Running Away With Fight Didn’t Work Out for Oscar

All the hoopla for nothing. Randy Harvey said, “De La Hoya won’t know what to do when he comes up against a challenger this strong.” Steve Springer said, “Trinidad has the power, but De La Hoya has everything else.”

Yeah, right. Both Oscar and Felix knew from the beginning who was going to win because Don King was involved. It was fixed from the get-go. I just thought Oscar’s title meant more to him.

BEA FELIX

Santa Monica

*

Oscar, you just don’t get it.

You claim you gave Felix Trinidad a boxing lesson, but the judges didn’t appreciate it, and so next time you’ll come out brawling.

No one disagrees that you boxed and won the first half of the fight; had you done that for the entire 12 rounds, you’d still be a champion today.

Here’s the real lesson: Don’t show up for a fight only to run from your opponent--fans don’t like it, judges don’t reward it, and true champions don’t do it.

JULIAN PARDO

Reseda

*

Why is it that both boxing camps are so particular about the referee in the ring, but they aren’t as particular about the judges? Where do they get these judges? Are they Olympic rejects?

Why don’t we all boycott any pay-per-view boxing matches, or any boxing matches for that matter, until we, as fans, can be assured of the following:

1. Judges will go through a grueling process to be qualified.

2. Judges will post their scores in full view of the crowd, round by round, rather than it being a complete surprise at the end of the fight.

3. Don King is banned from boxing.

LETICIA GUTIERREZ

Torrance

*

Granted Oscar De La Hoya did give away the last two rounds, but he had at least a 6-2-2 lead up to that point. Now as far as the fighting style he chose for this particular night, moving away, side to side then stopping to connect punches (and connect he did, landing more jabs and more power punches according to the final punch stats than did Trinidad), Sugar Ray Leonard used this style against Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran (second fight) and it was considered a “boxing lesson.” And now Oscar’s fighting ability and heart are suddenly in doubt?

JESSE S. LOPEZ

Whittier

*

I watched the entire fight, rooting for Felix Trinidad because I too was aware of De La Hoya’s habit of fighting has-beens and running like Hector Camacho used to. I saw De La Hoya use the same type of strategy that Leonard used to beat Hagler. Chicken style. Yes, he acquired more points than Trinidad. But finally the judges (yes, even in Vegas) actually rendered a verdict that makes a fighter have to “beat” the other guy, not just out-strategize him. This fight could be a small step in legitimizing boxing. Glad it finally happened!

RICHARD NASIM

Irvine

*

Perhaps the “fight of the millennium” will usher in a new era of deciding the winner of sporting events: Points scored in any given event will be important but not necessarily the deciding factor. For instance, the 49ers were pretty lucky to win over the Saints on Sunday. Perhaps the referees should have awarded the game to the Saints, who appeared to play the better game.

What probably needs to happen is to have the powers that be in boxing explain to us exactly how judges are taught to judge and what criteria are used to pick a winner. If the later rounds are more important than the early ones, how is that reflected in the scoring?

BILL WOODRUM

Covina

*

I think Oscar De La Hoya got his sports mixed up. Isn’t it in baseball where you “hit and run”?

NORMA CACEREZ

Glendale

*

The last time I saw that much dancing without punches being thrown, I was watching “American Bandstand.”

BRAD MILLS

Glendora