Replacing boxing’s biggest star will be no easy task. At first
glance, it seems almost impossible. The retirement on Tuesday of
Oscar De La Hoya, the Golden Boy, is like severing a pound of flesh
from the ribcage of the sport.
Replacing boxing’s biggest star will be no easy task. At first glance, it seems almost impossible. The retirement on Tuesday of Oscar De La Hoya, the Golden Boy, is like severing a pound of flesh from the ribcage of the sport.
But while some see a void that looks to be grave, or at least left empty for the foreseeable future, Gilroy’s Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, signed to De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions in December, sees a chance to seize the moment, a chance to carry the torch for the next generation of fighters.
“We got some big shoes to fill, but it can be done,” Guerrero said. “There are very few fighters who bring a shining light to the sport like Oscar. The way he went about his career, staying positive in everything, doing things for the community – that’s what I want to be doing, just like Oscar did.”
An Olympic gold medalist, 10-time world champion in six weight classes, and a businessman blessed with a wicked left hook, De La Hoya carried boxing for more than a decade by taking on all-comers, and handling himself with class in and out of the ring, win or lose.
Guerrero has had his fair share of ups and downs – a title taken by a steroid-fueled Orlando Salido, a no contest decision after being headbutted by Daud Yordan in their March 7 fight and an 11-month layoff to deal with a contractual dispute with his former promoter, all while helping his wife overcome a diagnosis of leukemia, which is now in remission – and has come out stronger. The Ghost sees a similar future for De La Hoya, who has always had a steady stream of detractors labeling him as too clean-cut, too polished, not true to the Mexican heritage that De La Hoya and Guerrero share.
“It’s not fair after all he’s accomplished,” Guerrero said. “I think he’ll be respected more retired than as a fighter. People always say you’re only as good as your last fight, but now that Oscar is going to be retired, they’re going to see all the good things he’s done and all the championships he’s won and respect him for it.”
In his last bout, De La Hoya lost a lopsided fight to Manny Pacquiao, in which his corner threw in the towel before the ninth round.
Guerrero has had his own critics of late, many of whom questioned his heart after developing a cut against Yordan which required 23 stitches, stopping the fight in the second round.
While the resumes and career spans are still too far apart for a complete comparison to be made between Guerrero (23-1-1, 16 KOs) and De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs), the way the two go about their business, and the potential Guerrero has to continue accumulating titles while moving up in weight – Guerrero has a lithe 5-foot-9, 130-pound frame – make them natural partners for the future as De La Hoya turns his attention full time to promoting his stable of fighters.
“I can be one of those fighters to take the throne, be one of those marquee fighters,” Guerrero said. “Having Golden Boy as my promoter, the opportunity is there. You just gotta take advantage of it.”
