Oscar De La Hoya was Boxing's Biggest Earner

The pending retirement from boxing by Oscar De La Hoya would leave a massive gap in the financial workings of the sport and in the amount and quality of public attention given to the sport. For better or worse, an Oscar De La Hoya boxing match was an event. It brought out the celebrities and the major media outlets, and millions of fans routinely tuned in at steep prices just for a glimpse.

The lights shined their brightest on the sport when Oscar De La Hoya was involved in a major fight. This not only lined his pockets, but provided opportunities for many other fighters not just for one big payday, but for a shot at establishing themselves as major household names. Fighting the Golden Boy was akin discovering a Golden Egg under your pillow the next morning. All of the sudden the public knew you and wanted to see more of you.

Taking heavyweights out of the picture, all of the financial records and milestones in boxing belong to Oscar De La Hoya. The biggest live gates, largest pay-per-view audiences, total revenues earned for fights and for an entire career. Oscar De La Hoya has almost single-handedly kept boxing in the mainstream's focal point, even if only for passing moments. So what happens if Oscar De La Hoya retires?

With the UFC on the rise, who will Replace Oscar De La Hoya when he Retires?

Unfortunately for the sport of boxing, there is a lack of maj or names available. Floyd Mayweather Jr., who went from pound for pound king to major American commodity after this win over De La Hoya is in his own retirement, however short lived that may end up being. Current stars Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao have their careers winding down. HBO's anointed saviors, Jermain Taylor and Miguel Cotto, are both on the comeback trail after shattering losses. Arturo Gatti, while never a top level boxer, was the ultra popular "blood and guts warrior", and fittingly was beaten into retirement.

Then there is the dismal heavyweight scene, where a 46 year old Evander Holyfield can still manage to be a viable opponent against pathetic European counterparts. The best two heavyweights in the world, the Klitschko brothers, have vowed never to fight each other and the best American prospects hardly seem up to the task of being great fighters.

So who will rise up and carry on the torch as the stars of the next generation of boxing? Because of a lack of attention and a lack of quality prospects, Olympic boxers are no longer guaranteed fame and attention from the American public.

Oscar De La Hoya's Retirement will Leave A Void

I could easily provide to you a list of the best prospects in the sport and the best champions who toil in relative obscurity today. But a list of the future stars in boxing? It's hard foreseeing many boxers becoming megastars in the way that Oscar De La Hoya was in today's climate of sports and entertainment.

While the retirement of Oscar De La Hoya leaves a void in stardom for the sport, it was the career of Oscar De La Hoya itself as well as poor decisions from television outlets such as HBO that left boxing without a replacement star. So much attention was paid to big names like De La Hoya, so much money handed out and so many television dates reserved, that rising prospects and talented fighters haven't received nearly enough exposure.

While I have always said that boxing and the UFC - which has its own problems - can coexist and help each other thrive, as a hardcore boxing fan, you have to be worried for the sport's future. It will never see its demise, there wi ll always be fans and televised fights and great fighters. But as ESPN and other outlets already shift their focus more toward the UFC, the lack of a major star in boxing could lead to still less exposure in mainstream outlets.

It's unfortunately a perpetuating cycle of less and less fan interest and public attention. A lack of big stars prevents big stars from being made which results in even less big stars and...

So when Oscar De La Hoya retires, whether now or in a year from now, who will take his place?

This article was also published by Jake Emen on Associated Content.

The Reasons for Floyd Mayweather's Retirement

Mayweather's retirement drew much skepticism, not just for whether or not it would last but for the true reasons behind it. Some felt that Mayweather was merely biding his time, in Sugar Ray Leonard-esque fashion, to keep the rest of us guessing and anticipating his return. Others felt that Mayweather, a boxer since he could stand up on his own two feet, was tired of the sport and was completely secure with his legacy and accomplishments within it.

Still, many boxing fans felt that Mayweather was avoiding showdowns with some of the larger fighters in the welterweight division, fighters he would have had to have faced eventually if he was active. Fighters like Antonio Margarito and Paul Williams. Mayweather was also accused of avoiding Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley, despite the fact that at one point or another, Mayweather made offers to fight both of these men.

Who Would Floyd Mayweather Come out of Retirement to Fight?

If Floyd Mayweather were to return from his retirement to compete once again he would come back to an altered boxing landscape. The man seen as his career defining opponent, Miguel Cotto, lost his undefeated record in painful fashion to Antonio Margarito. Meanwhile, a new pound for pound champion emerged, dominating fighters in crowd pleasing fashion.

That man is Manny Pacquiao, and he bested Oscar De La Hoya in a far more destructive and enjoyable manner than Mayweather did with his ho-hum unanimous decision. A fight with Manny Pacquiao would be the logical choice for Mayweather, not only for financial reasons, but based on the match-up itself. The two most recent pound for pound champions squaring off, one a tremendously skilled defensive tactician and boxer, the other an offensive, come forward and brawl dynamo.

The match certainly sells it itself, and Mayweather's chances of success in the bout would be high. Manny Pacquiao has been out-boxed and contained by smaller and less skilled men than Floyd Mayweather. However, Pacquiao has both muscled up and improved his tactics since his last official loss (most observers felt Juan Manuel Marquez deserved the decision in their second match) and would have a speed advantage.

Also in Manny Pacquiao's favor would be the ring rust that Mayweather could possibly have after being out of the ring for such an extended time. Pacquiao would certainly be able to keep Mayweather out of his comfort zone in the early going. The question would be whether or not he would be able to maintain that, or if Mayweather would calmly figure him out and begin dissecting him, as he has done in the past against the likes of Zab Judah, Ricky Hatton and many others.

So will Floyd Mayweather stay Retired?

Mayweather has remained firm in his stance that he is indeed retired and the retirement is permanent. However, there have been rumors in a variety of outlets that Mayweather is already back into training and is simply biding his time to pick his return opponenet. Besides Manny Pacquiao, there would be the winner of the Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto rematch, or Shane Mosley if he were to beat the odds in his upcoming match against Margarito.

For our sakes, let's hope that Mayweather does return from his retirement. A Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao battle would make for a great night of boxing, and there is still unfinished business in the welterweight division that could turn Mayweather from a generational great to an all-time great.

This article by Jake Emen was also published on Associated Content.