Oscar De La Hoya Talks Fantasy Prime Matchups: Mayweather, Pacquiao, Hopkins, and Chavez
by Scott Christ on Aug 31, 2011 11:54 PM EDT
in Boxing News Analysis
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Oscar De La Hoya spoke with Lem Satterfield of The RING about various boxing topics, looking back on his career and some of them men he fought, and imagining him in his prime against various foes. It's really quite a good interview, and is pure boxing talk, which is nice. Oscar hasn't done a lot of pure boxing talk in the last few years.
Among the notables:
- De La Hoya ranks Bernard Hopkins over Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao.
- He feels that at his best, he would have beaten Mayweather and Pacquiao.
- He believes that a prime vs prime matchup with Julio Cesar Chavez would have gone to Chavez.
- He admits to, as a promoter, fluffing up previous Mayweather fights he's promoted with Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley (but he feels Victor Ortiz has a real shot).
Look, I don't know what his personal life is really like, so I can't say with 100% certainty that I think he's telling the truth about drug addiction, alcohol abuse, infidelity, wearing lingerie, or whatever else. But this is way more honest and realistic than Oscar has usually been in interviews that discuss, you know, boxing, and having seen his boxing career, I feel comfortable saying I'm buying what the old "Golden Boy" is selling here.
So here's the question I have for all of you: Prime versus prime, at welterweight, who would you pick in fights between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny Pacquiao, and Julio Cesar Chavez? Oscar says he would have gone 2-1, beating Manny and Floyd but losing to Chavez. Agree? Disagree? Mix-and-match?
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I’ll say he’d have gone 1-2.
He would have beaten Manny. Yes, yes, yes, I know, but Oscar in his prime was not what Manny fought, and in his prime, Oscar was a big, strong welterweight with good speed who would have been hell for Manny stylistically and physically. As great as Manny is, I frankly struggle to see him beating a lot of top welterweights in their prime. I think even, say, Shane Mosley at his best would have been a tremendous battle, and that someone like Vernon Forrest would have been horrible for Pacquiao.
I would pick Floyd over Oscar, but in a close fight. I think Floyd banks some rounds with his defense. Oscar fought Floyd past his best and gave him some trouble early, but Mayweather was also fighting too heavy. The seven pounds was a big deal for Floyd. I think Oscar would do well with the jab again, but Floyd would once again find a way to neutralize it. Oscar didn’t always adjust so well, even in his prime years.
I would pick Chavez to beat Oscar. I think Oscar would do well in the fight, but Chavez was relentless and would have worn him out and stopped him late. It would be a great fight, the best of the three.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Other way around.
He goes 1-2 losing to Manny and Chavez, but edges Floyd in a close decision.
I’ve never considered myself as a legend – just a simple man with heart.
What fight was each these four fighters' prime?
The fighter that fought Chavez the second time was probably Oscar’s prime right?
The Mayweather Jr. that beat Oscar was probably his prime?
Manny beating Cotto his prime?
Chavex beating Roger Mayweather the first time his prime?
I personally think Oscar still could have beat Chavez because he moved too much. And, if Pernell Whitaker couldn’t beat Oscar…. (Mayweather Jr. couldn’t get a decision either?)
Manny versus Delahoya for a toss up, maybe a draw.
That seems about right
Oscar in his prime was, fanfare aside, one of the best fighters of his and our time. he would give anyone hell but with the exception of a few fights like his with Quartey where he finished strong, he was not the world’s greatest closer. He was great but that flaw was a constant throughout his career.
I think he would be Floyd every time because he practically beat him when he actually fought him. he would have outworked and out jabbed Floyd hard, winning a clear decision. Floyd hasn’t really hurt a welterweight. Oscar can and would.
Chavez I will trust Oscar knows best.
And Manny I think outworks and out punches Oscar in a close decision victory not unlike Oscar’s loss to Shane the first time. Punches would fly but Manny would land more.
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
The Mayweather Jr. that beat Oscar was probably his prime?
Probably not, since it was one of Mayweather’s weaker performances in a lot of ways, since, as I said, he was too heavy, and his opponent was too heavy. But I don’t think primes come down to one single fight.
And, if Pernell Whitaker couldn’t beat Oscar
Yeah, well, I believe Pernell Whitaker did beat Oscar.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Sep 1, 2011 1:14 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, well, I believe Pernell Whitaker did beat Oscar.
and so do many people think to. I think Ike beat Oscar by 1-2 rounds in there fight
by Mohammedini Hussein on Sep 1, 2011 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions
NOT ONLY
Did sweet p win that fight, SWEET P was past his own prime when he did it. SWEET P would have destroyed Oscar in his prime. It wouldn’t have been up for debate.
by johnnyurrotten on Sep 3, 2011 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Everybody who saw that fight say the same thing...
