- 6 hours ago
Pernell Whitaker defends his WBC Welterweight Title against Oscar De La Hoya on TVKO HBO PPV.
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00:00:00He told to us that he has already fought Oscar De La Hoya at least 100 times and has won
00:00:06every fight in his dreams.
00:00:09Well, tonight it is for real.
00:00:11And Oscar De La Hoya, who has maintained a demeanor of calm and poise,
00:00:15has indicated that he's got more than enough power to put Pernell Whitaker back to sleep
00:00:20so that he, Oscar De La Hoya, can continue on his march to greatness.
00:00:25And to set the stage for this main event, let's take you back downstairs to Jim Lantley.
00:00:30All right, thank you very much, James Brown.
00:00:32And with me, three-division world's idolist Roy Jones.
00:00:35James alluded to the difference in demeanor between the two fighters coming into the big event.
00:00:39Once again, I'll tell you, Oscar De La Hoya, quiet, almost past the turn,
00:00:44not nearly as gregarious as Whitaker, who was all but climbing the walls yesterday
00:00:48in his excitement to get into the ring.
00:00:50You make anything of that?
00:00:51Yeah. Oscar De La Hoya is just ready to get down to business.
00:00:54He's had enough of the questions, the interviews.
00:00:57He wants to go out and prove this point.
00:00:58He doesn't want to second-guess himself.
00:01:00He doesn't need time for that.
00:01:02Whitaker, on the other hand, knows this atmosphere.
00:01:05He hasn't seen this in about three years, so he really is dying to get back in the ring.
00:01:09He is dying for all of this attention.
00:01:11He is dying to get the stage one more time to prove that he's the best welterweight alive.
00:01:17And let's see if he can regain the skills he showed that September night in 1993
00:01:21against Julio Cesar Chavez, up to now the greatest performance of Purnell Whitaker's career.
00:01:27Larry Merchant, a last chance for perspective before the big event begins.
00:01:31What, in the overall world of boxing, does it all mean?
00:01:34Well, it occurs to me that, as in Hollywood, where when they're asked,
00:01:38what is the story of this movie about, the response usually is, it's about the stars in it.
00:01:45And this is about the stars.
00:01:48Purnell Whitaker is a fixed star in the boxing firmament.
00:01:52He's done it all and more.
00:01:54Oscar De La Hoya is the pale bop comet of the moment.
00:01:59Brilliant, brilliant, dashing, but he still isn't a fixed star,
00:02:04and that's what he's trying to do, fix his place in boxing here tonight.
00:02:09I'm looking forward to seeing, as an old astronomy buff, Jim, to see how it all works.
00:02:15It's a concept that works for me.
00:02:17All right, let's see if this works for you.
00:02:19I have a feeling it won't, incidentally.
00:02:22Two musical selections to begin before the big fight.
00:02:25One, a non-national anthem Mexican selection to honor De La Hoya's Mexican-American roots.
00:02:31And then, the stars and stripes.
00:02:33Let's go to Michael Buffer.
00:02:35Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please.
00:02:38At this time, a special presentation from Oscar De La Hoya,
00:02:42a tribute to his Mexican heritage.
00:02:45Here to perform, Sangria Caliente, Mariachi Reganel Ranchero.
00:02:51and Sharon Sharon.
00:02:53Yes, Larry's still on the stairs.
00:02:57Jim and Roy are going to the chair.
00:02:59Larry's on the stairs.
00:03:00Larry's on the stairs.
00:03:03Go ahead.
00:03:03He won't land.
00:03:09Go.
00:03:11Ready, Paul?
00:03:14Great.
00:03:15Let's go ahead.
00:03:16Go ahead.
00:03:17Go ahead.
00:03:18Larry's on the next.
00:03:20Go ahead.
00:03:41You know guys, it really doesn't make any difference
00:03:44what kind of music they play before a fight.
00:03:47But I'd like to remind you and everyone out there
00:03:49that both Pernell Whitaker and Oscar De La Hoya
00:03:53are born and bred Americans.
00:03:57This is a gesture to the great American,
00:04:00the great Mexican fight fans who support the promoter,
00:04:03but in a way it slights the fans of the champion
00:04:06whose title is at stake, Pernell Whitaker.
00:04:09In other words, in my view, as wonderful as this music is,
00:04:13and it is, in this setting, it sucks.
00:04:22Unless they follow it with some soul music,
00:04:25which I don't think they will.
00:04:29Oh, I don't know.
00:04:30I think the Star Spangled Banner is fairly soulful.
00:04:49This is a marketing ploy,
00:04:51using music to get Mexican fans, not Mexican-Americans,
00:04:58but Mexican fans to support De La Hoya.
00:05:11Tommy Hearns at ringside.
00:05:14September of 1981, the last welterweight bout of this significance.
00:05:19That man, 14 spirited rounds with Sugar Ray Leonard.
00:05:35I've just gotten word, Jim,
00:05:37that the odds on the fight have dropped,
00:05:41where De La Hoya was about a 17-5 favorite,
00:05:45a little bit more than 3-1.
00:05:47Apparently some late money on Whitaker.
00:05:50People just couldn't resist those numbers.
00:05:54It's down now to about 13-5 or 14-5.
00:05:58Still in favor of the challenger.
00:06:05Well, it was fascinating.
00:06:07For months, you couldn't find anybody
00:06:10who would pick Whitaker to win the fight,
00:06:12and last night they were all over the place.
00:06:22National Anthem will come from Huey Lewis and the News.
00:06:40Huey almost certainly coming off a golf course.
00:06:42Huey Lewis, his natural habitat in the daylight hours.
00:06:49Windy day in Vegas.
00:06:52Huey may have had to keep the ball low today.
00:06:55Here to perform, our National Anthem
00:06:59is one of our national treasures.
00:07:02Here is Huey Lewis and the News.
00:07:18Oh, say can you see
00:07:23By the dawn's early light
00:07:27What so proudly we hailed
00:07:33At the twilight's last gleaming
00:07:38Whose broad stripes and bright stars
00:07:42Through the perilous fight
00:07:47O'er the ramparts we watched
00:07:52Were so gallantly streaming
00:07:57And the rocket's red glare
00:08:02The bombs bursting in air
00:08:07Gave proof through the night
00:08:12That our flag was still there
00:08:17Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
00:08:30O'er the land of the free
00:08:38And the home of the brave
00:09:00And the home of the brave
00:09:05Hilton and said
00:09:06De La Hoya with a four-inch height advantage
00:09:08De La Hoya with a four-inch reach advantage
00:09:11The Nevada Athletic Commission
00:09:13Has weighed both fighters
00:09:14In their dressing rooms tonight
00:09:15And fairly surprisingly
00:09:18Whitaker tonight weighs 157 pounds
00:09:21Ten and a half pounds
00:09:22More than at yesterday's weigh-in
00:09:23De La Hoya only 151
00:09:26You make anything of that, Roy?
00:09:28No, it's just that Whitaker probably came down
00:09:30From a heavier weight class
00:09:31Because Whitaker is older
00:09:33His body's matured more
00:09:34And I'm sure he's carrying more weight
00:09:36On an everyday basis
00:09:37Than De La Hoya
00:09:39On stat numbers, Larry
00:09:41These numbers were taken from
00:09:43Two fights in recent years
00:09:46That really meant something
00:09:47To both fighters
00:09:48For De La Hoya
00:09:49That was against Chavez
00:09:51And Gonzalez in his last fight
00:09:53And for Whitaker
00:09:54It was the rematches
00:09:55With Rivera and McGirt
00:09:57And you can see
00:09:58That Whitaker
00:09:59Was throwing more punches
00:10:01Than De La Hoya
00:10:02De La Hoya landing a high
00:10:03Higher percentage
00:10:04You take a look at the jabs here now
00:10:07And you can see that once again
00:10:09Higher percentage for De La Hoya
00:10:11More thrown by Whitaker
00:10:12Whitaker will have to keep that active
00:10:15To be good in this fight
00:10:18Rules of the bout
00:10:19With America's scorer
00:10:21Harold Letterman
00:10:22Okay, Jim, they're changing this one
00:10:23The Perno, Whitaker
00:10:24Oscar De La Hoya
00:10:25Is scheduled for 12 rounds
00:10:27There is no standing eight count
00:10:29No three knockdown rule
00:10:30Only the referee can stop the fight
00:10:32And he can be saved by the bell
00:10:33In the 12th and final round only
00:10:35Jim
00:10:37A largely pro De La Hoya crowd
00:10:40As the challenger
00:10:41He'll come out first
00:10:42And get ready for this crowd
00:10:45In the Thomas and Mack center
00:10:46To blow the lid off for Oscar
00:11:16journey to Mike
00:11:18To get ready for the
00:11:25All business, as has been the case through the early stages of his professional career.
00:11:33Remember, gold medal in Barcelona, 1992, 23 pro fights, 23 wins, 20 KOs.
00:11:41World Championships at 135 and 140. Now he tries for another one at 147 and Pernell Whitaker stalls to try
00:11:52to put the pressure on Delahoya.
00:11:57Shouldn't put any pressure on Delahoya because Delahoya has waited long enough. He's waited all this time, so what is
00:12:04a few more minutes going to hurt?
00:12:13La Hora de la Hoya, the hour of Delahoya, or is it the hour of Sweet Pea Whitaker?
00:12:40No!
00:12:43Yeah!
00:13:27The crowd says no, the face says yes.
00:13:31Brunel Whitaker demonstrating with his body language.
00:13:33He believes these moments belong to him.
00:13:36The professional record, 40 wins.
00:13:38The one loss to Jose Luis Ramirez, an obvious bogus decision, later avenged.
00:13:44The draw with Chavez obviously should have been a victory for Whitaker.
00:13:48Brunel likes to say, I haven't lost a fight since my last amateur defeat 16 years ago.
00:13:56Let's go to Michael Buffer.
00:14:00Ladies and gentlemen, from Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada,
00:14:04Bob Arum's Top Rank Incorporated, along with your undisputed, undefeated King of Beers, Budweiser.
00:14:13This Bud's for you.
00:14:14In association with Main Events Monitors presents 12 rounds of boxing for the Welterweight Championship of the World.
00:14:26This battle is sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
00:14:30Chairman, Dr. Elias Conum.
00:14:32Commissioners, Nat Carasali, Lorenzo Fertitta, Luther Mack, and Dr. James Nade.
00:14:39Executive Director, Mark Ratner.
00:14:41Physicians in attendance at ringside are Dr. Flip Homansky, Dr. James Wishgame,
00:14:46Dr. Al Capana, and Dr. Charles Signorino.
00:14:50The timekeepers at the bell and counting for the knockdown seconds are Jane Broadfoot and Mike Lachella.
00:14:56This bout is also sanctioned by the World Boxing Council.
00:15:00President, Jose Suleiman.
00:15:02WBC Supervisor at ringside, John Morris.
00:15:06The three judges scoring this bout on a 10-point must system are Chuck Jampa,
00:15:13Jerry Roth, and Dalby Shirley.
00:15:15And when the bell rings, your referee in charge of the action, Mills Lane.
00:15:25And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the thousands in attendance here in Las Vegas,
00:15:30and the millions watching around the world,
00:15:34this is it.
00:15:36The battle for pound for pound, the best fighter in the world.
00:15:41From the site where legends are made, Caesar's Palace.
00:15:46Ladies and gentlemen,
00:15:51let's get ready to rumble!
00:16:01Introducing first, fighting out of the red corner,
00:16:04wearing red and weighing 146 and one-half pounds.
00:16:09In 1992, he won Olympic gold in Barcelona,
00:16:14and since becoming a professional,
00:16:15he has a perfect record of 23 consecutive victories without a loss.
00:16:2120 by knockout!
00:16:23And he has won three world titles.
00:16:26Tonight, he is the challenger.
00:16:28Ladies and gentlemen,
00:16:30Amos y Caballeros from East L.A.
00:16:33Here is the Golden Boy,
00:16:36the three-time world champion,
00:16:39and reigning WBC super lightweight champion of the world,
00:16:46the undefeated Oscar De La Hoya!
00:17:00And across the ring,
00:17:02his opponent fighting out of the blue corner,
00:17:04wearing a lavender trim with black,
00:17:06and weighing also 146 and one-half pounds.
00:17:11In 1984,
00:17:13he captured Olympic gold in Los Angeles,
00:17:16and as a professional,
00:17:18his record stands at 40 victories with one defeat and one draw,
00:17:23and 17 of his victories are by knockout.
00:17:26Since 1989,
00:17:28he has won six world title belts without a loss
00:17:33from Norfolk, Virginia,
00:17:35presenting the four-time world champion
00:17:38and reigning pound for pound king,
00:17:42the defending welterweight champion of the world,
00:17:48Bernal Sweet Pea Whittaker!
00:17:54That's you, baby!
00:17:55That's you!
00:17:55That's you!
00:17:55That's you, baby!
00:17:56That's you!
00:17:57That's you, baby!
00:18:00That's you!
00:18:01Put this up.
00:18:08All right.
00:18:09All right.
00:18:10Whitaker.
00:18:11Bernal.
00:18:14All right, gentlemen,
00:18:15we've gone through all the instructions in the dressing room.
00:18:17This is for the championship of the world.
00:18:20I expect a tough, clean fight.
00:18:22Protect yourself at all times.
00:18:24Any questions from the challenger?
00:18:27The champion?
00:18:28Let's get it on!
00:18:29What's it like to do with Whitaker?
00:18:31Whitaker thinks he can frustrate and then do things
00:18:34that De La Hoya never done to him before.
00:18:37De La Hoya believes that basically he can walk through the smaller Whitaker.
00:18:42One of them is right,
00:18:44and we're about to find out which one it is.
00:18:47If he walks through Whitaker, he will surprise Roy.
00:18:53One final fascinating piece of body language.
00:18:56De La Hoya refusing even to glance at Whitaker,
00:18:59even during the referee's instructions when they stood
00:19:02two feet away from each other,
00:19:04more or less face to face.
00:19:05De La Hoya looking upward in what I take to be a tribute
00:19:09to his deceased mother.
00:19:20When I see Whitaker's going to work the jab,
00:19:22I try to work Oscar's body early.
00:19:25There have been three clinches in the first 30 seconds,
00:19:31indicating again that Whitaker is going to try to frustrate
00:19:34the younger fighter.
00:19:35Whitaker showing the jab early and lateral movement.
00:19:38He jabs twice, moves to his right,
00:19:41jabs three times, moves to his right.
00:19:43De La Hoya not yet finding a chance to throw a combination.
00:19:47Tentative right hand by De La Hoya there.
00:19:48He sticks the jab without a lot of conviction.
00:19:51Why's the hands in there? Come on.
00:19:53Hey, hey, hey, hey.
00:19:54Remember, in the early rounds against Miguel Angel Gonzalez,
00:19:57De La Hoya looked as though he wanted to take Gonzalez's head off
00:19:59with the jab.
00:20:00He hasn't thrown one of those laser shots yet.
00:20:04There's the first left hook,
00:20:05and Whitaker partially blocked it with his shoulder.
00:20:10And the gabs.
00:20:17It's going to be awfully hard,
00:20:18as Roy Jones pointed out earlier,
00:20:21for De La Hoya to land the left hook.
00:20:35Whitaker's doing a small thing by using his jab,
00:20:37and attacking Oscar first.
00:21:02Right hand punches in close by De La Hoya.
00:21:05He's going to have to use the right hand to win the fight,
00:21:08and you saw him doubling up with it there.
00:21:10Now a right hand lead by De La Hoya.
00:21:14Good body shot by Pernell Whitaker.
00:21:22Southpaw against conventional fighter.
00:21:24It's always fascinating to see which man will appear to be comfortable
00:21:28with the style confrontation first.
00:21:30And so far in this round, if anybody appears comfortable, it's Whitaker.
00:21:34Because he's done it so many times over and over again.
00:21:43The first surprise here is that Whitaker has been probably a little bit more the aggressor
00:21:48than De La Hoya.
00:21:53Carrying with each other as round one comes to a close.
00:21:56When we go to Oscar De La Hoya's corner,
00:21:59where trainer Jesus Rivero speaks Spanish,
00:22:02our interpreter is Ray Torres.
00:22:09You need to use that weight.
00:22:11You need to be moving.
00:22:15Don't get too close to him.
00:22:23Don't be standing up too high.
00:22:26Take a step backwards.
00:22:31You're standing too tall.
00:22:33You've got to move your waist.
00:22:40You've got to faint.
00:22:46There you see the father of Oscar De La Hoya yelling instructions to his son.
00:22:52His son often looks back to see what his father thinks of what's happening.
00:22:58Joel De La Hoya, the man who first got Oscar into boxing when he was five and a half years
00:23:02old.
00:23:02In round one, by CompuBox Numbers,
00:23:07Brunel Whitaker's southpaw stance nullified De La Hoya's jab.
00:23:10De La Hoya landing only one of 14 jabs in the round.
00:23:13And that speaks to the Whitaker camp strategy, Larry,
00:23:17of taking away Oscar De La Hoya's dominant left side.
00:23:20Yep.
00:23:23If a team can beat you with the passing game, you try to take it away and make them throw,
00:23:28beat you with the running game.
00:23:29He's trying to take away the strength of De La Hoya,
00:23:32which up until this point in his career has been that rapier left hand.
00:23:39Whitaker getting low and peaking up at De La Hoya,
00:23:42trying to keep his head and body moving side to side to stay away from De La Hoya
00:23:46while he tries to bob up toward punching opportunities.
00:23:51Hard right hand to the body by De La Hoya.
00:23:54Whitaker comes back to the straight left.
00:24:02You can see that De La Hoya is much more robotic
00:24:11than Whitaker, who improvises.
00:24:14Good counter by De La Hoya.
