Here is the video link I'm referring to was a fan gathering prior to the Victor Ortiz-Marcos Maidana bout earlier this year.

 

Oscar De la Hoya has been known as the face of boxing not only during but especially since the retirement of heavyweight juggernaut, "Iron" Mike Tyson. The "Golden Boy" has been a Pay-Per-View superstar for as long as I can remember and always made for the biggest "events" within the sport over the past decade or so.

 

To compare the popularity of De la Hoya to anybody within boxing today, including Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao is absurd. Oscar was a true celebrity boxer that created a fan following everywhere he went. The women adored him and most of the men despised him.

 

It seems as though in retirement, the Oscar hatred hasn't died down one bit as fans across the world seemingly boo rather than cheer when his name is announced. From what I hear, some crazed maniac took a swing at De la Hoya in San Jose following the HBO triple-header that had James Kirkland as the headliner.

 

This is why it perplexes me as to why people seem to truly despise Oscar and leads me to ask the questions...

 

Does it still stem from his two victories over Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.?

 

Is it due to the fact that instead of having fought the then red hot Mexican slugger in Antonio Margarito, he opted for a "freak show" bout against Manny Pacquiao?

 

Perhaps it's because not only did he lose against the "Pacman" but he also broke the one and only "Mexican" boxing rule... never quit?

 

Is it because of his seemingly "fake", predictable persona?

 

Do fight fans really think he quit or took a dive against Bernard Hopkins?

 

Was it from the boring affair that was De la Hoya-Mayweather... The World is Waiting?

 

What about those pictures he took in women's clothing a little while back?

 

 

I've never truly been a huge fan of the "Golden Boy". It was nothing personal or nationalistic. It was simply that his on-camera persona just wasn't really something I could ever relate to. As strictly a fight fan, his career defining performance came against the utlimate villian in "Ferocious" Fernando Vargas in what I felt was truly an exciting bout worthy of living up to the hype. Unfortunately, in most other instances, "Golden Boy" events lacked the drama or the ferocity of an Erik Morales or Arturo Gatti-type of affair.

 

It is indeed a bit amusing as to the way this fight fan berated Oscar stating, "Marquez is not gonna quit like De la Hoya... Ahhhh!"

 

On the other hand, it's another example of why celebrated athletes, especially boxers are not so quick to embrace the public spot light as it can be downright brutal at times. Imagine that you give half your life to a sport most men would not dare to try and still... in retirement, fight fans ridicule you and sling mud right in your face.

 

What do you guys think is the reason for all the hatred towards Oscar?

 

This is why we have a comments section...