Farewell to a Legend

By TIM DAHLBERG,
AP
Posted: 2008-05-01 15:41:46
Filed Under: Fighting
LOS ANGELES (April 30) - Oscar De La Hoya's farewell tour is beginning at home. He can only hope it doesn't end there, too.



De La Hoya fights Saturday night (live on HBO at 10PM ET/7PM PT) against Steve Forbes in what is scheduled to be the first of three fights before he ends his career by the end of the year. It's a homecoming of sorts for the fighter from East Los Angeles, but merely an appetizer for bigger things later this year against the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr., and possibly Miguel Cotto.

De La Hoya specifically chose Forbes, and he's a prohibitive 17-1 favorite to beat the former IBF super featherweight champion in what on paper looks like little more than an exhibition before the home fans. But, as De La Hoya well knows from his near loss to Felix Sturm in another tuneup a few years back, nothing is ever settled until the fighters actually meet in the ring.

"This is no pushover fight," said De La Hoya, sounding like the promoter he also is in this fight. "I fell for that trap before. Every fighter I fight goes to a whole new level when they fight me."

Not too many other fighters have made the millions of dollars De La Hoya has, and no other fighters are getting their own statue in front of the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

"I'm blown away by it," De La Hoya said. "I'm going to drive by it every day just to make sure they don't egg it."

De La Hoya, who has moved past boxing to become a fight promoter and business operator, doesn't need the money he will make to fight Forbes in the first boxing match at the Home Depot Center - the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team where David Beckham occasionally plays. He owns an office building, newspapers, Ring Magazine, and recently bought an interest in the Houston Dynamo soccer team.

But at the age of 35 he still wants to fight, and wants to go out big in a pair of megafights once his business with Forbes is taken care of.

De La Hoya has lost three of his last five fights and hasn't beaten an opponent of note in six years, but he remains hugely popular, and nearly 30,000 fans are expected to be at the Home Depot Center.


"I want to knock him out," De La Hoya said of Forbes. "I want to look special. This is what I need."

Forbes isn't a bad fighter by any means, but there's a reason De La Hoya is such a favorite in what essentially is a tuneup fight for a September rematch with Mayweather, who beat him by split decision a year ago. He's smaller than De La Hoya and easy enough to find in the ring, a combination that moved him to the top of the list when De La Hoya was looking for someone to fill the role of opponent.

Forbes believe he can do even more than that, even though his biggest claim to fame since moving up in weight was that he lost in the finals of the "Contender" reality show.

"I think he's put a little more thought in me than at first," Forbes said. "I don't feel any pressure or intimidation factor."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-05-01 10:22:27


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jimbo121405 10:48:34 AM May 06 2008

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only fool will pay fifty dollars to watch mayweather slap and clinch pollo de la hoya to win a unanimous decision, boxing is in tough shape and fights like this are the reason why, why should we line these guys pockets for a crappy, un entertaining fight, its a disgrace to a once great sport, oscar is the most over hyped fighter in the history of boxing, he couldnt even take out lil stevie forbes. if anyone wants to see a great fight watch a tape of hagler-mugabi or chavez -taylor 1, now those were great fights. but oscar -floyd and calzaghe- hopkins, please! these are pathetic displays of prize fighting. everyone should do boxing a service and boycot floyd - oscar 2 , oscar has become a master con man and the boxing populace should show these people it won't be tolerated anymore.

blueimpraider 02:58:14 AM May 05 2008

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I watched the fight last night. It was average at best.... but it just didn't come off as "real". It was more spectacle than sports.. Fought by Oscar, produced by Oscar, directed by Oscar, simple opponent custom ordered for Oscar, promoted by Oscar.... blah, blah, blah .... just didn't get over. Maybe Steve Forbes got a great payday, but there was little else to get excited about.

Let's see Oscar vs. Mayweather II, or Oscar vs. Cotto (don't think Oscar wants anything to do with Miguel). Of course, there's also Cotto vs. Margarito -- the best fight out there at this point....

tiodings 09:47:30 AM May 04 2008

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oscar its about money mach with kelly pavlik puts the golden girl on any all time list its no about boxing with oscar.its about money chiken dela hoya

andreacemarshall 11:05:12 AM May 02 2008

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papacoolrice4 - Who has Migual Cotto fought ? An over the hill Shane Mosley and a over the hill Zab Judah are the best 2 fighers Cotto has ever fought. Let see Migual Cotto fight Antonio Margarito and the winner of that fight should fight Floyd Mayweather! Finally, Oscar fighting Stevie Forbes is a joke, I am not gonna order the fight. One more thought, I would like to see Joe Calzaghe fight Kelly Pavlik instead of a possible fight with a over the hill Roy Jones who should be retired and feeding Chickens and Roosters on his farm!

papacoolrice4 08:09:26 PM May 01 2008

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Miguel Cotto fights all comers, tough fighters and has the respect of many people.I even wish he would take a break sometimes and fight one or two tomato can type boxers that the golden girl fights.Oscar DeLa Hoya came along when the sport was looking for someone to embrace.Any one who puts the golden girl on any all time list as a great fighter must be in fantasy land.

joetherocker541 05:53:01 PM May 01 2008

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Go Oscar.go get em.and after this one kick Mayweather's ass.you deserve to go out the Champ.goodluck Oscar.

mrjgoodtimes5 04:34:12 PM May 01 2008

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let me box him so i can make a cool mill

thetrutheh 04:32:55 PM May 01 2008

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ITS NOT ABOUT BOXING WITH OSCAR. ITS ABOUT MONEY

vmanic1 03:24:17 PM May 01 2008

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Peter Manfredo, Alfonso Gomez, and now add Forbes as another "sacrificial lamb" from "The Contender" series.

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