Another shot at saving boxing

Travis MacKenzie
December 3, 2008

If the sport of boxing is on the comeback trail, this Saturday evening will certainly be a part of the hike. Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao will be the two combatants to enter the ring in the latest effort to rejuvenate the sport, and it will likely be a try that eclipses the previous attempt, at least in terms of in-ring action.

The sport’s true decline took place somewhere between June 8th, 2002, when Lennox Lewis knocked out the infamous Mike Tyson, and the sport’s next so-called “superfight”, nearly five years later, on May 5th, 2007, when then-pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. outboxed De La Hoya to a split decision victory. Though the legacy of De La Hoya-Mayweather ended up being a four-part miniseries previewing the fight, and, ultimately, a boring match, the need for a superfight has seemingly become one of boxing’s priorities.

In the 19 months since De La Hoya-Mayweather, HBO has attempted to give three fights similar fanfare. Mayweather’s next match, a knockout of British superstar Ricky Hatton, certainly generated buzz, but lacked even one exciting participant, thanks to Mayweather’s boring style and Hatton’s penchant to win in an ugly fashion. Last month’s Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr. bout certainly possessed name cachet, but was a total mismatch both on paper and in the ring. De La Hoya and Pacquiao, meanwhile, have managed to avoid those two fatal flaws. 

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While De La Hoya still certainly holds a fair amount of the skill that he owned in his prime, the major asset that he brings to this fight is that he is, without a doubt, the biggest draw in the sport. His glorious career, which entered the American consciousness with a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, continues to resonate outside of solely the Latin American fan base. Global appeal continues to be an immensely difficult quality to find in a boxer, and De La Hoya has it. Though he couldn’t beat the extremely crafty Mayweather, he still forced a split decision in giving “Pretty Boy Floyd” his toughest challenge in nearly five years. In a dominant win over Steve Forbes in May of this year, De La Hoya proved that he can still fight, despite a light schedule in recent years that has allowed him to focus on his other business interests.

On the other side of the ring is the man who might be the sport’s second-most popular fighter. Pacquiao is a native of the Philippines, and appears to be above the level of celebrity in the nation. It certainly takes more than being immensely popular in one’s own country, however, to be a boxing superstar, and Pacquiao has the skill and resume befitting such a fighter. Pacquiao has won world title belts in four different weight classes, and fought Juan Manuel Marquez to a draw in a title bout in a fifth class. The list of names he has defeated is a lengthy one which includes Marquez (in a second bout), Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales. Most importantly, Pacquiao is exciting. While able to box his way to a decision, he is similar to De La Hoya in that he will still go for that knockout if it’s attainable.

The one drawback in choosing Pacquiao to fight as De La Hoya’s opponent is the difference in size between the two fighters. De La Hoya is four inches taller than Pacquiao, and possesses a wingspan that is six inches longer than his opponent’s. Additionally, the fight will be contested at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. De La Hoya is a veteran of the welterweight division, and has previously fought as heavy as the middleweight limit of 160 pounds. Pacquiao’s highest fighting weight has been 134 pounds, for his June fight with David Diaz, and he had never cleared 130 pounds prior to that fight. These concerns could possibly be offset by Pacquiao’s visibly superior speed, which is likely to cause De La Hoya problems even if Pacquiao’s customary power is not as effective due to the size discrepancy.

Even if De La Hoya’s size takes over the fight, this match is still a positive sign for future superfights in the sport of boxing. In 2006, Pacquiao, who is promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank, attempted to leave his promotional contract and fight under the banner of De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. A major dispute broke out, with Pacquiao ultimately choosing to stay with Arum. Normally, this would be a sticking point in negotiating a fight between Pacquiao and a Golden Boy fighter. Instead, this fight will happen, and offers future hope that the best boxers can fight each other, regardless of promotional feuds.

While great boxing matches have certainly been taking place over the past number of years (namely Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo I and the Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez trilogy), they were not tagged with the superfight label beforehand. If De La Hoya and Pacquiao are able to bring the excitement that De La Hoya-Mayweather, Mayweather-Hatton, and Calzaghe-Jones lacked, great boxing matches will re-enter the public’s consciousness. After the four-year boxing “dark age” that spanned from 2003-2006, these two fighters are the sport’s best hope yet.

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The Author:

Travis MacKenzie