00:24:15Good counter right hand by De La Hoya.
00:24:17Misses with the left hook.
00:24:19Follows, lands a couple straight right hands.
00:24:21Smiles as Whitaker clowns a little bit for the crowd.
00:24:25De La Hoya almost landed a left hook over Whitaker's right shoulder there.
00:24:30Oscar getting more aggressive.
00:24:31He was tentative in round number one
00:24:34as he tried to figure out Whitaker's southpaw style.
00:24:37Now there might be a little mouse already
00:24:39above the right eye of Pernell Whitaker.
00:24:41Looks as though something is there.
00:24:47Crowd chanting Oscar, Oscar, Oscar.
00:24:57Roy, how big an edge do you give to Whitaker in comfort level so far?
00:25:01Well, now in the first round, he had a big comfort advantage.
00:25:04This round is not happening the same.
00:25:06Oscar's making a few adjustments here with his feet
00:25:08to allow himself to be more comfortable in round two.
00:25:12And he's throwing the right hand more,
00:25:13which is what he's going to have to do
00:25:14to legitimately attack Pernell Whitaker.
00:25:17Right hand of the body by De La Hoya.
00:25:18Whitaker with the counter left.
00:25:25Oscar keeps trying to land his left hook,
00:25:27which is a hard proposition against Whitaker.
00:25:33Oscar's getting a little bit impatient here.
00:25:35He wants to hit Whitaker with a good punch,
00:25:37but he can't seem to find a way to hit Whitaker.
00:25:39Work out, work out, work out.
00:25:42Here's a way to hit him.
00:25:44Two right hands inside by De La Hoya.
00:25:47Back Whitaker up.
00:25:48Much better round for Oscar in round number two.
00:25:57And Whitaker not happy with himself.
00:25:59As the round comes to a close,
00:26:01De La Hoya throws his gloves in the air.
00:26:03The crowd rises to applaud.
00:26:09Just relax.
00:26:10Look, that was a beautiful round, okay?
00:26:12Don't let this kid take the play away from him.
00:26:15You're too up, Ron.
00:26:16Huh?
00:26:16Yeah, baby, we all right.
00:26:18We all right.
00:26:18You all right?
00:26:18Double up that jab.
00:26:20I'll be first four.
00:26:20You got the first four.
00:26:21The first four is your real fight.
00:26:23You got to double up that jab and go to the body.
00:26:25Don't be afraid to hurt this guy.
00:26:26Hurt this guy.
00:26:27I'm on the left side.
00:26:27Every now and then, when he gets close,
00:26:29steal him with that left hand.
00:26:30I win.
00:26:30All right?
00:26:30The left hand is right there, okay?
00:26:32But the jab, just remember,
00:26:33just steal the jab and step around.
00:26:35Keep stepping around.
00:26:36All this kid is trying to hit you with the right hand.
00:26:38Now, as soon as he gets inside,
00:26:40now he's throwing up the uppercut.
00:26:41Yeah.
00:26:41As soon as you get that first,
00:26:43you do first with the uppercut.
00:26:44Then go to the body sucker.
00:26:46Okay?
00:26:47It's starting hurting his head.
00:26:48I think I need to suck it.
00:26:50Mostly a tactical fight.
00:26:52Perhaps it will heat up
00:26:54and you'll get some real spontaneous combustion.
00:26:57Both fighters, I think, feel as though
00:26:58they want to land some big shots now.
00:27:00So we should start seeing some things happen.
00:27:05De La Hoya told us yesterday
00:27:07that he wanted to pressure Whitaker
00:27:08in the first three rounds
00:27:09because he thought the older man
00:27:10would try to conserve his energy.
00:27:13But he has not been able to penetrate Whitaker's defense
00:27:15enough to put real pressure on him
00:27:17for long periods of time.
00:27:19No, but he did pressure him good
00:27:20at the end of that last round.
00:27:21Now, the last minute of the second round
00:27:23was definitely De La Hoya's best minute
00:27:25of the first six.
00:27:26Now, Whitaker working the jab again.
00:27:28Two very good jabs by Whitaker
00:27:32because, as you can see,
00:27:33from time to time,
00:27:34De La Hoya lowers that left hand.
00:27:39He does that
00:27:40because he likes to throw the left hook
00:27:41from a low angle.
00:27:42Kind of a half hook, half uppercut.
00:27:44That punch may not work
00:27:46against Whitaker's stance.
00:27:51Hard left hand over the top by Whitaker.
00:27:55De La Hoya is still pushing forward,
00:27:57not throwing as many right-hand leads
00:27:59as perhaps he ought to
00:28:00to open Whitaker up.
00:28:02because Whitaker's going to Oscar's left,
00:28:04which doesn't allow Oscar
00:28:05to see the right hand as much.
00:28:06Ho, ho, ho!
00:28:07He's set back both of them.
00:28:08I don't mean to have him here.
00:28:08Come on, come on.
00:28:09I'm pitching time.
00:28:10I'm not going to have him here.
00:28:11I'm not going to have him here.
00:28:14I'm pitching time.
00:28:14I'm pitching time.
00:28:14Oscar pounding to the body
00:28:16with the left hand.
00:28:17Come on, work out.
00:28:18And coming up with an uppercut.
00:28:20You heard both corners
00:28:21asking for uppercuts.
00:28:23De La Hoya landed the first big one.
00:28:26Whitaker goes back to the jab
00:28:27to back him off.
00:28:46Right hand inside landed for De La Hoya.
00:28:48Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
00:28:53No, wait a minute, but don't do this.
00:28:54Come on, come on, come on.
00:28:57Mills Lane anxious that we don't see a headbutt.
00:29:01There was a butt right there.
00:29:03I don't know if any blood will come out, but there was definitely a butt.
00:29:07And Whittaker throws De La Hoya down.
00:29:09That'll be a slip, not a knockdown.
00:29:13An obvious effort to frustrate De La Hoya,
00:29:16and the headbutt has cut De La Hoya under the eye.
00:29:20Mills Lane making clear to all the judges it was a butt.
00:29:23De La Hoya shaking his head in disappointment.
00:29:25He's got a cut under the right eye as the result of a Whittaker headbutt.
00:29:29It seemed inadvertent, and it doesn't seem that it will bother De La Hoya very much
00:29:35if he doesn't let it bother him.
00:29:50Another hard left hand uppercut by De La Hoya.
00:29:53And the hard left hook.
00:29:56De La Hoya landing some solid blows.
00:29:58Whittaker sticks the jab straight into his face,
00:30:01but Oskar brought out the artillery in round number three.
00:30:05And he stayed very calm with that cut, Jim.
00:30:17Don't get in a rough house with him.
00:30:19Don't be fighting his fight.
00:30:22Okay?
00:30:22Let's get more distance.
00:30:24Let's get more distance.
00:30:25Let's get a lot of distance.
00:30:26Unintentional.
00:30:34There's a second look at the butt.
00:30:36As you see Whittaker coming from down, trying to get in close with a good body punch.
00:30:40His head and his left hand landed simultaneously.
00:30:49At the end of the round, De La Hoya turned the tide with that left hook inside.
00:30:57Left uppercut.
00:30:58Sorry.
00:31:03This is an excellent fight.
00:31:07It's a very even fight so far.
00:31:10And it's beginning to boil down to just what we thought it might be.
00:31:14A battle of De La Hoya's heavy artillery against Burnell Whittaker's sophistication and skill.
00:31:19Harold Letterman, how do you have it through three?
00:31:21Jim, 29, 28, two rounds to one.
00:31:24Oscar De La Hoya, I gave him rounds two and three based on his better punching.
00:31:29Jim, just in case anybody's interested, the rules of the WBC are you lose a point.
00:31:34The uncut fighter loses a point on an accidental headbutt.
00:31:37I asked Mills Lane, he didn't take the point.
00:31:39So it's two to one, De La Hoya.
00:31:41I have the same score.
00:31:45Still appears there's a slight swelling under the right eye of Purnell Whittaker.
00:31:50De La Hoya, as you can see, has the mouse under the right eye.
00:31:53The blood has been stopped for the moment.
00:32:00Hard right hand by De La Hoya.
00:32:02Good right hand by Oscar De La Hoya.
00:32:04And again, Whittaker comes in with the head.
00:32:07And De La Hoya is obviously wary of butts as he stops punching as Whittaker came in.
00:32:12That's going to happen a lot because these guys have their power hand is on the same side.
00:32:16Therefore, their heads will be lined up perfectly when they come in to one another.
00:32:20But there are going to be a few butts in this fight.
00:32:22And yes, Whittaker...
00:32:23It would be horrible to see such a hotly anticipated bout end as the result of a headbutt.
00:32:27And Whittaker does have a mouse over his right eye.
00:32:31Now that's his lead eye.
00:32:33So if in fact his vision is affected in the later rounds, that could be an element of the fight.
00:32:51So far in the tactical battle, De La Hoya, at least in the last minute of the rounds, giving as
00:32:57good as he's getting.
00:33:00But it's a little disappointing to see that De La Hoya, who is stronger, is really not trying to impose
00:33:07his strength on Whittaker.
00:33:09Perhaps he's saving it for later.
00:33:12Well, you heard his trainer, Jesus Rivero, asking him between rounds to create more distance between himself and Whittaker.
00:33:18Get a lot of distance, he said. Didn't want him to get into a brawl.
00:33:21Yeah, because it makes it more difficult for Whittaker to hit him, being the short of the two fighters.
00:33:28Whittaker misses over the top with a left hand.
00:33:31De La Hoya showing his always improving flexibility in the upper body as he ducks and slips.
00:33:38Another right hand lead by De La Hoya as he tries to pick Whittaker apart tactically.
00:33:45Good right hand by De La Hoya.
00:33:47Bobbing left to right and then throwing the right hand lead.
00:33:50Obviously something he's worked on specifically for this fight.
00:33:59And De La Hoya flurries at the end of the round.
00:34:04That catches the eye of the judges.
00:34:08I wonder if they're going to let him steal the round with that last ten second flurry.
00:34:14Because I thought Whittaker had it until then.
00:34:17What are you trying to do on the close rounds, right?
00:34:19Okay, now.
00:34:20It's my part of the fight there.
00:34:22Now putting that pressure on this guy.
00:34:23Alright, I know.
00:34:24See if you get closer guys, shoot that left uppercut.
00:34:27But you got to come back.
00:34:28Hey, baby.
00:34:29Go home with that.
00:34:30I'll talk so fast.
00:34:31I don't know.
00:34:32Okay, look.
00:34:44There you see Oscar De La Hoya switching southpaw.
00:34:47It had been anticipated that sometime during the fight he would try it.
00:34:51None of that landed.
00:34:54He threw about eight blows.
00:34:56It looked better than it was.
00:34:57But we have now learned that Nose Lane has taken away a point for that accidental butt
00:35:04because the WBC rules dictate that he does.
00:35:07So that's an additional point for De La Hoya or a point taken away from Whitaker.
00:35:14Meaning that on the scorecards where De La Hoya was given the fourth round,
00:35:17if in fact he was, he may be four points ahead.
00:35:24Hard punches from Whitaker.
00:35:26A right and a left.
00:35:28Whitaker going back to the jab, which served him so well in round number one
00:35:32where he threw 41 of them and landed 14.
00:35:37De La Hoya going back to the right-hand lead, which has been his weapon so far,
00:35:41along with the uppercut.
00:35:42Slippage here.
00:35:43Right on that spot that Larry talked about.
00:35:47They meet in the center of the ring and go to the body.
00:35:57Harold, how do you have it through four?
00:35:59Okay, 39-36, three rounds to one.
00:36:01Oscar De La Hoya.
00:36:03What happens is, is on an accidental headbutt,
00:36:06the uncut fighter loses one point to the WBC.
00:36:09If Mills Lane took that point in the third round,
00:36:12it becomes a 10-8 round for De La Hoya.
00:36:14So Oscar by three points.
00:36:19Whitaker's eye continues gradually to swell.
00:36:21That's the right eye.
00:36:23De La Hoya not having switched to the southpaw stance at any time in this round.
00:36:28He swore to us yesterday that he hadn't worked on it in training
00:36:31and wouldn't do it, but you saw him do it at the end of the preceding round.
00:36:43Whitaker always so good at choosing his opportunities
00:36:46while backing up and drawing you in.
00:36:49Yes.
00:36:50Yes.
00:36:50Yes.
00:36:51Yes.
00:36:52Yes.
00:36:54The crowd reacting wildly to everything De La Hoya attempts.
00:36:59Missed punches, drawing almost as much approval as those which land.
00:37:04Whitaker trying to box De La Hoya a little more now,
00:37:06trying to land a few more punches on him to get to him.
00:37:09He's jabbing more.
00:37:11He's slipping more.
00:37:12Yes.
00:37:13Yes.
00:37:15Yes.
00:37:17Yes.
00:37:18Yes.
00:37:20Yes.
00:37:22But still, he isn't landing a whole lot, Larry.
00:37:25Not a whole lot, but he's landing more than De La Hoya right now.
00:37:29If he's winning the round, he's running it more with ring generalship than he is the clean punch.
00:37:33And that jab right there.
00:37:35But he's landing more punches than De La Hoya from my viewpoint.
00:37:40He's basically winning this round with the jab.
00:37:42Here's the switch to southpaw again.
00:37:52And remember, De La Hoya is a natural southpaw who fights in a right-hand position.
00:37:58His left hand is his strongest hand.
00:38:00When he goes southpaw that way, he gets to throw the left as a cross, as a power punch.
00:38:07He's used to, southpaws are not used to the left hand coming at them.
00:38:16How are you feeling?
00:38:18Are you okay?
00:38:19Listen up.
00:38:22If you change to the southpaw, you've got to feint him.
00:38:25If you turn southpaw, then you've got to do that bending and hit him with the right
00:38:29and then come back with the left rope.
00:38:32You've got to have that bending and then the combination.
00:38:38Stop.
00:38:39Hey, relax.
00:38:39Relax, relax in the corner.
00:38:40Relax.
00:38:41Listen to me.
00:38:42Now listen to me.
00:38:43Okay?
00:38:43Just listen to me.
00:38:45Keep snapping the jab.
00:38:46Keep snapping the jab like you're doing.
00:38:48The jab is beautiful.
00:38:49As soon as you get closer, all you might need to do is let both hands go with the guy
00:38:52and get a case in the body saddle.
00:39:01Whitaker, I'm sorry, if Delahoya really thought he was going to walk through Whitaker.
00:39:06Now he starts a round in the southpaw stance.
00:39:09I wonder what he thinks now.
00:39:12Left hand to the body by Delahoya.
00:39:14Is he going to fight the full round in the southpaw stance?
00:39:16He is, and he lands a straight left to Whitaker that backs him up.
00:39:20Now why would a fighter who has been a great young fighter like Delahoya feel he's got
00:39:25to change his natural best style against Cornell Whitaker, Roy?
00:39:31A confidence booster.
00:39:32He's trying to show Whitaker that he can do anything that he wants to do in here.
00:39:35This is part of the head game scheme that goes on.
00:39:38But I haven't seen any positive results from this switch.
00:39:41It looks good, it's flashy, but I don't see him landing any real punches.
00:39:45I see a positive result.
00:39:46He gets to throw his best punch, the left hand, from a power position.
00:39:50Now he goes back to the conventional stance.
00:39:59And, of course, as Roy pointed out, southpaws aren't used to facing other southpaws and
00:40:04seeing the left hand come at them.
00:40:05No, they're not.
00:40:06They're used to seeing right-handers most of the time because 90% of the time, that's
00:40:09what they'll be in with, training and fighting.
00:40:11There he goes back to the southpaw stance.
00:40:13Whitaker misses over the top.
00:40:19You would think that Pernell Whitaker would want to attack him constantly when he's in
00:40:22the southpaw stance to test what would be an inexperienced defense.
00:40:26Yep, he doesn't want to run it to Oscar's left hand.
00:40:28He'd know that's Oscar's best punch.
00:40:29And there you go.
00:40:30That's the reason for the southpaw stance.
00:40:33Well, that was the first real punch he landed.
00:40:35I don't agree.
00:40:36I think he's landed two or three other good ones.
00:40:38And you saw that Whitaker tried to hit him with a big left hand, missed it, and Delahoyer...
00:40:44Delahoyer brightly came back with his own right.
00:40:53Delahoyer switching back and forth throughout the sixth round.
00:40:56Southpaw conventional, back to Southpaw.
00:41:01Whitaker, not punching as often in this round, now goes back to working the jab.
00:41:15It goes to the conventional stance.
00:41:17Delahoyer throws the straight right hand.
00:41:21Whitaker's short with most of these jabs.
00:41:24There's one that landed.
00:41:26And a couple of left hands as he held on to Delahoyer's left arm.
00:41:35Mills Lane trying to gain command of the fight.
00:41:40I don't think there's nothing wrong with that.
00:41:41He's making a move on him, and he's catching him when he's got him off balance.
00:41:44Just like when he relaxes inside, Oscar Delahoyer's hitting him with a right or a left uppercut.
00:41:48Hard left hand by Whitaker there.
00:41:53Closing seconds of round six.
00:41:56Halfway through.
00:41:57A tactical battle between the two great welterweights.
00:42:13Very close fight.
00:42:14Very close fight.
00:42:15We're in a fight, baby.
00:42:15You understand?
00:42:16We are in a fight, okay?
00:42:18We're winning.
00:42:19I know we're going to win it.
00:42:19I know damn well we're going to win it.
00:42:21I know you guys.
00:42:22I know exactly what you're doing.
00:42:23All right?
00:42:24Just keep scoring points with the jab.
00:42:27That left hand.
00:42:28No.
00:42:29No.
00:42:29Just leave it alone.
00:42:30That's okay.
00:42:30Don't worry about it.
00:42:32Don't stop getting pressure that jab, all right?
00:42:33Me too alone.
00:42:34No, no.
00:42:35Just relax, baby.
00:42:36You're looking beautiful out there.
00:42:38I know you guys.
00:42:38I see it.
00:42:39I see it.
00:42:39I see it.
00:42:40I feel you, baby.
00:42:41I know you feel me.
00:42:41I feel you, too.
00:42:43We're together.
00:42:44We're together.
00:42:44We're together.
00:42:46That's Ronnie Shields, who's doing all the talking in Whitaker's corner.
00:42:50Co-trainer along with Lou Duba.
00:42:53You need to stay on your left side, but be careful.
00:42:57Don't crouch so much.
00:43:01Good look at the slightly swelling right eye of Brunel Whitaker.
00:43:05The mouse under De La Hoya's right eye has not yet been a problem for him, since he incurred that
00:43:10as the result of the headbutt earlier in the fight.
00:43:16In round six, 12 of Whitaker's 19 connected punches were jabs.
00:43:22De La Hoya landing many more power shots.
00:43:25Let's check in one more time with Harold Letterman.
00:43:27How do you have it halfway through?
00:43:28Jim, I got it very close.
00:43:30Three rounds apiece, 57, 56, Oscar De La Hoya.
00:43:34Based on the one point that referee Mills Lane took away on that, really, I don't know, it's a bad
00:43:40rule, but it was the accidental headbutt.
00:43:41I agree with you, Harold.
00:43:43It was an accidental headbutt, but below the eye, it did no serious damage and has not affected the fight.
00:43:48Larry, let me explain it.
00:43:50The president of the WBC, Jose Suleiman, insists that if a guy gets an accidental headbutt, he has to even
00:43:56it out somehow or another.
00:43:57So he takes a point from the uncut fighter.
00:43:59That's his justification for it.
00:44:01I don't believe it's the fair thing to do.
00:44:03An accident is an accident.
00:44:09I think if the cut is in a place where it may show up to be something in the future,
00:44:13a point should be taken, but if it's not, then I think the fight should be left alone.
00:44:26Come here, come here, come here.
00:44:30Come here, wash your hands.
00:44:32Your hands, bro.
00:44:34Well, that's another thing that sometimes happens between southpaws and conventional fighters when they get their feet tangled up.
00:44:40Now, Whitaker completely turns his back on De La Hoya as De La Hoya chases him with right-hand power
00:44:45shots.
00:44:46Burdell goes back to the jab.
00:44:47De La Hoya has to make sure that he doesn't get frustrated or over-anxious right here at this point.
00:44:51This is the type of tactics that can make him get frustrated and get him out of his head.
00:44:56Whitaker is used to this type of stuff.
00:44:58More and more, Whitaker seems to be loading up and trying to land one big left-hand shot,
00:45:03which could change things in the bout.
00:45:05A good body shot by Whitaker.
00:45:07Excellent body punch.
00:45:09One of his best in several rounds.
00:45:10Yeah.
00:45:11The fight would look better for Whitaker in the later rounds.
00:45:14Straight right hand by De La Hoya stops Whitaker's progress there.
00:45:19Roy, do you see any age showing on Whitaker?
00:45:23Just in some of his punches sometimes.
00:45:25He's just a little bit wider than he was in his younger days, but not much.
00:45:29But everybody's going to show a little bit of age.
00:45:34By keeping his distance, as De La Hoya does.
00:45:37De La Hoya has a nosebleed right now.
00:45:39He misses the chance to try to use his greater size to push Whitaker around, knock him off balance,
00:45:46try to get into his head with a little manhandling.
00:45:48Lands a long right hand there.
00:45:50Remember tonight, though, Whitaker is the heavier of the two fighters right now.
00:45:55De La Hoya with a trickle of blood out of the right nostril.
00:45:59Product of Pernell Whitaker's jab.
00:46:02And De La Hoya smiling at Whitaker and offering a physical barb as he goes back to his corner.
00:46:10I think Whitaker's getting into his head.
00:46:11Just standing too still.
00:46:12I know he's getting into his head a little bit.
00:46:16Tell me the truth.
00:46:17Are you tired?
00:46:23Okay, you've got to move around.
00:46:25Be aware when he's throwing the punches.
00:46:29When he throws the shot, move back and connect.
00:46:33Let's see if we can dominate him now.
00:46:36All right, here is the tackle in the middle of this rather gentle tactical fight.
00:46:46I'm not sure what De La Hoya is celebrating.
00:46:50This has hardly been his finest hour, but it isn't over.
00:46:54Come on, Noah.
00:47:05The fighters are getting a little closer to one another now.
00:47:07And we should start looking for some bigger shots to be landed.
00:47:11Another thing I noticed, Whitaker's not picking that right foot up
00:47:14nearly as much as he used to do tonight.
00:47:18Budstadt numbers through round seven.
00:47:21Scorer's nightmare.
00:47:22Whitaker landing more punches and landing at a higher percentage rate.
00:47:27De La Hoya with a huge edge in power shots.
00:47:30Landing 85 hooks and crosses and uppercuts to only 36 for Whitaker.
00:47:35What do you like?
00:47:36More punches or harder punches?
00:47:39I can't say that I've seen that many hard punches.
00:47:42I've got to disagree with the numbers there.
00:47:45There you saw a De La Hoya slip on that canvas, which we pointed out earlier.
00:47:51It was a little slippery.
00:47:53I haven't seen him land 85 hard punches.
00:47:56Certainly not cleanly.
00:47:58You don't land that kind of punches on Pernell Whitaker.
00:48:06De La Hoya hasn't used the left jab all that much since the second or third round.
00:48:10Goes back to it momentarily there.
00:48:11Good right hand counter by De La Hoya.
00:48:13Excellent.
00:48:36One thing that strikes me, if Whitaker is going to win a decision against De La Hoya and outbox him,
00:48:42he's got to be busier.
00:48:44And to me, he does not look markedly busier than the younger fighter at this point.
00:48:53Well, he can't just go in there and be busy against De La Hoya.
00:48:56De La Hoya is too big of a puncher for that.
00:48:57He has to be very economical with what he does.
00:49:00He knows that.
00:49:04Whittaker lamenting the missed left and De La Hoya coming forward to say,
00:49:08take a couple of right hands to go with that.
00:49:11De La Hoya was caught with a right hook coming in just in himself.
00:49:21Both fighters, I think, are fighting a very small fight.
00:49:23Got a left hook in.
00:49:25Not easy to do.
00:49:26Whittaker smiles.
00:49:27I can almost guarantee you that means that thudding left hook did some business.
00:49:40You know it's not a great fight when the fighters have time to smile after they land their punches.
00:49:46It's still a tactical battle.
00:49:51That punch blocked by De La Hoya.
00:49:54Whittaker pawing with the jab.
00:49:56Straight right hands as Oscar tries to flurry again in the closing seconds of the round.
00:50:01Whittaker lands the last punch.
00:50:09We're behind in the fight, baby.
00:50:11Come on.
00:50:11All right.
00:50:12Okay.
00:50:12Wait till the time for me.
00:50:13No.
00:50:13We're telling you.
00:50:14I'm telling you right now.
00:50:15I'm telling you right now.
00:50:16We're behind in the fight.
00:50:17All right.
00:50:17I'm just telling you right now.
00:50:19Okay.
00:50:21I'll lose again.
00:50:22No, no, no, no.
00:50:23You're going to win.
00:50:23You're going to knock this guy out.
00:50:24I'm in the fucking fight.
00:50:25You're going to punch.
00:50:25Let's go.
00:50:26Punch.
00:50:26No.
00:50:28No, no, no, no.
00:50:31You got to fainter when you fainter and throw that uppercut.
00:50:36If you turn left, make sure you get that uppercut.
00:50:45Here you see that these fighters are so happy sometimes when they either land or miss a punch
00:50:52that they are gesturing.
00:50:55That means there's just not enough punches landing.
00:50:57There's a good left hook by De La Jolla.
00:50:59There was an odd exchange which we didn't get all together in Whittaker's corner in which
00:51:05one of his handlers says, you're behind in this fight, and Whittaker, who I believe thinks
00:51:11he was ahead, is saying, well, then I'm going to lose.
00:51:15Meaning that if he's got to do something else except what he's doing, he doesn't know if
00:51:19he can do it.
00:51:20That's right.
00:51:22You can't get into a verbal battle in the corner.
00:51:24You have to stay out of that.
00:51:25You just have to tell him what he's doing wrong and try to tell him, okay, you might be behind.
00:51:29You can't just say you're losing.
00:51:31The guy doesn't want to hear that.
00:51:32He's out there fighting his heart out.
00:51:33You're right.
00:51:34Right.
00:51:34Well, it's a very talkative corner.
00:51:36They've been together a long time, and Brunel has very special relationships with both
00:51:41Ronnie Shields and Lou Duva, so I'm sure they would say to you, we can do our business our
00:51:45way.
00:51:52The one criticism I would have, you saw the punch stat numbers that show that only in
00:51:57one round in the fight has Whittaker thrown as many as 60 punches.
00:52:00I don't think he can beat De La Jolla throwing 44 punches a round.
00:52:05Yeah, but how many is De La Jolla throwing?
00:52:08About 40 or 44.
00:52:09Yeah, but how many is he landing?
00:52:12Come on, get that spit.
00:52:13Come on, let's go.
00:52:14How many is he landing, though, Jeff?
00:52:16He's landing fewer than Brunel.
00:52:17There you go.
00:52:18So he can never put you have a good fight.
00:52:19His landed punches have more effect.
00:52:21Well, you think.
00:52:23We shall see.
00:52:24Like I said, scorer's nightmare.
00:52:27You're right, because you can't really tell what you like.
00:52:28We can see three wildly different scorecards at the end of this fight.
00:52:31Because it's according to what you like.
00:52:32You're right there.
00:52:33That's what makes boxing so different.
00:52:43Oscar De La Jolla may win this fight, but you can't say that his introduction into the
00:52:49welterweight division has been a huge success so far.
00:52:54Well, he picked the toughest fight he could possibly pick to enter the division.
00:53:00You're right there.
00:53:03Goes back to the southpaw stance, does De La Jolla.
00:53:07I have to even order that.
00:53:10That could have been scoring a knockdown.
00:53:13It is a knockdown.
00:53:13It is a knockdown.
00:53:14It is a knockdown.
00:53:15It's a knockdown.
00:53:15De La Jolla's knee touching the canvas.
00:53:18And that will affect the scorecards, too.
00:53:23So that gets back, that point taken away from Whitaker if we have a two-point round.
00:53:36And De La Jolla, at this moment, may be regretting having gone to the southpaw stance
00:53:40because he wound up losing his balance and went down from a very light blow.
00:53:44It's like a trick play in football.
00:53:46What's the point?
00:53:47You do what you do best, especially if you think you're younger and you're stronger.
00:53:51Whitaker lefts to the body.
00:53:52De La Jolla rights upstairs.
00:53:54De La Jolla lands a left.
00:53:58Goes in and attacks Whitaker's body.
00:54:00And Brunel comes back with counter-touch.
00:54:06Turn him into a good fight.
00:54:10Turning into a fight, that's for sure.
00:54:14Why are the dominas at the distance, John?
00:54:16Oscar, how come you're not dominating at the distance?
00:54:20Are you tired?
00:54:22Then what?
00:54:23You need to dominate the distance.
00:54:25Let's not get in a dogfight here.
00:54:29You're not fainting him at all.
00:54:35You'll see it was a short left inside with De La Jolla, I believe, a little bit off balance.
00:54:42Right there.
00:54:46A punch put him on the floor.
00:54:49Not a great punch, but a punch.
00:54:52That's what a knockdown is.
00:54:57Definitely.
00:54:59Very good round for Whitaker.
00:55:00He threw 59 punches.
00:55:02That's the kind of punch output he needs to keep De La Jolla back on his heels.
00:55:14Three rounds to go in what you would suspect is a close fight.
00:55:23Harold, how do you have it through now?
00:55:25Jim, very, very close.
00:55:27Five rounds to four.
00:55:29Oscar De La Jolla, 85-84 in points.
00:55:32A one-point lead for De La Jolla.
00:55:33I like his power shots, but I want to tell you something, Jim.
00:55:36He's got very poor traction.
00:55:37He's wearing an unconventional boxing shoe, meaning De La Jolla.
00:55:40And I think that he slipped when he got hit.
00:55:42If you go down on the end of the punch, it's a knockdown.
00:55:44Lillus Lane pulled it correctly.
00:55:45But I'm telling you, he's been slipping the whole fight with those shoes.
00:55:48Do you suspect, Harold, that all three judges would have given Whitaker a 10-8 round there?
00:55:52I really think they should.
00:55:53The referee did call it a knockdown.
00:55:55It was a clean knockdown.
00:55:56He went down on the end of the punch.
00:55:57There's no reason not to give Whitaker a 10-8 round.
00:55:59I didn't ask if they should.
00:56:01Do you think they would?
00:56:02Yes.
00:56:03Good right hand by De La Jolla.
00:56:09Neither fighter is too busy now, Jim.
00:56:14I think they're looking to land big punches right now.
00:56:19Whitaker's trying to land a straight left.
00:56:21De La Jolla is trying to land a right-hand lead.
00:56:39Whitaker popping De La Jolla with the jab as Oscar tries to come in.
00:56:45Whatever the outcome of this fight,
00:56:48against one of the best young fighters in the world,
00:56:50the 33-year-old Perneau Whitaker,
00:56:52is holding his own,
00:56:53which gives you an idea of just how great he was in his prime.
00:57:05Good shot by De La Jolla.
00:57:11And as Whitaker keeps going forward here,
00:57:14De La Jolla gets a chance to counter effectively.
00:57:17But again, Whitaker lands the jab.
00:57:19De La Jolla lands a power shot in return.
00:57:23Now Whitaker, I mean, De La Jolla is boxing like her title for Whitaker.
00:57:28And Whitaker had nothing but trouble with Hurtado
00:57:31before he knocked him out in the 11th.
00:57:33Now he's doing something that he should have considered doing all night long.
00:57:37Which is?
00:57:37Moving and boxing.
00:57:38Don't try to trade Whitaker.
00:57:39Make Whitaker come at him dead and do like Hurtado did.
00:57:42Why shouldn't you trade with him?
00:57:43You're stronger than he is.
00:57:45You're younger than he is.
00:57:45You're supposed to be quicker than he is.
00:57:47Supposed to.
00:57:48He doesn't have the experience to trade Whitaker like that.
00:57:51He's a superb fighter,
00:57:52but he doesn't have that kind of experience where he's just trading with Hurtado and Whitaker.
00:57:57Great flurry by De La Jolla to end the test.
00:58:00Whitaker gets a couple body shots back in return.
00:58:10They got two rounds to go.
00:58:12They got two rounds to go.
00:58:13How are we feeling now?
00:58:14You feel like the champ or what?
00:58:16All right, baby.
00:58:17All right.
00:58:18We got two rounds.
00:58:19He's got two rounds left.
00:58:20Two rounds.
00:58:21Two rounds left is all we got.
00:58:24Two rounds, baby.
00:58:25Two fucking rounds.
00:58:26Two rounds, baby.
00:58:27Two rounds.
00:58:27You got to drop.
00:58:29He's got to be more tired than you.
00:58:31We only got two rounds to go.
00:58:33All you got to do is lateral movements.
00:58:36If you turn southpore,
00:58:38make sure you bend
00:58:39and then hit him with the right hand.
00:58:42Come on.
00:58:43You know you got to do that.
00:58:45You know that.
00:58:46Let's go with it.
00:58:50The right hand is going to do it for you.
00:58:52You got to throw it.
00:58:58I wish they would just tell
00:59:00Oscar De La Jolla,
00:59:01go out and win the fight, kid.
00:59:06Now, he's just said to Dunn, Larry.
00:59:08When you're out there with a guy
00:59:08who knows what he's doing.
00:59:09Yeah, but I mean,
00:59:10instead of all this
00:59:11technical mumbo-jumbo,
00:59:13bend at the waist,
00:59:14by this time in the fight,
00:59:15he knows what he can do
00:59:16and what Whitaker could do,
00:59:18he's got to impose himself
00:59:21on this old guy.
00:59:22It's not that easy
00:59:23when you have an old guy
00:59:23that won't let you
00:59:24impose yourself on him.
00:59:26Whitaker's not going to
00:59:27back down to nobody.
00:59:28If you've been in there
00:59:29a couple of times
00:59:29with a guy like that,
00:59:30when you see guys
00:59:31who have hung around
00:59:32for a long period of time,
00:59:34it's because they have
00:59:35a strong inner self.
00:59:36He's a very strong inside person.
00:59:38He's not going to let nobody
00:59:39come in there
00:59:39and just walk over him.
00:59:41Now, what about
00:59:41De La Hoya bouncing here
00:59:43to begin the 11th
00:59:44and perhaps trying
00:59:45to communicate to Whitaker
00:59:46that he's still got his legs
00:59:48and he's going to be able
00:59:49to out-muscle him
00:59:50and out-run him
00:59:50in these last two rounds?
00:59:51This is what he wants
00:59:52to do right here.
00:59:52Out-box Whitaker
00:59:53and try to win
00:59:54the fight on point.
00:59:55He's came to the conclusion
00:59:56that he's not going to hit Whitaker
00:59:57with a big enough shot
00:59:57going at him
00:59:58to knock him out,
00:59:59so he wants to try
01:00:00to out-box Whitaker now.
01:00:01That's what he should have
01:00:01been thinking all night.
01:00:02No, don't knock down.
01:00:03Don't knock down.
01:00:04Whitaker is the older fighter.
