| Oscar Retiring? Let's Wait and See | |
| Boxing News & Notes: Feb. 13, 2002 | |
|
The ultimate timing depends on who you ask, but one thing appears clear: Retirement is on the mind of Oscar De La Hoya. Not always a good thing for a fighter with a big bout coming up. Now, is he really serious about walking away from the fight game or is this just another case of a fighter hyping his every bout as his last? Only time will tell but Oscar has seemed a reluctant warrior at times and may seriously relish the thought of putting boxing behind him. Last week, De La Hoya's publicist, Reynaldo Solornazo, suggested that the Golden Boy intends to retire after his May 4 unification clash with Fernando Vargas. De La Hoya is already hedging on that pronouncement, claiming that he envisions a three-and-out scenario: Vargas followed by rematches with Felix Trinidad and Shane Mosley. Either way, as one of the few fighters who appears to have a legitimate chance to remain a star outside the ring, Oscar's future forays in the sport as an active participant will likely be very limited.
In the "Does this even qualify as news anymore?" department: Yet another woman is claiming that Mike Tyson assaulted her. Reportedly, Tyson assaulted a woman in Honolulu, Hawaii during the brief time he was on the island attending the NFL Pro Bowl. Who knows if these claims are true or simply attempts to extort some cash? Remember, even Tyson deserves the presumption of innoncene until proven guilty. But one thing is certain - Tyson is the undisputed champion as a lightning rod for legal troubles and negative publicity. Even O.J. Simpson spends less time these days denying allegations than Iron Mike. In other predictable Tyson news, many sites are vying to host the proposed Tyson-Lennox Lewis bout. The latest locales indicating there is no depth to which they will not sink for a buck are Georgia (which first licensed Muhammad Ali after his exile from boxing back in 1970), Arizona, Texas, Michigan, California, Connecticut, New Jersey and Tennessee. Congratulations to the other 42 states for not offering to host the fight - YET! Potential overseas hosts include Denmark, Holland, Germany, England, the Phiippines, South Africa, Spain and - get this - Beirut, Lebanon. As if this fight needs anything else to add to it's already freak show appeal. In the "Old heavyweights never die, they just keep coming back" department: Michael Moorer (42-2-1, 34 KOs) continues his latest comeback this weekend with a ten round fight against Robert Davis (26-3) on Showtime. It's a sad commentary on the state of the heavyweight division that not only Lewis and Tyson, but also Moorer, Evander Holyfield, Ray Mercer and Oliver McCall, remain among its most marketable commodities. Only the Klitschko brothers and Jameel McCline qualify as "young" heavyweights who show true upside potential. On a more promising note: The Showtime undercard includes two of the most exciting young fighters in the game: Francisco "Panchito" Bojado (9-0) and Jeff Lacy (6-0) in separate bouts. In "The more free fights on TV the better" department: Fox Sports Net is bringing back its Sunday Night Fights series beginning on March 10. The debut card will feature ancient Tim Witherspoon (52-11-1) against Ahmad Abdin (30-2-4). The following week, Oleg Maskaev (22-4) continues his comeback against Ed Mahone (23-3-2). Barry Tompkins, Rich Marotta and Sean O’Grady will call the action. Elsewhere on the upcoming schedule: Johnny Tapia is jumping from Showtime to HBO and will appear as the prelim to the Naseem Hamed-Manuel Calvo bout on March 23. The plan is to set up a Hamed-Tapia bout for later this year. Such a bout could be a classic so let's hope it actually happens. The new date for the postponed Erik Morales-Marco Antonio Barrera rematch is now June 22. CLICK HERE FOR LATEST BOXING NEWS & NOTES
|
|
Explore Boxing
Must Reads
About.com Special Features
Learn to Pitch
Strike out the competition with these step-by-step pictorials. More >
Introduction to Pilates
Learning Pilates fundamentals can help you get the most out of your exercise regime. More >
©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.
All rights reserved.