The Neutral Corner

Other than the fighters, the most important element to the Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao fight are the trainers. They both have very accomplished men in their corners and Freddie Roach has actually worked with both combatants. While he has long be Manny's trainer, he did work with Oscar for his megafight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Roach, a former pro who met Bobby Chacon, Greg Haugen and Hector Camacho inside the ropes, has worked with some of the best fighters in the world as a trainer. He began learning the craft of training from his mentor, Eddie Futch. Among those he has prepared to fight are Mike Tyson, Virgil Hill, Michael Moorer, Wayne McCullough, Bernard Hopkins and Marlon Starling.

Continue reading "Spotlight turns to the trainers of Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya" »

Now the other shoe drops.

On Sunday we wrote that a defeat to Manny Pacquiao could jeopardize Oscar De La Hoya's hall of fame status. Here is the post.

Today, we ask if a loss to De La Hoya drops Pacquiao from the top of boxing's pound-for-pound ratings. Again, it's a legitimate question. This one is a little easier to answer, because P4P ratings are all about the present. Really, any loss would knock you from the top spot. So the answer is yes, a loss to Oscar would drop Manny from the top spot.

But does Manny deserve to be there to begin with?

Just remember that his biggest wins have come against faded superstars Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. In the opinion of this corner, Manny is there by default, a fighter to fill the void when Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired.

A quick glimpse at The Ring magazine's pound-for-pound ratings has Manny first, Juan Manuel Marquez second, Joe Calzaghe third and Bernard Hopkins fourth. Fair enough. But the question remains, is Manny there for lack of a better idea?

Here's a note regarding the Oscar De La Hoya hall-of-fame post. Don in Yuma left an interesting, spirited response to the question, Can Manny knock Oscar out of the hall of fame. Don compared Oscar losing to Manny like Sugar Ray Robinson and Jou Louis losing late in their career. To Don's point, Oscar losing to Manny is like Joe Louis losing to a middleweight or Sugar Ray Robinson losing to a lightweight.

And no, even if Louis had lost to a middleweight in his final fight and Robinson lost to a lightweight in his final fight, it would not preclude them from the hall of fame. But Don, can you really compare the career of Oscar to that of Louis or Robinson. Name the hall-of-famers that Oscar has defeated? A faded Pernell Whitaker? A shot Julio Cesar Chavez?

Don -- and all those who post comments -- thanks for reading and keep the comments coming.

-- CASSIDY

It's a legitimate question.

This week I ran into my friend, "Richie from Levittown," who is a really knowledgeable boxing guy when he's not obsessing over soccer. I asked him, "Does Manny have a chance against Oscar?"

He said, "He shouldn't, but he does."

It was a brilliant answer because it's so true. Usually, a good big man beats a good little man. There have been some exceptions, but that rule has generally held true for more than 100 years of boxing. It basically means that with all things equal -- talent, desire, conditioning -- the larger fighter will beat the smaller fighter. Pacquiao has far too much weight to make up in this fight. On paper, he should lose.

But here's the catch. Will all things be equal? Will Manny have the edge when it comes to conditioning and desire? In the opinion of this corner, De La Hoya's major flaw is his inability to close the show.

There was a time when Oscar was among the best at finishing off an opponent. He still is. But there is a major difference between finishing off a wounded fighter and maintaining your skill and energy level long enough to win a close decision.

Oscar was ahead against Felix Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sugar Shane Mosley. He lost each of those fights. Now, it can be argued that he was the victim of shoddy judging against Trinidad and Mosley, but the reality is, Oscar has not won a meanigful fight since Fernarndo Vargas (2002) and before that, Ike Quartey (1999).

De La Hoya deserves credit for carrying the sport of boxing through one of its darkest periods. He also deserves credit fight fighting the biggest names of his generation. But if he wakes up a loser on Dec. 7, we will have to start wondering if he is worthy of hall-of-fame consideration.

-- CASSIDY

So why is this on a boxing blog? Well, we reported in September that Oscar De La Hoya and Affliction had formed a strategic alliance and will promote MMA and boxing events. So, you can bet that Oscar -- the most recognizeable combat athlete on the planet -- and or Golden Boy will have a presence in the reality series.

