The one fight that got away

[bzkfn]

Add Vernon Forrest in as well then. Just on this whole why Oscar thing, people always say that he didn't duck the best, but in truth he never fought any of the best guys at 147 or 154 if they weren't bringing a load of cash. That's cool it is a business after all, but it gets on my nerves when people say he always went after the best, then he should of focused on fighting one of Forrest or Winky at 154 at some point this decade. He always went after the Pound For Pound champ (Shane, B-Hop, PBF, Pac) because of the money it brought rather than fight legitimate threats around those weights. I'm a big fan of Oscar but it seems since he retired people are looking at him through rose-tinted spectacles. Personally I give Mosley the most credit, I think he was always a weight division behind Trinidad (ie Shane 135:Tito 147, Shane 147: Tito 154, Shane 154: Tito 160) and that's why that never happened.

certainly did

people moaned about oscar fighting sturm despite the fact oscar was moving up the weights, had just been beat and was fighting a current world champion for his title

Other than that ODLH has pretty much gone after the best all the time much like gatti did despite the endless beatings he took!!

Disagree mate, the Sturm fight seemed about making some legacy, him being the first 6 weight world champion & all that, it was set before the fight began that he would win it. Was setting him up for a big money Hopkins fight. He's only gone after the best if it made financial sense. I mean don't get me wrong, he's been a great, but if the guy wasn't a big enough name or didn't have a title he wasn't interested.

Isn't that what you want though? A fighter going after the big names and thus getting the casual fan interested in boxing? In todays boxing society, few have as many big name fights on their record as Oscar.

[JazMerkin]

certainly did

people moaned about oscar fighting sturm despite the fact oscar was moving up the weights, had just been beat and was fighting a current world champion for his title

Other than that ODLH has pretty much gone after the best all the time much like gatti did despite the endless beatings he took!!

Disagree mate, the Sturm fight seemed about making some legacy, him being the first 6 weight world champion & all that, it was set before the fight began that he would win it. Was setting him up for a big money Hopkins fight. He's only gone after the best if it made financial sense. I mean don't get me wrong, he's been a great, but if the guy wasn't a big enough name or didn't have a title he wasn't interested.

Isn't that what you want though? A fighter going after the big names and thus getting the casual fan interested in boxing? In todays boxing society, few have as many big name fights on their record as Oscar.

No that's definitely true, but what it meant was that guys who'd really come up the hard way like Winky didn't get the opportunities they deserved. It also created the problem that casual fans would only be interested if there was a 'superfight', generally involving Oscar. Almost no one has as many big fights on their record as Oscar, but most times these fights were all based in his favour (not a problem he's the star), and he could have given guys like Winky who were unknown outside the sport a chance. Let's face it Oscar could have fought a punchbag, and the MGM Grand would of still been packed & PPV sales through the roof. On the Sturm fight, I do feel it was a robbery, not of Holyfield-Lewis proportions, but more than other alleged robberies like ODLH-Tito. I thought Sturm was taking it handily, it just seemed that as his career went on, Oscar was always getting that bit of help from the judges (see scoring against PBF, Forbes, hell even against Pacquiao he was somehow getting given rounds). I'm having quite a random rant against him here, normally like him , I'm not even a Winky Wright fan.

[bzkfn]

Disagree mate, the Sturm fight seemed about making some legacy, him being the first 6 weight world champion & all that, it was set before the fight began that he would win it. Was setting him up for a big money Hopkins fight. He's only gone after the best if it made financial sense. I mean don't get me wrong, he's been a great, but if the guy wasn't a big enough name or didn't have a title he wasn't interested.

Isn't that what you want though? A fighter going after the big names and thus getting the casual fan interested in boxing? In todays boxing society, few have as many big name fights on their record as Oscar.

No that's definitely true, but what it meant was that guys who'd really come up the hard way like Winky didn't get the opportunities they deserved. It also created the problem that casual fans would only be interested if there was a 'superfight', generally involving Oscar. Almost no one has as many big fights on their record as Oscar, but most times these fights were all based in his favour (not a problem he's the star), and he could have given guys like Winky who were unknown outside the sport a chance. Let's face it Oscar could have fought a punchbag, and the MGM Grand would of still been packed & PPV sales through the roof. On the Sturm fight, I do feel it was a robbery, not of Holyfield-Lewis proportions, but more than other alleged robberies like ODLH-Tito. I thought Sturm was taking it handily, it just seemed that as his career went on, Oscar was always getting that bit of help from the judges (see scoring against PBF, Forbes, hell even against Pacquiao he was somehow getting given rounds). I'm having quite a random rant against him here, normally like him , I'm not even a Winky Wright fan.

