Comments Thread For: Ex-champions weigh in on Oscar De La Hoya's view that fighters are to blame for boxing's ills

[Bronx2245]

The buck always stops with the fighter doe. He can say no to any fight that is offered to him by his promoter. Don't you agree?

If that's the case, that Zepeda doesn't want smoke, yet his promoter makes excuses to cover for him/them, then isn't the promoter just as responsible?

[rckdees]

It must be all those drugs Delahoya did that’s blurring his memory…he didn’t have that opinion when he was accusing scumbag bob of ripping him off when he was his promoter

[djtmal]

Fighting younger versions of Floyd only would have made it worse for them all.

It may have been worse for your boy as well in terms of taking a loss.

Its a reason the "younger version of Floyd", backed out of fights with Winky Wright, Margarito, etc because he didn't like the odds of beating them.

You making it out like the "younger version of Floyd" was putting fighters on their backs in Tyson like fashion and we know that wasn't happening

In other words, it would have been more definitive outcomes as to who the best guys are with them all in their primes.
If its Floyd so be it.

If its Oscar or Shane or Manny or Cotto so be it.

The "younger version of Floyd", got that gift decision against Castillo 1, and played it safe ever since.

This narrative of ducking/cherrypicking/overmarinating/overstalling fights, and making excuses for guys who can give a two s***s about you, is why boxing is garbage now in their first place.

[boxingitis]

Shut that sh_ t up Floyd fought everyone no matter what their age was, GTFOH with that BS!

Who have U fought and beat MF'er what's in your bank account?

Come and Shut me up MF'er

[jqSide]

If that's the case, that Zepeda doesn't want smoke, yet his promoter makes excuses to cover for him/them, then isn't the promoter just as responsible?

Can you really force any fighter to fight someone who he doesn't feel ready with? Yep, you can blame Zepeda, his dad, manager, his whole team. I think his case is similar to Navarette who never seemed ready to participate in big fights until he lost to an unknown fellow.

If you are a promoter and one of your fighters won't fight someone you want him to fight, will you go to the press and throw him under the bus? You should know this of all people being a PBC fan. I remember Espinoza throwing an entire division under the bus because only one stepped up to fight, I'm trying to remember the name. And that's the only time I heard him with such comments, probably a mistake.

[boxingitis]

How would Floyd force Oscar or Mosley in the ring when they were both bigger stars than him, holding all the cards? Cotto wanted to fight Floyd at 140 until he saw the whippin Gatti got. Floyd can't control Zab losing focus against Baldomir.

Imagine Floyd avoiding Manny for 5 years because he didn't want to be randomly drug tested. What would the media and fan narrative have been?

When, exactly, should Floyd have fought Canelo? Waited 2 more years, perhaps, when he's 38?

He fought and beat all these guys with relative ease. Fighting younger versions of Floyd only would have made it worse for them all.

"Might" not be his fault, but it doesn't change the "fact" he didn't beat them in their prime. Greatness is beating "greats" when they are great (in their Prime).

He made a load of money fighting "NAMES". Just like Paul made a load of money fighting "Names", the likes a Tyson and all the UFC Stars.

[Bronx2245]

Can you really force any fighter to fight someone who he doesn't feel ready with? Yep, you can blame Zepeda, his dad, manager, his whole team. I think his case is similar to Navarette who never seemed ready to participate in big fights until he lost to an unknown fellow.

If you are a promoter and one of your fighters won't fight someone you want him to fight, will you go to the press and throw him under the bus? You should know this of all people being a PBC fan. I remember Espinoza throwing an entire division under the bus because only one stepped up to fight, I'm trying to remember the name. And that's the only time I heard him with such comments, probably a mistake.

Most promoters aren't voluntarily in the spotlight like Oscar! Oscar seeks the spotlight, and speaks as advocate of the sport, yet he's the one steering his opponents away from fights, i.e. Stevenson vs. Zepeda. He's part of the problem! That's one of things I appreciate about Al Haymon! He's not out there like Oscar and Eddie! I know there are times when the fighters don't want a fight, but there's PLENTY of examples where the promoter is the roadblock!!!

[Gary Coleman]

It may have been worse for your boy as well in terms of taking a loss.

Its a reason the "younger version of Floyd", backed out of fights with Winky Wright, Margarito, etc because he didn't like the odds of beating them.

Floyd would have been jumping up from 140 to 154 for a fight with Winky. I don't think you can call that a duck.

I would have loved for Mayweather to have taken on that challenge. A tall task for sure, but I think he could have danced circles around Wink. Man, that would have been good.

Also, the proposed 50/50 split helped kill that fight. Floyd felt he was worth more.

Margarito came at the same time Floyd bought out of his Top Rank contract on his path to Oscar, but you already knew that. I dont know why you continue to bring it up.

For those that don't know... "Arum said while Mayweather would have taken the $8 million to fight Margarito, he asked for a $10 million guarantee to fight opponents such as Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton, when Arum was only willing to guarantee $7 million.

Arum said Mayweather also asked for $20 million to fight De La Hoya, a fight Arum said he wasn't interested in participating in.

"That's not in the cards," Arum said. "He wants $20 million for the De La Hoya fight? It's not there. Sometimes, my man, you gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. We'll talk about things down the road." ESPN

Again, you know all of this already. Why bs?

[Gary Coleman]

"Might" not be his fault, but it doesn't change the "fact" he didn't beat them in their prime. Greatness is beating "greats" when they are great (in their Prime).

He made a load of money fighting "NAMES". Just like Paul made a load of money fighting "Names", the likes a Tyson and all the UFC Stars.

Again, Floyd had no control over "prime" guys avoiding him while in their "primes."

[djtmal]

Floyd would have been jumping up from 140 to 154 for a fight with Winky. I don't think you can call that a duck.

I would have loved for Mayweather to have taken on that challenge. A tall task for sure, but I think he could have danced circles around Wink. Man, that would have been good.

Also, the proposed 50/50 split helped kill that fight. Floyd felt he was worth more.

Margarito came at the same time Floyd bought out of his Top Rank contract on his path to Oscar, but you already knew that. I dont know why you continue to bring it up.

For those that don't know... "Arum said while Mayweather would have taken the $8 million to fight Margarito, he asked for a $10 million guarantee to fight opponents such as Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton, when Arum was only willing to guarantee $7 million.

Arum said Mayweather also asked for $20 million to fight De La Hoya, a fight Arum said he wasn't interested in participating in.

"That's not in the cards," Arum said. "He wants $20 million for the De La Hoya fight? It's not there. Sometimes, my man, you gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. We'll talk about things down the road." ESPN

Again, you know all of this already. Why bs?

Naw bruh you don't sit down at the table with Wright, make the negotiation, everything is agreed upon, then you come back at the 11th hour and pull out. That's a duck under any circumstance.

Not only that. You talked big s**t about Wright, plus had a rehydration clause. Oh thats definitely a duck you was too scared to lose.


Same thing with Margarito. Backed out at the 11th hour. It was a lame excuse for ducking then, and the same now. The fact is he didn't fight Oscar Hatton or Cotto, instead fought Baldymir a lessor fighter for the same 8 million he would have got for Margarito.

You can't say on one hand, everybody's ducking him, when he ain't making fights with the guys that are not.