Trump, who back in the day hosted many of Mike Tyson's fights in Atlantic City, plans to begin filming a new, ground-breaking MMA reality series called "Fighting Fedor." The show's theme is to find the next Fedor Emelianenko, by creating an elimination tournament between undiscovered MMA talent, with the winner fighting Fedor himself. Fedor is the star of Affliction Entertainment's new Mixed Martial Arts league.

Here's what the main players had to say in a press release:

"We are excited about the new show and feel it will be a channel to discover more talent for our MMA product," said Tom Atencio, Vice President of Affliction Entertainment Group. "Our feeling is that the key to success is to surround ourselves with good partners, and with our new partnership it will allow us to reach an even greater fan base."

"I don't know who is going to make it through, but whoever it is will be incredible," said Donald Trump, Chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization. "The show will be spectacular, unique, and is going to be a special event. It will be taped in St. Petersburg, Russia. I'm going to be there, but I don't want to compete on the show."

Sixteen fighters screened by both companies and Fedor himself, not only for their athletic ability but their character and marketability, will compete in a tournament culminating in a face-off against the pound-for-pound champion of the world.

"What Fedor means to Affliction is what Michael Jordan was to the Chicago Bulls and the NBA, what Mike Tyson was to boxing, and what Tiger Woods is to golf," said Michael Cohen, executive vice president and special counsel to Donald J. Trump, and COO of Affliction Entertainment Group. "Through his abilities, Affliction Entertainment intends to attract more fighters to the sport that represents the highest standards of athleticism."

"Fighting Fedor" will be filmed in St. Petersburg, Russia to further capture the international audience and to discover the future star of Mixed Martial Arts through rigorous competition. The fifteen episode series will commence shooting in April, with the earliest possible premier date targeted for June 2009.

-- CASSIDY

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy, has already likened the Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao fight to the Super Bowl. He believes this fight will transcend the realm of sport and become a global event.

And it's Pacquiao's Filipino fan-base that will make the difference.

"Manny Pacquiao is a national hero in the Philippines," said Schaefer. "He will be carrying the hopes of a nation on his shoulders. The whole country of the Philippines will be behind him, supporting him."

When the Pacquiao-De La Hoya press tour stopped at the Statue of Liberty in New York City, a throng of Filipinos attended the press conference. Schaefer, who sites statistics stating the Filipinos are now among the fastest growing immigrant group in the U.S., expects many Filipinos to be in Las Vegas on Dec. 6 for the fight. He said that 33,000 additional tickets will be available to see the fight on Closed Circuit television.

There was one more twist that Schaefer added to the equation: "Pac Man has already beaten all the great Mexican fighters of this generation, Barrera, Morales and Marquez."

So is Oscar now fighting for the hopes of two nations -- America and Mexico?

"Oscar will do his best to represent his heritage," said Schaefer. "Anyone who has seen Oscar's fights and anyone who has seen Pac Man's fights won't be disappointed."

-- CASSIDY

These photographs come to you courtesy of Gary D. Morgan.

Click on the photo to see larger images. Enjoy:

By Marcus Henry

Oscar De La Hoya retiring? De La Hoya didn't sound like a man who was ready to hang it up just yet. With rumors of Floyd Mayweather's return to the fight game running rampant, the idea of De La Hoya checking out anytime soon is fiction.

“I’m not thinking about retirement now…I’m still an active fighter," De La Hoya said during his press conference at the Statue of Liberty on Wednesday. "I can still compete at the highest level.”

[But] right now it’s just fight mode. Right now it’s just training. Right now it’s just boxing,” he said.

A win over Manny Pacquiao on December 6 would go a long way in setting up De La Hoya-Mayweather part II. De La Hoya stopped short of setting a date or an opponent for his next fight, but mentioned a couple of names.

“There are fighters everywhere that are challenging me. We know that Mayweather is coming back, that’s for sure," De La Hoya said. "There’s the Margarito’s of this world...Whoever’s the best out there. You have Paul Williams who’s in the picture also. He’s the conqueror of Margarito."

The bottom line here is the money. De La Hoya-Pacquiao sold out in just over an hour, according to Golden Boy Promotions. With a $17-million gate already set and a million-plus Pay-Per-View buys expected, De La Hoya wil fight as long as he can bring in the dough.

Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao announce fight at the Statue of Liberty. Photo courtesy Gary D. Morgan

BY MARCUS HENRY

You can say this for Oscar De La Hoya; he doesn't do anything half way.