I see what your saying. I think its created a problem in now that he's gone, casual fans are wondering who to watch. I don't think he invisaged Pacquiao making such a name for himself from that fight. Still, I have no problem with Oscar. Yeah he avoided Winky, but he fought everyone else and considering the number of fights he has on his record, I find it stunning how many big names are on it.

[JazMerkin]

Isn't that what you want though? A fighter going after the big names and thus getting the casual fan interested in boxing? In todays boxing society, few have as many big name fights on their record as Oscar.

No that's definitely true, but what it meant was that guys who'd really come up the hard way like Winky didn't get the opportunities they deserved. It also created the problem that casual fans would only be interested if there was a 'superfight', generally involving Oscar. Almost no one has as many big fights on their record as Oscar, but most times these fights were all based in his favour (not a problem he's the star), and he could have given guys like Winky who were unknown outside the sport a chance. Let's face it Oscar could have fought a punchbag, and the MGM Grand would of still been packed & PPV sales through the roof. On the Sturm fight, I do feel it was a robbery, not of Holyfield-Lewis proportions, but more than other alleged robberies like ODLH-Tito. I thought Sturm was taking it handily, it just seemed that as his career went on, Oscar was always getting that bit of help from the judges (see scoring against PBF, Forbes, hell even against Pacquiao he was somehow getting given rounds). I'm having quite a random rant against him here, normally like him , I'm not even a Winky Wright fan.

I see what your saying. I think its created a problem in now that he's gone, casual fans are wondering who to watch. I don't think he invisaged Pacquiao making such a name for himself from that fight. Still, I have no problem with Oscar. Yeah he avoided Winky, but he fought everyone else and considering the number of fights he has on his record, I find it stunning how many big names are on it.

Yeah, I was just itching to have a go at him. I think the problem we know face is that the only two really recognizable names in world boxing, Floyd Mayweather & Manny Pacquiao probably have five fights left at most between them, one of which may well be against each other. I would say to the average person in the US & UK (at least my age) Mayweather is the bigger name, partly because of his being in WWE & his association with rappers & such. I know people who know nothing about boxing (ie don't know who Oscar is in some cases) who know PBF for those reasons. Anyway its still only those two guys, and I don't see anyone who can make a global impact bar them. David Haye maybe if becomes HW champ.

[boozeboxer]

No that's definitely true, but what it meant was that guys who'd really come up the hard way like Winky didn't get the opportunities they deserved. It also created the problem that casual fans would only be interested if there was a 'superfight', generally involving Oscar. Almost no one has as many big fights on their record as Oscar, but most times these fights were all based in his favour (not a problem he's the star), and he could have given guys like Winky who were unknown outside the sport a chance. Let's face it Oscar could have fought a punchbag, and the MGM Grand would of still been packed & PPV sales through the roof. On the Sturm fight, I do feel it was a robbery, not of Holyfield-Lewis proportions, but more than other alleged robberies like ODLH-Tito. I thought Sturm was taking it handily, it just seemed that as his career went on, Oscar was always getting that bit of help from the judges (see scoring against PBF, Forbes, hell even against Pacquiao he was somehow getting given rounds). I'm having quite a random rant against him here, normally like him , I'm not even a Winky Wright fan.

I see what your saying. I think its created a problem in now that he's gone, casual fans are wondering who to watch. I don't think he invisaged Pacquiao making such a name for himself from that fight. Still, I have no problem with Oscar. Yeah he avoided Winky, but he fought everyone else and considering the number of fights he has on his record, I find it stunning how many big names are on it.

Yeah, I was just itching to have a go at him. I think the problem we know face is that the only two really recognizable names in world boxing, Floyd Mayweather & Manny Pacquiao probably have five fights left at most between them, one of which may well be against each other. I would say to the average person in the US & UK (at least my age) Mayweather is the bigger name, partly because of his being in WWE & his association with rappers & such. I know people who know nothing about boxing (ie don't know who Oscar is in some cases) who know PBF for those reasons. Anyway its still only those two guys, and I don't see anyone who can make a global impact bar them. David Haye maybe if becomes HW champ.

If they didn't know who ODLH is, then the man supplying there bomb shelter/commune must have been the one to tell them of PBF.

[Drago]

bet most of my mates dont know who ODH?

[Britkid]

One from left field:

It would of cost us Holmes/SpinksI and Hearns/Hagler, but what about Tommy Hearns Vs Michael Spinks at 175 in 85?