Let me post a disclaimer right at the outset...I am by no means a boxing guru.
Tonight's PPV (which, IMO, is hardly worth ordering..I'll just try and suffer the fools at one of the Yahoo chat rooms with audio) is essentially a three hour infomercial for Hopkins/De La Hoya in September.
Did anyone REALLY think Hopkins was going to pull out? It's a classic tactic used by promoters/boxers when interest in slagging to get their names back in the press. Tyson's fight with Etienne was a joke until he got tattooed and threatened to pull out. All of a sudden it was front page news.
It's impossible to believe that the two opponents selected by their respective scouts pose any viable threat whatsoever to either fighter. Hopkins beat Allen before, and I don't see where Allen was chasing greatness afterwards.
But to the point: The only reason I can see for the great price on a De La Hoya KO (-110 at OLY) is the fact that Sturm is undefeated and Oscar is climbing back up in weight.
To the first reason: how hard is it to amass a nice record when you've got it loaded with such legends as Tony Ivory (25-58), Mario Lupp (6-35), and Anton LAscek (4-24)? Sturm only began fighting guys with winning records in 2003, and now he's ready for De La Hoya?
The same De La Hoya that put Arturro Gatti and Fernando Vargas on queer street?
Sturm was picked for a very specific reason: to make Oscar look like a threat at 160. And he'll perform as expected. This fight will not go the distance. What Oscar will lose in speed he will make up for in power.
On an otherwise unplayable fight, I'd take De La Hoya by KO/TKO for -110. He might do it early, might do it late, but he'll do it.
Tonight's PPV (which, IMO, is hardly worth ordering..I'll just try and suffer the fools at one of the Yahoo chat rooms with audio) is essentially a three hour infomercial for Hopkins/De La Hoya in September.
Did anyone REALLY think Hopkins was going to pull out? It's a classic tactic used by promoters/boxers when interest in slagging to get their names back in the press. Tyson's fight with Etienne was a joke until he got tattooed and threatened to pull out. All of a sudden it was front page news.
It's impossible to believe that the two opponents selected by their respective scouts pose any viable threat whatsoever to either fighter. Hopkins beat Allen before, and I don't see where Allen was chasing greatness afterwards.
But to the point: The only reason I can see for the great price on a De La Hoya KO (-110 at OLY) is the fact that Sturm is undefeated and Oscar is climbing back up in weight.
To the first reason: how hard is it to amass a nice record when you've got it loaded with such legends as Tony Ivory (25-58), Mario Lupp (6-35), and Anton LAscek (4-24)? Sturm only began fighting guys with winning records in 2003, and now he's ready for De La Hoya?
The same De La Hoya that put Arturro Gatti and Fernando Vargas on queer street?
Sturm was picked for a very specific reason: to make Oscar look like a threat at 160. And he'll perform as expected. This fight will not go the distance. What Oscar will lose in speed he will make up for in power.
On an otherwise unplayable fight, I'd take De La Hoya by KO/TKO for -110. He might do it early, might do it late, but he'll do it.