Whether it's letting people into his life through HBO's 24/7 series or taking on boxing's biggest names such as Floyd Mayweather and Bernard Hopkins, everything De La Hoya does is done in a big way.

Wednesday afternoon was no different as De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao, set to square off at 147 pounds on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, began their nation-wide media tour in front of a throng of reporters and hundreds of fans at the Statue of Liberty.

It's just the type of setting De La Hoya covets. "I want to be involved in the biggest event ever for the sake of boxing," De La Hoya said of having the first press conference at the Statue of Liberty. "Once again, boxing is on the map because of this event."

The tour doesn't stop in New York. De La Hoya and Pacquiao will be at the Sears Tower in Chicago, the NASA Space Center, the Alamo and the Golden Gate Bridge to promote the fight.

But can "The Golden Boy" and Pacquiao, considered the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, live up to the hype? When De La Hoya took on Mayweather in 2007, HBO Pay-Per-View racked up 2.4 million buys.

It might be a reach to think De La Hoya-Pacquiao can reach that number, but industry insiders say the fight should easily top a million buys. With HBO's 24/7 series set to launch Nov. 16 and the press tour making stops at some of the world's most famous landmarks, who knows?

"I'm open to anything," De La Hoya said. "As long as we can create a big event for the sake of boxing, because I only have two or three fights left in me."

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum likened it to a match between David and Goliath, referring to De La Hoya's superior size.

"We know how that turned out," Arum said.

Observers are split on which fighter has the advantage. Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs) has never fought above lightweight, while De La Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs) has fought at every weight level from 130 to 160.

Making 147 won't be a problem, according to De La Hoya. "Just the other day I hit 150," he said. "And that was without sparring. Once I start sparring the pounds will come off easy."

I'm a natural 47, there's no doubt about it," De La Hoya added. "If I weigh in right now I'll way 152, 153. The weight's not a problem ... My body can handle 147."

Pacquiao said he isn't concerned with the size difference and is convinced he will have the upper hand. "I have an advantage over Oscar because I'm faster and my trainer Freddie Roach trained Oscar for a few fights," Pacquiao said.

Roach trained De La Hoya for his Mayweather fight.

"It's not my job to negotiate for fighters," Pacquiao said. "I'm just a fighter who trains hard and fights in the ring ... I have no problem [with De La Hoya's size]."

Once again, Oscar De La Hoya will have a new trainer in his corner. The Golden Boy has hired Ignacio 'Nacho' Beristain to prepare him for the Dec. 6 fight against Manny Pacquiao.

"I already have a plan in mind for beating Pacquiao and I know Oscar will do whatever it takes to carry that plan through on fight night," Beristain said in a prepared statement released by De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.

Oscar has been trained by nearly every top trainer in the game, including Emanuel Steward, Gil Clancy, Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Freddie Roach. At this point, I'm sort of looking at Oscar like I'm looking at the New York Mets. If the Mets collapse again, well, maybe it wasn't Willie Randolph's fault.

If Oscar fades in yet another big fight, well, you can't blame every trainer in the game.

Beristain has worked with Mexican legends like Ricardo Lopez, Daniel Zaragoza and Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez. He currently trains Juan Manuel Marquez, who fought Pacquiao to a draw in 2004 and lost a split decision to him earlier this year.

-- CASSIDY

JUAN LAPORTE Photo courtesy Gary. D. Morgan

Gary Morgan, a friend of the Neutral Corner, caught up with former world featherweight champion Juan Laporte and they talked about the upcoming welterweight fight between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya. Laporte was featherweight champion from 1982 to 1984 and fought some of the greatest names in boxing. Salvador Sanchez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Wilfredo Gomez, Barry McGuigan and Azumah Nelson make up a partial list of those with whom Juan swapped leather.

Here is what Morgan reports that the former champ said about Pacquiao-De La Hoya:

"I was surprised when I heard the announcement of the fight. It was a shock to me. What concerns me is that Pacquiao will be jumping from featherweight/lightweight to welterweight. Pac Man will gain no more power and it will slow him down. He was much stronger then the guys he fought in his weight class. When he fights a bigger man the power that he had will not be so effective. Oscar will have the advantage in size, reach, experience and boxing ability.

