Boxing: Another dream dies with fall of De la Hoya
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.For those of us who dream of a new Ali or Sugar Ray Leonard or Roberto Duran, someone to again make us reach for the superlatives at ringside, the defeat of Oscar de la Hoya at the weekend was still another blow.
When Shane Mosley first beat him we learned, of course, that he wasn't quite the man we had hoped he would be. But he still had a little stardust, and his feet still moved as beautifully as those of a fearless, classic matador.
Now he must be reluctantly consigned to the company of all those others who in the last few years have tried but failed to re-animate the old square ring.
One man who would not have been too surprised is Jake "The Raging Bull" La Motta, who was encountered in PJ Clark's bar on a rainy night in New York.
De la Hoya was being built to the stars at the time, and with an interview with the new messiah already secured, it was considered an idea to get La Motta's verdict.
After a considerable wait - La Motta was drinking whiskey and entertaining a young blonde lady at least 30 years his younger - it was possible to put the big question. How would the young Los Angeleno have ranked in his day?
"Oh, around eight or nine," said La Motta.
"Pound for pound?" he was asked.
"Hell, no," he said. "In the welterweights."
Thin days, indeed.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments