalizer of youth. Unfortunately old age discounts skill more than experience discounts youth. Holy crap, did i just blurt out a Merchant-ism? Someone shoot me.

[rjj tszyu]

No he did the right thing totally. As great as Pac is, I think a prime WW Oscar takes Pac with relative ease. Not saying Oscar is better p4p than Pac, but at 147 (first time round) he was great and his chin would have taken anything Pac could give.

I actually miss Oscar, he is one of my all time Favourites, but he got out at the right time!