01:00:05You don't go out there
01:00:06trying to out-buscle him
01:00:07to give him a chance
01:00:07to win the fight.
01:00:08Do you think the judges
01:00:09are going to penalize
01:00:10De La Hoya,
01:00:11as Larry obviously is
01:00:12mentally,
01:00:13for being too cautious?
01:00:14I don't know.
01:00:17I know he's going to get himself
01:00:18in a dogfight now, though.
01:00:20All right, he's going to
01:00:21head, head, head, head.
01:00:22Come on, come on.
01:00:22Don't tell him.
01:00:23Come on, come on, come on.
01:00:26Body shots from De La Hoya
01:00:28as Whitaker turned
01:00:29to clown for the crowd.
01:00:31Not sure who Whitaker
01:00:32was looking for over there.
01:00:33Maybe his buddy
01:00:34Evander Holyfield
01:00:34or Mark Breeland.
01:00:35Now he's complaining
01:00:36because De La Hoya
01:00:37was hitting him
01:00:37with a shoulder.
01:00:40Good jab by Whitaker.
01:00:42Whitaker sticking the jab.
01:00:43Whitaker off
01:00:44and commanding
01:00:45the space horizontally.
01:00:46Back and forth
01:00:47from side to side.
01:00:53De La Hoya
01:00:54with another
01:00:54relatively cautious round.
01:00:56Switches to the
01:00:57southpaw stance.
01:00:59Which I think
01:01:00served him well early,
01:01:01but then later
01:01:01might have gotten him
01:01:03in trouble.
01:01:09just missed with the left hand.
01:01:11Didn't have a lot of
01:01:12snap behind it anyway.
01:01:14Hard left hands
01:01:15for Whitaker.
01:01:16Two in a row.
01:01:18And another good
01:01:20left hand counter
01:01:20inside for Sweet Pea.
01:01:22Very confident
01:01:23as round 11
01:01:24comes down the stretch.
01:01:29Oh, he's got that
01:01:30flat.
01:01:31Come on, come on, come on, come on.
01:01:37Get off that net.
01:01:44Whitaker has to make sure
01:01:45that he doesn't let
01:01:46Oscar catch him
01:01:46when they're tied up.
01:01:48Right when the referee
01:01:48was running
01:01:49stepping on the same
01:01:49break,
01:01:50Oscar's trying to hit
01:01:50Whitaker with a good punt.
01:01:57A fight almost breaks out
01:01:59amid this tactical
01:02:01boxing match.
01:02:02But the bell stops it.
01:02:05One round to go.
01:02:11If you want it,
01:02:12it's right there for you.
01:02:13It's right there for you, baby.
01:02:17It's right there for you.
01:02:18They're doing
01:02:18for you.
01:02:19But this round
01:02:20can't decide the fight.
01:02:21Let's win.
01:02:21Okay, let's do it.
01:02:23Let me give you some water.
01:02:23Give me a deep breath.
01:02:25Give me a deep breath.
01:02:27You got to be on the outside.
01:02:31I just want to stop
01:02:32the bleeding.
01:02:38Keep snapping the jab off.
01:02:39When you get close,
01:02:40the guy's just trying
01:02:41to out-hustle you now.
01:02:42This kid ain't got shit left.
01:02:44You understand?
01:02:45He's going to come out
01:02:46punching, Pete.
01:02:48You've got to be
01:02:48in a good balance.
01:02:51With anything,
01:02:52you can grab this guy.
01:02:53You can hit him with anything.
01:02:54Throw the punches.
01:02:56De La Hoya has always
01:02:57been a very good closer.
01:02:59There you see his father.
01:03:03The balance could hang here.
01:03:07Whitaker seems to have
01:03:09this fight under control
01:03:10right now,
01:03:10but he has to make sure
01:03:11that he doesn't get
01:03:11knocked out here
01:03:12in this last round.
01:03:13It's the third time
01:03:14in Oscar De La Hoya's career
01:03:16that he has gone
01:03:17the 12-round distance
01:03:18in each of the two
01:03:20predecessors
01:03:20against John John Molina
01:03:21and Miguel Angel Gonzalez.
01:03:23As Larry told you,
01:03:24he closed out brilliantly
01:03:26with dominant 12th rounds.
01:03:27He starts slowly here.
01:03:29Harold, how do you have it
01:03:30going to the last round?
01:03:31Jim, I agree with Lou Doobin.
01:03:32This is a close fight.
01:03:33Six rounds to five.
01:03:35104, 103.
01:03:37Oscar De La Hoya.
01:03:38I think it's about
01:03:39as close as you can get.
01:03:40I think this 12th
01:03:41is going to decide to fight.
01:03:42I have Whitaker ahead
01:03:45by about a point myself.
01:03:48I don't know
01:03:48if either fighter
01:03:49deserves to win this fight
01:03:52if it ends this way.
01:03:55Big flurry for De La Hoya
01:03:56a moment ago.
01:03:57Whitaker
01:03:58looking for tactical opportunities
01:04:00to land that left
01:04:01but keep sticking the right.
01:04:06De La Hoya loves to overwhelm
01:04:09his opponents with energy
01:04:10in the 12th.
01:04:11Hard to do that
01:04:12against a guy
01:04:13whose style is giving you fits
01:04:15as Whitaker's style
01:04:16is giving De La Hoya fits.
01:04:19So what will it be?
01:04:21The welterweight coronation
01:04:23of the rising golden boy
01:04:25or the final affirmation
01:04:27of the champion's
01:04:28Hall of Fame status?
01:04:30A minute and a half left
01:04:31for Pernell Whitaker
01:04:33to make one more
01:04:34great statement
01:04:35on his career
01:04:36or for Oscar De La Hoya
01:04:38to begin building
01:04:39a bridge to immortality.
01:04:42I think it's going to take
01:04:4312 more rounds
01:04:44to tell who's truly
01:04:45the better fighter.
01:04:45In my view
01:04:46Pernell Whitaker
01:04:47has already made
01:04:48his statement
01:04:49regardless
01:04:49as I've said before
01:04:51of the outcome here.
01:05:16it would be a shame
01:05:18if that absurd WBC rule
01:05:22that resulted in a point
01:05:24going to De La Hoya
01:05:25for an unintentional butt
01:05:27that did no damage
01:05:29would be the deciding factor
01:05:31in this fight.
01:05:32De La Hoya busier
01:05:33with combinations
01:05:34landing more in the 12th
01:05:36so far.
01:05:36Whitaker trying to turn the tide
01:05:38De La Hoya ties him up
01:05:4020 seconds to go
01:05:42so far
01:05:43a little more energy
01:05:44in 12
01:05:45from the younger man.
01:05:5010 seconds left.
01:06:00And Whitaker ended the fight
01:06:02backing up and clowning
01:06:04which may or may not
01:06:06serve him well.
01:06:21chapter 1
01:06:22Oscar De La Hoya
01:06:24versus Pernell Whitaker
01:06:32And off of that
01:06:34in all likelihood
01:06:35more to come.
01:06:36Definitely.
01:06:39Very professional.
01:06:41Very professional.
01:06:41Very professional.
01:06:45As we await the decision
01:06:47we look back at some
01:06:48critical moments in the fight
01:06:49starting with round number 3
01:06:51when Pernell Whitaker
01:06:53wrestled Oscar De La Hoya
01:06:54into the ropes
01:06:55and head butted him
01:06:56under the right eye.
01:06:58There's the head butt.
01:06:59The left hand punch
01:07:00was going to the body
01:07:01but the head butt came up
01:07:02and created a mouse
01:07:03and some bleeding
01:07:05under De La Hoya's right eye
01:07:06but it never really seemed
01:07:07to bother Oscar
01:07:07that much more in the fight.
01:07:09In round 4
01:07:10he switched to a southpaw stance
01:07:11and with that southpaw stance
01:07:13ended the round
01:07:14with a flurry of punches
01:07:16just as he did several times
01:07:18throughout the 12 rounds.
01:07:19Will this catch the eye
01:07:21of the judges?
01:07:21It didn't impress Larry Merchant
01:07:23who thought that he didn't land
01:07:24anything out of that stance.
01:07:26I felt differently.
01:07:27Then in round 9
01:07:28the controversial knockdown
01:07:29as De La Hoya's knee
01:07:31and glove went to the canvas
01:07:32while the two fighters
01:07:34wrestled closely together
01:07:35and Whitaker was landing
01:07:36a soft left hand to the chin.
01:07:39One point removed
01:07:40from Whitaker
01:07:41for the head butt
01:07:42and De La Hoya
01:07:43probably losing a point
01:07:44because of the knockdown
01:07:46and let's go to Michael Buffer
01:07:48for the decision.
01:07:49Ladies and gentlemen
01:07:51we go to the scorecards
01:07:53by way of Caesars Palace.
01:07:55Here is the Budweiser scorecards.
01:07:57Chuck Jappa scores
01:07:58the bout
01:07:59115 to 111.
