Oscar dela Hoya: A good fighting blood

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

IT was the evening of November 25, 2006 when I personally met for the first time the illustrious and universally celebrated boxer Oscar dela Hoya, the top honcho of the well-known boxing promotion group called “Golden Boy Promotions.”

I met him at Dodge Arena, Hidalgo, Texas during the post-fight press conference of world champion Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez and Filipino Jimrex Jaca.

Salven Lagumbay of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and I—representing this paper—were the only two Filipino media men who covered that unforgettable World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight clash wherein the legendary Chicano Marquez demolished the Cebuano knockout artist Jaca in the ninth round.

And I recall that before the press conference ended, my cousin Dagoberto Garcia Soto unabashedly butted in and, pointing his finger at me, told the mucho guwapo Dela Hoya that my father was a Mexican and my mother was a Filipina.

Dela Hoya politely stared at me with smile and said, “Ooh, you have a good fighting blood.”

I was flattered by what Dela Hoya said, the compliment coming from a boxing legend himself. It made me feel so proud to have a mixed Mexican and Filipino genes.

And if my reading of his words is accurate, what the 1992 Barcelona Olympic gold medalist Dela Hoya really meant was, a mixed blood of Mexican and Filipino makes a true warrior inside the ring. But I guess he also meant that being one of the very few Fil-Mex breeds, I should have been a boxer during my younger days. Remember, one of the favorite sports of the Mexicans is boxing, and I got that. Like my good friend Jun Velasco and my dos compadres Al Mendoza and Recah Trinidad, boxing is our second most loved sport. My first, of course, is cycling. And I believe I got my  passion  for cycling from my Spanish lineage on the father side.

And I also believe that this was the big reason why the Golden Boy Promotions organized the Philippines versus Mexico battle, dubbed as “Boxing World Cup” held last August 12 at Sacramento, California.

Five of our six well-known pugilists were victorious, clinching the huge and prestigious trophy and the purse worth $500,000.

Dela Hoya himself will reportedly personally bring the trophy to the Philippines in Malacanang with our triumphant boxers.

And there’s also another plan to hold a Philippines versus Mexico Part II world boxing encounter. And if that concept pushes through, I wish it will be staged here, then maybe we can go to Mexico for the third.

I like to watch it, my blood mates competing with each other.

I’m lucky I have these warrior genes. And I credit those genes for my success in the field of two-wheels.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/sports-eye/)

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