Well fans, Saturday night ushered in a new era in boxing. The mask was torn off and if there was any doubt left as to who and what ran our beloved
sport, we got our an$wer. The story of the overachieving underdog may become a thing of the past; the stories of heart, blood, sweat, tears and
determination finally paying off for some down and outer may come even less often then they do now. Instead it will be the story of the established
but fading legend who wandered around the ring in a trance like state, performing at one of the lowest levels of his illustrious career while coming
in flabby and seemingly sleepwalking around the ring for 12 rounds, knowing full well he will just have to last the distance to get the win, because
what is at stake is a multi-million dollar pay-per-view blockbuster extravaganza and nobody on the inside is going to rock the boat. You know, a month
ago you may have been saying that's just a conspiracy theory and that I am paranoid. But now it is becoming more and more evident that the best
fighter does not always win, but the most marketable fighter. Just ask Felix Sturm and Oscar De La Hoya.
Saturday I watched De La Hoya get outworked by a bigger, younger fighter with an excellent jab, and still win the fight! Do you want to know what the
worst part is? I never expected him to lose. Even though I had him losing on my scorecard at home, I knew there was no way he would be called the
loser that night for one reason: to line his pockets and the pockets of every greedy promoter and manager around him. It is that kind of helplessness,
hopelessness, and disappointment that made me believe that this truly is a crossroads type of event for our sport.