After twelve lopsided rounds (official scores 120-108, 119-109 twice) were fought between Oscar De La Hoya and former lightweight champion Steve Forbes Saturday night in front of 27,000 fans at the Home Depot Center soccer field, many questions were answered.  But the responses to those queries, De La Hoya might not like.

De La Hoya walked away with his 38th win in forty four fights, with only five defeats but was not able to add to the thirty finishes within the distance as he had hoped for.  Even though he seemed like the welterweight De La Hoya of old, he also appeared exactly that, old.

In the pre fight press, De La Hoya stated time and time again that he needed to finish this fight in a spectacular fashion so that he could put his best foot forward towards a September rematch with the pound for pound best Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Through out the fight, De La Hoya showed his intent as he tried to administer devastating power punches to the much shorter and physically smaller Forbes.  But he never seemed to land cleanly against the one of the best purveyors of the Mayweather defensive style.  It is not obvious what De La Hoya can change or improve on in the next five months for when he meets the best example of the shoulder roll tactic in Floyd Jr.

Even though the second dose of DLH-Mayweather will be for the latter’s WBC welterweight title, its significance within the division will not be much even if its viewership and popularity eclipses the true fight fan’s dream come true match up of Cotto-Margarito on July 26th. 

As for Forbes, he might have lost more than the fight which leaves him with a 33-5, 9KO ledger.  Even though one of the reason he might of decided to take the challenge of De La Hoya along with the $600K other ones might have been the exposure he received, from specially designed Tecate beer cans emblazoned with both fighter’s image, four thousand billboards across the nation and the most rated countdown show on HBO, he might of shot himself in the foot.

He might have proved to the rest of the junior welterweight division, which he plans to travel back to after swelling up to 150 lbs. to meet the “Golden Boy”, that he might be the toughest 140 pounder across the board.  Never knocked down or out, Forbes through out Saturday night was able to keep De La Hoya at bay with speed, defensive skills and over all ring smarts.  Not enough to win more than a round according to the judges but enough to survive the twelve round affair unscathed.

So why would the current title holders at 140 lbs step in the ring with Forbes unless they had to? 

By Felipe Leon, SDFights.com