"Oscar is confortable as a welterweight so it will work to his advantage. Oscar will be happy with the victory and probably will go on to fight one or two more fights. Pacquiao will be disappointed, but will have a big smile on his face with the money he makes. What concerns me is that this is not a big battle for Pacquiao. Pac Man needs to fight the up-and-comers in his division to solidify his reputation as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters. In this era, when fighters take the easy road, their reputations and respect as great fighters seem to disappear. The fans respect him for his greatness as one of the best little guys, however, when he goes to another division he loses the respect of being one of the great featherweights of all time. I wish that he was around in my time because we would have fought and it would have been a great fight."

-- CASSIDY

The unification process has officially begun.

Two sports that vie for the same audience, two sports that vow to be the ultimate test of a fighter have begun to merge. Coming soon to a ring or cage near you, boxing and mixed martial arts on the same card. And how long is it before we see a boxer in his prime against a mixed martial artist in his prime competing in a sanctioned fight?

It was announced today by Oscar De La Hoya that his promotional company -- Golden Boy -- has formed a "strategic, multi-level partnership" with Affliction Clothing. And, oh yeah, Affliction promotes MMA fights.

Affliction, which makes t-shirts that are popular in both the boxing and MMA world, has already promoted one successful MMA card. Its second show, however, scheduled for October 11, has been canceled partly due to a lack of ticket sales.

What follows is the press release sent out by Golden Boy. But the most important thing you need to know is the line that states: "Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction Entertainment will promote events that will feature both first class boxing matches as well as top notch MMA bouts on the same cards with the inaugural event planned for 2009."

Here is the release:

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (September 13, 2008) - Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction Clothing today announced a strategic, multi-level partnership between the two companies that will bring the popular Affliction-brand to the world of boxing and entertainment.

"We have been talking to Affliction over the past several months to figure out a partnership that will take advantage of the expertise of both of our companies," said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. "We have found the solution and are extremely excited about starting this partnership immediately."

"Golden Boy Promotions is the top boxing promoter in the world and we look forward to working with them on future projects," said Tom Atencio, Vice President, Affliction. "With our companies working together, it gives Affliction another vehicle to deliver our products to our core customers, as well as utilizing Golden Boy's promotional expertise to further our efforts in Mixed Martial Arts."

The partnership includes:

* For major Golden Boy Promotions fights, Affliction will create a signature Affliction shirt sold on-site and at retail outlets nationwide.

* Affliction will become the official apparel licensee for the Golden Boy Enterprises-owned Ring Magazine, and will adorn t-shirts and other apparel with the iconic Ring logo and classic Ring Magazine covers.

* Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction Entertainment will promote events that will feature both first class boxing matches as well as top notch MMA bouts on the same cards with the inaugural event planned for 2009.

-- CASSIDY

Interesting comments from WBC president Jose Sulaiman, who has called the Dec. 6 fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao ".. a fraud to the public...”

The pairing is not exactly what boxing fans were hoping for. Most wanted to see Oscar take on Antonio Margarito in his farewell fight. It seems that the WBC boss summed up a lot of people's feelings on the bout when he said, "Manny Pacquiao has only recently won the lightweight title. It's been 13 years since Oscar De La Hoya last made that weight and in that thirteen years he has gone up four weight divisions.”

Sulaiman's comments were made to James Blears.

It is amazing that Ricky Hatton has hired Floyd Mayweather Sr. to help train him for the upcoming challenge of IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi from Brooklyn. That fight takes place in Las Vegas on Nov. 22.

Could this be a way to lure Floyd Mayweather Jr. out of retirement. Would Hatton really want to lure him out of retirement?

Amir Khan, the young British sensation, lost for the first time as a pro when he was stopped in just 54 seconds by Colombian Breidis Prescott. Khan was knocked down 30 seconds into the fight and never really recovered.

Andy Murray, the tennis star, was touting Khan's enormous talents earlier at the U.S. Open. Murray, a huge fight fan, said he saw Khan fight several times and thought the kid had a world of talent. He did mention, though, that people were wondering about his chin. Hey, anyone can get caught. We'll see if this pattern continues.

As for Murray, he upset Rafael Nadal in the U.S. Open semis and will meet Roger Federer in the finals. Federer is basically the Sugar Ray Robinson of tennis. But Murray has beaten him once already this year.

Hall-of-Famer Joey Giardello has passed away at the age of 79. The former middleweight champion won the title in 1963 from Dick Tiger and lost it to Tiger a year later.

Giardello had a long distinguished career with over 100 victories. He beat the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson (late in Robinson's career), Henry Hank, Chico Vejar, Ralph "Tiger" Jones, Harold Green, Billy Graham and many more solid contenders.

In recent years Giardello may be best remembered for the depiction of him in the movie "Hurricane," the story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. Giardello defended the crown via unanimous decision over Carter. But in the movie, in which Denzel Washington played Carter, it was portrayed that Carter was robbed and really deserved the decision. Not true. Most boxing historians agree that Giardello deserved the decision. He sued and settled out of court. On the DVD, there is commentary that liberties were taken during the Giardello-Carter fight.

(One personal note, my father, Bobby Cassidy, fought the semfinal on the Giardello-Tiger II card at Madison Square Garden, winning by knockout that night.)

Juan Diaz won a split decision over Michael Katsidis on HBO. The scoring was 116-112, 115-113 for Diaz and 115-113 for Katsidis.

-- CASSIDY

By Marcus Henry

We won't get to see Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather, but we are getting the next best thing.

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael reported Wednesday that De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao will meet on December 6, possibly at the MGM Grand. The two are reportedly set to square off at 147 pounds. An official announcement is expected Thursday, according to ESPN.com.

All the talk of De La Hoya taking on Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto turned out to be a pipe dream. There was no way the "Golden Boy" was ready to take on two of boxing's most powerful punchers. Paul Williams? Although he's worthy, Williams doesn't have enough of a name for De La Hoya to risk ruining his legacy.

But De La Hoya saved face by taking on Pacquiao (47-3, 35 KOs). Pacquiao, who captured the WBC Lightweight title with a ninth-round TKO over David Diaz, is considered by many to be the sports best pound-for-pound fighter.

You're probably asking why De La Hoya decided to take on Pacquiao. The answer is simple. As great as Pacquiao has become, it will be the first time the Phillipine native will fight north of 135 pounds. In fact, his fight against Diaz was the first time he fought as a lightweight. In his eight fights prior to Diaz, Pacquiao fought as a super featherweight. Before that he fought as a featherweight, a super bantamweight and a flyweight.

De La Hoya on the other hand, hasn't fought below 150 pounds since scoring a fifth-round TKO over Arturo Gatti in 2001. De La Hoya should have a distinct advantage in size and power, which means the chance of a knockout is a real possiblity. That doesn't mean De La Hoya will enter the ring as the favorite or even win the fight, but it underscores how much De La Hoya values his legacy. A close loss to Pacquiao, who shouldn't be able to seriously hurt the bigger De La Hoya, will look a lot better than a beating at the hands of Margarito or Cotto.

ESPN.com is reporting that negotiations for a fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao have broken off and the Golden Boy is now looking at WBC junior middleweight champ Sergio Mora as an opponent. De La Hoya's next fight is scheduled for Dec. 6 in Las Vegas.

Read the De La Hoya story on ESPN.com here.

Mora, who won the first season of the reality TV show, 'The Contender,' is scheduled to fight Vernon Forrest on Sept. 13. Mora captured the 154-pound title by upsetting Forrest by majority decision in June.

-- CASSIDY

If you were at the Book Revue in Huntington you would have seen Oscar De La Hoya signing copies of his book. Lefthanded. That's right, Oscar is a natural southpaw who fights in an orthodoxed stance. And that explains the power in the Golden Boy's left hook and the snap in his left jab.

You'll learn a lot more about Oscar if you purchase his book -- "American Son: My Story." He said the book is an honest and revealing story of his life in which he tackles the triumphs and the setbacks. The book is published in English and Spanish.

By the time we left the Book Revue, the line stretched outside the building and into the street. Watch this video to hear what the Golden Boy had to say about his book and who he may fight since Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced his retirement.

-- CASSIDY

There is a report that trainer Derryl Hudson and BALCO boss Victor Conte say that Sugar Shane Mosley knew he was taking a performance enhancing drug prior to his second fight against Oscar De La Hoya.

Sugar Shane Mosley fights Oscar De La Hoya in 2003. Mosley has been accused by Victor Conte of using a performance enhancing drug while preparing for this fight.

Here's a link to the story by AP that ESPN moved on its web site regarding the Victor Conte, Shane Mosley BALCO mess.

Conte and Hudson both claimed in court papers that they witnessed Mosley injecting the drug.
Mosley has testified under oath that he unwittingly took the PED -- the excuse that way too many athletes have used.