Sweet Pea won. I meant the Ike fight were I thought Oscar lost as well. Didn’t see the Pea vs ODLH
by Mohammedini Hussein on Sep 3, 2011 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah and he had a coke problem addiction to in addition to being out of prime
That is why so many call him a ATG
by Mohammedini Hussein on Sep 3, 2011 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions
absolutely right
he was definitely hitting up the yay by then
by johnnyurrotten on Sep 3, 2011 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I dont mean
to take anything away from Oscar he was a bad mofo and eventually ended up fighting everybody who was their at the time. Quartey, Trinidad etc. Sweet P was just that good.
by johnnyurrotten on Sep 3, 2011 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions
He did get robbed in the Trinidad fight
but Ike and Pea got robbed against ODLH so it makes up for is I guess :S
by Mohammedini Hussein on Sep 3, 2011 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Prime Oscar vs prime Manny at their respective peaks while fighting at 147: I see Manny winning a great war. His angles would prove to be the edge.
Prime Oscar vs. Prime Chavez respectively at 140: Chavez in another potential great war. Prime Oscar vs. prime Chavez respectively at 147: I give Oscar the edge at 147.
Prime Oscar vs. Mayweather respectively at 147: coin toss. I really could see Oscar pulling this off in prime condition and focused on the right game plan.
Boxing writer: "Iran, what are you going to do when you retire?"
Iran Barkley: "Rob your house"
I was never a huge Oscar fan while he was fighting, but strangely, now that we’re a few years removed from his retirement, I appreciate him a little bit more.
Chavez obviously had no “prime” at welterweight, so I’m not sure that’s worth discussing, unless, say, we’re talking the best 140 lb. version of Chavez against the a prime welterweight de la Hoya. I think Chavez takes that one due mainly to his pressure, body punching, and the “late round de la Hoya fade”
Versus Floyd I think he does a bit better with his jab and his movement (I’m envisioning the Oscar that beat the crap out of Trinidad for 9 rounds). Draw. or Split decision either way.
I actually think the Pacquiao match up is the worst for Oscar for the simple reason that Oscar’s right hand is lousy (Oscar made the best use of his right hand against Vargas at 154, a weight class which, arguably, was a bit past his prime). You cannot beat Pacquiao without a right hand game. Oscar’s jab may keep Manny at bay for a while, but prime Pacquiao fires that right hook over the jab so well, plus has the left coming behind it. Couple that with Pacquiao’s in and out movement and Oscar’s leaky defense…Pacquiao by close UD. Now, if Oscar had even a decent right hand, I think that, coupled with his size and strength would be more than enough to take out Pacman. But he didn’t.
I say Oscar goes 2-1 I think he would have beat Chavez and PAC. I still feel Floyd would beat him. By defense and lead straight right hands all night. I think Floyd beats them all I honestly think that PAC man would fare the worst. He just gets hit way too much for my liking.
by J smooth 420 on Sep 1, 2011 6:01 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I think Chavez would pressure him and De la Hoya would fade late and Chavez will get a UD.
Mayweather I think would take another UD. His defence and countering will always give Oscar problems prime or not.
The fight with Pac is the hardest to call for me. I can see it as a good war. Pacs fast in out combos and De La Hoya timing him and getting his left hook in there. Id have to go De La Hoya by TKO about round 10. Its just a size thing he always had a great chin and would take the shots of Pac for a full fight but I think a big welter fighting even with Manny will wear him down.
DLH goes 1-2
"A hero has faced it all: he need not be undefeated, but he must be undaunted." - Andrew Bernstein
Got to be honest, prime Floyd whoops Oscar for me. I mean, prime Floyd is the guy who fought Diego Corrales for me – the Floyd who moved around the ring and pulled his opponents off balance before ripping them with hard combinations, not just potshots. Any Oscar against that Floyd just spells disaster for the Golden Boy, as far as I’m concerned.
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
by Oli Goldstein on Sep 1, 2011 8:48 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I love Diego but Diego was not as good a boxer by any stretch as Oscar. He was more of a fighter than anyone not named Gatti and Ward but he was never a better boxer that Oscar.
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
I’m not comparing Diego to Oscar by any stretch. I’m saying that Floyd – the one who fought Diego – was just about the best Floyd I’ve seen, and whereas his legs had started slowing by the time he got to 147, when he fought Diego he had just about everything. I don’t think a one-handed guy like Oscar would have been able to dictate anything in a fight against that Floyd and would have just ended up embarrassed.
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
by Oli Goldstein on Sep 2, 2011 5:36 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Prime Oscar was never embarrassed. He was that good.
He embarrased himself when he took his foot off of the pedal against Trinidad but he did that to himself. Only late in his career, after he was way past his prime, was he embarrassed.
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
I'm a supporter of Oscar's legacy, I think he was undeniably great...
but he never beat a great fighter in that fighter’s prime, so what would make anyone think he would beat any of these guys?
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