NEVER CONVINCING

Even if one was to go along with the minority and say that Oscar De La Hoya deserved the split decision win Saturday night over Ike Quartey, you’ll have to admit one thing. Oscar has yet to be convincing in the two fights that thus far define De La Hoya as a fighter.

TITLE WINNING EFFORT

His match in 1997 with Pernell Whitaker was tainted with the notion that the judge's scorecards were filled out in advance as one jurist incredibly tabbed Oscar a six point winner at 116-110. And this after Oscar got dropped, and Sweet Pea out landed Oscar on the Compu Box punch statistics.

And while controversy loomed for a few months, it soon became old news as De La Hoya was transformed by slick marketing into a “real” ring killer, while being fed fodder like David Kamau, Hector Camacho, Wilfredo Rivera, and oh, we must not forget future Hall of Famer Patrick Charpentier.

SAME  M.O. AGAIN?

Once the dust settles and the mainstream media begins discussing the March 13, Evander Holyfield-Lennox Lewis scrap, will Team De La Hoya embark on another two year tour of fighting non entitities with the first being Oba “NO BMW” Carr in May.

MEXICANS POLLED

As soon as I got back to the S.F. Bay Area. I went down to a taco truck in the barrio in order to quiz the cook, and his customers on the prior night’s fight.

IKE GOT GYPPED

That was the overwhelming feeling of the Mexicans I polled Sunday. Most felt that the best De La Hoya deserved was a draw. Couple that with the theory of losing a split decision in the other guys home town  usually means you were shortchanged. If you are willing to read between the lines, the message is clear.

OSCAR SHOWED HUGE STONES

The courage and determination that De La Hoya showed while in the eye of the storm certainly showed he has the true heart of a champion.

ANY OTHER CORNER…

Other than the camera and microphone wise De La Hoya corner would have told Oscar that he needed a knockout in the last round to win. But they didn’t have to. Oscar broke out shooting with both guns, and came within a whisker of stopping the Bazooka in that final round.

KILLER INSTINCT SO EVIDENT

Acting like a shark who smelled blood, De La Hoya threw everything but a desk at Ike in the first two minutes of the 12th round. It was without question the finest round of his pugilistic life, and in my mind a “true” barometer of what Oscar De La Hoya “could” be if he so desired.

REMATCH

One of the first questions directed at the post fight press conference directed at 1999 Hall of Fame inductee Bob Arum was from yours truly. “Bob, in the early 1980’s the welterweights had some great fights because they fought one another. Like the Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran trilogy. I think everybody would like to see a rematch.”

Arum countered, “We will take a look at the numbers next week (Pay Per View and the HBO Saturday night encore ratings) and see if something can be done.”

JUDGES, LAME OR??

Judge Ken Morita is the guy that had Oscar winning over Ike by a 116-112 score. Going into the final stanza, Morita had Oscar up 106-104. This is where HBO’s Jim  Lampley found contempt.

“I could have understood Oscar winning after earning a two point round for the knockdown. But to have him up beforehand in my mind is the work of a judge who is going with the house fighter. I don’t like it.”

MORITA’S CLAIM TO FAME

Morita was the myopic lad who had Mike Tyson ahead of Buster Douglas in February of 1990. The stench that followed, put Morita on the back burner for a long time.

HUGE COMEBACK

In what would have to be an exceptional accomplishment, Morita makes his comeback in a mega fight like Oscar and Ike. This is where you want to look at the past    performances of a judge. We know that Tyson was the “house” fighter with Don King promoting against Buster, and that Mike lost all but one or two rounds before getting stopped.

Nine years later Ken resurfaces in a “major” fight and scores an extremely close match 116-112, and AGAIN for the “house” fighter. Do you now see why I think he got the gig?

HBO GODFATHER

HBO’s analyst Larry Merchant put it like this on Ring Talk last night. “It was a great fight. Although I had Ike winning by a point, Oscar showed he has "some" guts. I will push for a rematch if I can. But not necessarily in his next fight. I think that if Oscar wants an easier fight before going back with Quartey, that’s all right.”

LEDERMAN

“The scoring was atrocious,” so says HBO’s resident judge Harold Lederman. “This was not a tough fight to score. And yet, only these guys couldn’t get together but on a few rounds. No consistency, and I guess they didn’t see Ike had winning rounds five through nine. That’s five rounds alone. I had Ike winning 7-5 in rounds, and by a point on my card.

LOOKED DISGUSTED

While waiting for De La Hoya to make his appearance at the post fight press gathering, which was again held with 1,500 (mostly female) fans in attendance. I asked Harold, why the glum look.

“I just wish the right guy would have won, Pedro.”

MORALES WANTS CHAVEZ’ TITLE

Right after drilling Angel Chacon for KO #24, WBC 122 lb. champ Erik Morales sat down with yours truly and his promoter Fernando “Baby Face” Beltran. “I want to be as big as Chavez is in Mexico. So, I know I’ve got to fight often, and fight well.”

ON POCKET ROCKET

The next opponent for the 32-0, Morales will be Wayne McCullough in May. Can you stop Wayne, I asked? “I will train very hard and prepare myself to the fullest. I will win, but I cannot predict how. I want to move up to featherweight this year and fight Naseem Hamed or Luisito Espinosa.”

CARR ON RING TALK POST FIGHT

Oba “NO BMW” Carr made a cameo appearance on the Saturday night edition of Ring Talk, which emanated LIVE from the fight on the UNLV campus.

“I throw combinations, that’s why I can beat Oscar. Ike only threw one or two punches at a time. It’ll be a tough fight, much tougher for Oscar than he thinks.”

DIRTY LAUNDRY TIME FOR GOLDEN BOY?

Tim Kawakami is one of the members of the boxing media that isn’t afraid to ask the questions that piss people off. The former LA Times boxing writer has penned a book on De La Hoya entitled “Golden Boy” that is said to be the inside look into De La Hoya’s life outside of the squared circle.

AUTHOR DOES RING TALK THIS SATURDAY

Kawakami will make a return Ring Talk appearance this Saturday night at 11:06 PM ET to discuss his book, and answer your phone calls and e mail. You can send your    questions in advance to ringtalk@yahoo.com.

RING TALK AIRS LIVE ON NET

If the Talk America Radio Network(s) do not have an affiliate in your area, you can listen to Ring Talk live on the Internet.

FIRST TIME?

Then you will most likely need to go to the Talk America site at www.talkamerica.com and spend a few minutes downloading the free software available.

TWO NIGHTS, TWO NETWORKS

On Saturday Ring Talk is heard for two hours at 11:06 PM ET on Talk America “1.”

On Sunday, the show starts at 11:06 PM ET, BUT on the Talk America “2” Radio Network.

BOTH NETWORKS HAVE “LIVE” AUDIO CHANNELS AT  WWW.TALKAMERICA.COM

YOUR E MAIL TOMORROW

Send in your comments on the De La Hoya-Quartey fight today, and YOUR E MAIL will be part of tomorrow's festivities at www.fighters.com as Dangerous Dan has  something to say after four days in Las Vegas.


Pedro Fernandez

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