The reaction to all of this has been interesting. The media came down much harder on James Toney when he tested positive for steriods. Perhaps its because we all want to believe Mosley, who is a well-liked and well-respected figure in the sport.

The one person's reaction this corner is waiting for is that of De La Hoya. He and Mosley are business partners now. But their two fights were razor close and some have made the argument that Oscar could have gotten the decision in both fights.

Oscar has a limited number of fights left in him, but De La Hoya-Mosley III would still be a great fight. -- CASSIDY

Oscar's fighting. It's a simple statement, but one that we've come to rely on for the last 16 years. And soon, those two words will no longer follow each other in a sentence. Oscar De La Hoya, the man who carried the sport through perhaps it's darkest period, will fight just twice more.

That's what he says, anyway. And in boxing, no retirement is ever final. But for now, let's take Oscar at his word. He has been the type of cross-over star that this sport desperately needs. Everyone has been saying that boxing is dead and yet amid all these gloomy forecasts, De La Hoya shattered the pay-per-view record last May with more than two million buys against Floyd Mayweather Jr. His end as a fighter was $40-million. Add about another $20-million to his end for being the bout's promoter. That doubles Alex Rodriguez' anual salary. Oscar did this all in one night.

At times, this corner has been critical of what Oscar has done in the ring, or, more precisely, what he hasn't done. He fades in big fights, which I believe cost him the decision in the first Mayweather contest. It cost him against Felix Trinidad and Shane Mosley (first fight) too. Will anything change in De La Hoya-Mayweather II come September? I hope so. But let's face it, Oscar is another year older.

Oscar looked sharp in his tuneup against Stevie Forbes. Forbes was reluctant to engage and took few chances. The HBO broadcast crew pegged it when they said he had a sparring partner's mentality. I watched the fight with a former pug, who was apalled that Forbes reached out to tap gloves or pat Oscar on the butt after every round. "This is a fight, isn't it?" he asked.

Click to see photos of the fight.

Whenever he fights, Oscar elicits emotion and reaction. One longtime observer, known on the blogosphere as P.C. Maverick, sent this our way:

"Forbes is no Floyd Jr. Oscar got tagged a bunch of times by this guy. I think if Forbes could get in these shots obviously Cotto or Floyd Jr can... I really believe he trained to spar Oscar not to beat him... Maybe subconsciously if not intentionally."

Interesting point. Think about it. Roger Mayweather, Floyd's uncle, used to train Forbes. He was trained for this fight by Jeff Mayweather, another of Floyd's uncles. Could it be that, as P.C. states, "subconsciously or intentionally,' the Mayweather clan exerted just enough influence on Forbes so that he would go through what amounted to a sparring session?
Thus keeping Floyd's massive payday for a return match with Oscar safe.

It's a conspiracy that would make Mel Gibson proud, but I honestly believe that on his best day, Forbes wouldn't have done that much better against Oscar.

On a scale from 1 to 10, P.C. rated Oscar's performance in the ring against Forbes, a 5. That might be a little harsh, particularly when the guy you are "fighting" would rate a negative 3.

You can hate Oscar, you can love him and you can be disappointed him. One thing is certain, you will definitely miss him when he's gone. With the exception of Winky Wright, he has fought every big name fighter in or around his weight class. He started with Julio Cesar Chavez and ends with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Or possibly Miguel Cotto.

He says there are only two more fights left in his career. After that, boxing will really have to worry when people start saying the sport is dead.-- CASSIDY

Oscar De La Hoya and longtime business partner Gabriel Brener have agreed to acquire significant ownership interests in the Houston Dynamo, the two-time defending MLS champions.

Current ownership will continue to operate the team, according to Oliver Luck, President and General Manager of the Houston Dynamo.

“I’m a huge soccer fan and have been very impressed with the progress MLS and especially The Houston Dynamo have made in recent years," said De La Hoya, in a news release. "I also appreciate how much soccer, like boxing, appeals to the Hispanic community. I’m very excited to be part of such a top notch organization.”

Oscar will fight Steve Forbes on May 3 and then will fight a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on September 20.

The soccer team is just one more notch in the ever-expanding empire known as Golden Boy Enterprises. Oscar currently has 50 fighters under promotional contract -- including Bernard Hopkins, Marco Antonio Barrera, Sugar Shane Mosley. He has purchased The Ring magazine and has several real estate and entertainment holdings. -- CASSIDY