De La Hoya: Pacquiao, Cotto, Margarito … anyone!
The Golden Boy willing to face anyone in grand finale

By Francisco Salazar
Photography by Chris Cozzone
- FightWireImages.com

While the boxing world will be fixated at the upcoming battle this weekend, between welterweight champions Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, one man will have an invested interest in the bout.

Oscar De La Hoya will not be particularly cheering for either fighter, but one of them could potentially be the opponent for De La Hoya’s last fight in December.

December 6th, 2008 is slowly approaching and De La Hoya is in need of an opponent to face in his grand finale. Just about anybody weighing 135 to 160 pounds would be willing to fight De La Hoya for a sizeable payday. However, De La Hoya does not want an easy pushover in his last bout.

So, it could be Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito. Or Sergio Mora or Felix Trinidad.

Or Manny Pacquiao.

Recently, trainer Freddie Roach made comments to the effect that Pacquiao would easily defeat De La Hoya if the two were to meet in December. However, Roach, who trained De La Hoya when the Golden Boy faced Floyd Mayweather, was chided by Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum.

Still, it is not a bout that De La Hoya would turn down.

“There is a possibility of a fight with Manny Pacquiao,” said De La Hoya, who was, both, praised and criticized in his 12-round decision victory over Steve Forbes in May at the Home Depot Center.

“In his bout with David Diaz, I expected him to win. He brought speed and strength. I feel that he needs another bout with (Juan Manuel) Marquez. The bout with David Diaz did not sell the way they thought it would.

“Does Pacquiao need Marquez? Absolutely.”

If the Pacquiao does not work out, De La Hoya does not name a particular fighter he would prefer to face come December.

“I told Richard Schaefer to get me the biggest fight possible,” says De La Hoya. “Whoever it is, that is who we want. There is no particular fighter. Sergio Mora is a possibility. The winner of the Cotto-Margarito fight would be a great way to end my career. There is a lot of options. I am willing to fight whomever.”

Months ago, Sergio Mora was not even mentioned in the same breath as the fighters aforementioned. But after he pulled off an upset victory over former world champion Vernon Forrest to win the WBC super welterweight title, Mora’s name is now in the mix.

Although De La Hoya has not fought at the welterweight limit since a 2001 bout against Arturo Gatti, he says he could face his fellow East L.A. rival. At a recent book signing in Los Angeles, Mora even waited in line to have De La Hoya sign a copy of his latest book.

A bout with two East L.A. fighters in a venue like Staples Center, the Home Depot Center, or even Dodger Stadium, is something that De La Hoya has warmed up to.

“Having two L.A. guys at Dodger Stadium would be bigger than a Cotto fight,” says De La Hoya. “It would be an L.A. thing to have 55,000 people. That would be amazing. It all goes back to Richard (Schaefer) doing his homework and seeing if that is the biggest possible fight for me.”

Originally, De La Hoya wanted three final bouts in 2008—but now he will have to settle for two.

After his victory over Forbes, De La Hoya was eyeing a September 20th rematch against Mayweather—he’d even enlisted the services of Floyd Mayweather, Sr., who was not in the corner of De La Hoya when he faced Mayweather Jr.

“I am disappointed because I really wanted the three bouts for 2008,” says De La Hoya.

“When he [Mayweather] retired, it derailed my plans. Now, it’s just two fights. That’s it. It is very disappointing because you hear about how fighters train hard.”

In a jab at Mayweather, De La Hoya predicted that the now-former pound-for-pound king will come back to boxing.

“Why did he do what he did? I hope he figures it out,” says the Golden Boy. “It’s sad because a lot of fighters do not plan for retirement, or they retire young and then they come back. They do not think before they retire.

“I hope he stays retired. But, I know one thing: Floyd will come back!”

In regard to his own retirement, De La Hoya makes it clear that December 6th will be the last time fight fans will see him as a professional fighter inside the ring.

“This will be my last fight,” he says. “There is no doubt about it.”