All About Oscar
The
Golden Boy, one of the most successful boxers of all time, talks
about his controversial fight with Felix Trinidad, his future
plans, and his gay fans!
Report and photography
by Eddie Sakaki
 On February 26. 2000 Oscar de la Hoya
defeated boxer Derrell Coley with a spectacular seventh round
knockout. It was Oscar's first fight since his controversial
loss to Felix "Tito" Trinidad last September in Las
Vegas. qvMagazine talked to both Oscar de la Hoya, and his manager,
Roberto Alcazar, about Oscar's first loss and asked them their
take on what happened that night.
How do you feel about
the Trinidad fight?
"I know that a lot of people said that I didn't use enough
pressure or that I didn't throw a lot of punches, but I ask,
"What did Trinidad do?" He did nothing. Roberto Alcazar
told me that Tito's physique wasn't strong and that he walked
like Rafael Ruelas because he doesn't know how to walk in the
ring. His balance isn't right. He has a heavy hook but he is
not stronger than Ike Quartey, who I consider the most complete
boxer and who throws a lot of combinations."
Do you think that the
fight was fixed by Don King? That's what I was thinking, because whenever Don
King is involved, decisions always become controversial. I know
boxing is a business, but with this fight, the promoters were
already thinking about a rematch. It happened to Sugar Ray Leonard
and Mohammed Ali, and now it has happened to me.
Were you immediately
aware when you broke Trinidad's nose? Yes, and I knew he was going to have problems breathing.
Are you going to go
for a knockout if there's a rematch? I'm going to throw more combinations. The knockout
will come by itself.
I ask about the knockout
because there has been a lot of criticism because you didn't
try to knockout Tito. It's
the first time I'd done that in a while, and yes, there was a
lot of criticism in regards to the strategy of the fight, but
I wasn't about to change that strategy for anything. I was convinced
that I could win him at boxing. There was a lot of criticism
because I didn't remain in front of Tito to fight him, but that
wasn't the plan.
Is it true that Tito
congratulated you as soon as the fight was over? Yes, right after the fight. And
he knew, everybody knew. And when the decision was announced
(that I lost), Don King told me, "You see, you need a better
promoter."
So you were surprised
by the outcome?
Not too much because Don King came to mind.
Do you still want to
conquer seven world titles?
My career will continue, and I don't feel like I've lost. I don't
feel bad or without any desires to fight. I actually feel better
because I know I won, and I feel like fighting soon. I'm not
going to take a year off because I'm depressed. I wanted to be
voided in my boxing career, but it didn't happen. Now I am convinced
that the promoters only think about the business aspect.
(Manager Roberto Alcazar
interrupts) Who
can explain that at the end of the first four rounds, the judges
had given three to Trinidad. I figured this out after the fight.
I was completely sure that we were winning from what I saw in
the corner. We were celebrating after the sixth round.
Robert, after you started
to celebrate, what were Oscar's instructions? Well, in our minds we thought
we'd won by that time, so I wasn't interested in the last rounds.
All the rounds are evened out for points-the first one as much
as the last one. And the judges should be capable and professional
enough to give the most qualified fighter the victory.
Oscar, was Tito less
than what you expected? Yes,
a lot less. I expected a better Trinidad, and a more dangerous
one. I had studied some fights. I thought he'd be stronger and
that he would fight better.
You spoke about the
fight being fixed and many people involve you in that because
of how the last three rounds ended, how do you feel about that? I have always said that when Don
King is involved, something bad is going to happen in regards
to the decision or in regards to anything. That's the only fear
I had, not for Trinidad but rather for Don King.
 Why
didn't you just try to knock Trinidad out during the last three
rounds? Well, I
couldn't take that risk. I did it with Quartey, and he almost
knocked me out. If I had been a little more aggressive during
the last three rounds, the fight would have resulted the same
way or in a tie. I was sure during the tenth round that I had
already won six or seven rounds at least. The risk is that a
fighter is very dangerous when he's frustrated, and he can try
to knock you out.
Which name is a heavier
name Don King or Bob Arum? On
a worldwide level-Don King's. His influence is not positive and
unfortunately, in boxing there is a lot of politics and bad people.
You have to check out the Swiss bank accounts.
So nothing can be done
to Don King, right? Don
King has gone home. The judges have gone home. Of course, they
won't do anything. I don't think they will come back and change
the decision now-why now?
Do you think there should
be an organization to punish bad judges? Something has to happen there, something has to
change. It's just that boxing is controlled by Don King and promoters
with a lot of money.
So we need to change
boxing? I think
so. All the promoters see this only as a business and that's
not right. I'm happy that I fought, and I felt like I won the
fight. But the promoters are only thinking in the business and
the money. They wanted a rematch and now, of course, there will
be one. But my intentions weren't to fight him (Trinidad) again
because he didn't deserve it. I won the fight easily. If the
judges were to grant me the victory then there would be no rematch,
but because Trinidad got the victory, now I have to do the rematch.
Would you accept getting
fewer points than Tito at the rematch? Fewer no.
Out of the commentaries
that Julio Cesar Chavez made, what opinion does he owe you after
Chavez mentioned you lacked the "H" factor? His opinion doesn't matter in
regards to what happened here. I beat him twice. Now he wants
to fight Trinidad. He said it because he wants people to think
that if he were to fight Trinidad, he would face him more. But
to me his opinion doesn't matter.
What did you learn from
this fight? That
my movement and my boxing are superior to his. I know that I
had the ability to box in my legs and to be at peace in the ring.
This fight gave me the confidence to be more aggressive, to give
me more lateral movements and to combine them with more of an
attack.
With the experience
that you are gaining, when you retire from boxing, would you
like to become a promoter?
There is a possibility. I would help the fighters and take care
of them. That is what this sport needs because its standards
are getting lower and lower and it's not like it used to be.
It's just a business now.
In the midst of your
boxing career, where does your much-anticipated singing career
lie in the scheme of things? I'm doing an album of romantic ballads will be
recorded probably during my three-month rest period, but I won't
launch the album until after the rematch, after I have won my
victory over Tito Trinidad.
And lastly, your fame
is based on many things-your boxing, your celebrity, your good
looks, and more. This leads some of your gay fans to wonder if
you are gay. Just for the record-are you? No, not at all. And I don't mean that in a bad
way. I respect the whole world. I am not gay, but I do have a
lot of gay fans-and I am grateful to all of them for the support
they have always given me in my career.
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