01:08:01Jerry Roth has it
01:08:02116 to 110
01:08:04and Dolby Shirley scores it
01:08:06116 to 110
01:08:08for the winner
01:08:09by unanimous decision
01:08:10and new
01:08:12featherweight champion
01:08:14of the world
01:08:15the golden boy
01:08:18Oscar De La Hoya
01:08:44So De La Hoya
01:08:45gets a unanimous decision
01:08:48by scores that
01:08:49might have been
01:08:50for many
01:08:51unexpectedly wide
01:08:53certainly unexpectedly wide
01:08:55for Harold Letterman
01:08:56our score
01:08:56how'd you have it
01:08:57after 12 Harold?
01:08:58Jim's hit
01:08:597 rounds to 5
01:09:00114
01:09:02112
01:09:02Oscar De La Hoya
01:09:03in my mind
01:09:04there was no question
01:09:05he won it
01:09:06he won that 12th round
01:09:07big to pull it out
01:09:08but a little bit closer
01:09:09than the judges had it.
01:09:16Inanimous decision
01:09:17victory for De La Hoya
01:09:19Larry Merchants
01:09:20with him in the ring.
01:09:21Alright
01:09:22thank you very much
01:09:24Oscar
01:09:25was the final result
01:09:27in doubt for you
01:09:28till the end?
01:09:29Almost
01:09:30I felt
01:09:31that
01:09:32Pernaut Whitaker
01:09:32was not connecting
01:09:34his punches
01:09:35he had a nice jab
01:09:36that's
01:09:36a real good jab
01:09:37I gave him a lot of credit
01:09:38for that
01:09:38but
01:09:39I thought I pulled enough
01:09:40to win the fight
01:09:42I thought I heard you say
01:09:43somewhere in the middle
01:09:44of the fight
01:09:45that you were a little tired
01:09:46did you get a second win?
01:09:47Well not tired
01:09:48not at all
01:09:49frustrated
01:09:50because of
01:09:51Pernaut Whitaker's lefty
01:09:53he gave me a lot of headbutts
01:09:55right in the face
01:09:55they hurt
01:09:57you were unable to really
01:09:59do what you do best
01:10:00against him
01:10:01and really to impose
01:10:02your youth and strength
01:10:03on him
01:10:04does that bother you?
01:10:06Almost definitely
01:10:07that's why
01:10:07we're going to give him
01:10:08the rematch
01:10:09anytime
01:10:10anywhere
01:10:11So you're frustrated
01:10:12because you feel
01:10:13it wasn't
01:10:14an Oscar De La Hoya
01:10:15performance?
01:10:16Well I'm frustrated
01:10:17because I could have done
01:10:18much much better
01:10:19I was expecting
01:10:19Whitaker to be faster
01:10:20and stronger
01:10:20but now that I know
01:10:22his style
01:10:23I'll go back to the gym
01:10:24learn it some more
01:10:25prepare myself better
01:10:26and do it again
01:10:27Didn't you come
01:10:28into this fight
01:10:29thinking that you
01:10:30would walk right
01:10:31through him
01:10:32that he was a little
01:10:33too small
01:10:33and not as strong
01:10:34as you?
01:10:35Well I would say
01:10:36I would put the pressure
01:10:36but Pernaut Whitaker
01:10:38is very difficult
01:10:39his softball style
01:10:40can intimidate anyone
01:10:42believe me
01:10:43But you seem
01:10:45very pleased
01:10:45with the result
01:10:46regardless of your
01:10:47frustration
01:10:47Oh most definitely
01:10:48anybody would be
01:10:50frustrated against
01:10:50Pernaut Whitaker
01:10:51I mean he showed it
01:10:52he's an undefeated
01:10:52fighter
01:10:53a six time
01:10:54world champion
01:10:54and this young kid
01:10:56beat him
01:10:57Do you want a rematch?
01:10:59Oh I do
01:10:59I would love it
01:11:00anywhere
01:11:00anytime
01:11:01Why?
01:11:02Well because I know
01:11:03I can do much better
01:11:04You feel that
01:11:05you can stop him
01:11:07and until you get
01:11:07a chance to do that
01:11:09you're going to feel
01:11:09unfulfilled?
01:11:10Is that what you're
01:11:11saying?
01:11:11I think I'll feel
01:11:12unfulfilled
01:11:13until I know that I
01:11:14really really
01:11:16dominated his style
01:11:18of a softball fighter
01:11:19Softballs are very
01:11:20difficult to handle
01:11:21they're very difficult
01:11:22Speaking of which
01:11:23you turned southpaw
01:11:24a few times
01:11:25during the fight
01:11:27it didn't seem
01:11:28to be wholly effective
01:11:29why were you doing it?
01:11:31Well because it would
01:11:31confuse Whitaker
01:11:32that's for sure
01:11:33I would feign him
01:11:34to the body
01:11:34and come back
01:11:35with my right hook
01:11:35which connected
01:11:36I think three times
01:11:37and I tried it three times
01:11:38but a rematch
01:11:39anytime
01:11:40Thank you very much
01:11:42Congratulations Oscar
01:11:43De La Hoya
01:11:44Thank you
01:11:44Jim and Roy
01:11:45we'll be back
01:11:46with Pernell Whitaker
01:11:47in a moment
01:11:48and quickly let's take
01:11:50a look at final
01:11:50punch stat numbers
01:11:51and you can see
01:11:52that Whitaker
01:11:52threw 25 more punches
01:11:54Whitaker landed
01:11:5541 more punches
01:11:56and landed
01:11:57at a higher percentage
01:11:58but the difference
01:11:59which the judges
01:12:00observed
01:12:00came in power shots
01:12:02where De La Hoya
01:12:03landed more than
01:12:04twice as many
01:12:05hooks
01:12:06and crosses
01:12:08and uppercuts
01:12:09as Whitaker
01:12:10and also
01:12:12De La Hoya
01:12:12as you saw
01:12:13so frequently flurried
01:12:14at the end
01:12:15of close rounds
01:12:15perhaps he stole
01:12:17some rounds
01:12:17that way
01:12:18jabs
01:12:18that belonged
01:12:19to Whitaker
01:12:2041% to 23%
01:12:22De La Hoya
01:12:23of course
01:12:23faced an uphill fight
01:12:25trying to land jabs
01:12:26because Whitaker's
01:12:27right shoulder
01:12:28was right there
01:12:28in front of the jab
01:12:29the whole time
01:12:30let's go back
01:12:31to Larry Merchant
01:12:32with the former
01:12:33welterweight
01:12:33titleist
01:12:34Pernell Whitaker
01:12:35Alright
01:12:35Pernell Whitaker
01:12:36did you think
01:12:37you won the fight?
01:12:38Oh my gosh
01:12:39of course
01:12:40but that really
01:12:41doesn't matter Larry
01:12:41because one thing
01:12:43about it
01:12:43is the world
01:12:45saw it
01:12:45as long as
01:12:46the world
01:12:47saw the fight
01:12:47then the people
01:12:48can join for themselves
01:12:49Why do you think
01:12:51you won the fight?
01:12:51No you tell me
01:12:52you were in the ring
01:12:53you were the closest
01:12:53one to it
01:12:54Of course
01:12:54I should have gotten
01:12:5610 out of 12 rounds
01:12:58you know
01:12:58it was unbelievable
01:13:00it was a shutout
01:13:01Do you think
01:13:02he was stealing rounds
01:13:03with flurries?
01:13:04That's bullshit
01:13:05I don't want to hear that
01:13:06that's a cop out
01:13:07that's you giving them
01:13:08excuses
01:13:09for the 12 rounds
01:13:10he took a punishment
01:13:11he took a beating
01:13:12the public saw it
01:13:13the world saw it
01:13:14you saw it
01:13:15Did you ever hurt him?
01:13:16He can have the title
01:13:17but we know
01:13:18who the best fighter is
01:13:19Did he ever hurt you?
01:13:21No but you saw
01:13:22I hurt him though
01:13:23Never in this fight
01:13:24that's why the second time
01:13:25around would be so easy
01:13:26I don't even know
01:13:28if he'll fight me again
01:13:28but I know one thing
01:13:29Sports Illustrated
01:13:31this is my third cover
01:13:32that I have robbed twice
01:13:34What do you mean by that?
01:13:36What do you mean by that?
01:13:36Because I've been robbed again
01:13:37You think you've been robbed?
01:13:40What were they telling you?
01:13:42What's this new?
01:13:43Come on lad
01:13:43we're good friends
01:13:44The world wants to know
01:13:45how you feel about it
01:13:46I'll tell you in a moment
01:13:47but what was your corner
01:13:49telling you about the score
01:13:50and how they thought
01:13:51you were doing?
01:13:52It was a blowout
01:13:52shutout
01:13:53It was a shutout
01:13:54What else could I do?
01:13:55I couldn't perform
01:13:56any better than that
01:13:57without getting hit
01:13:59or anything
01:14:00I don't even
01:14:00it doesn't even matter
01:14:01you know
01:14:02because the world saw it
01:14:04and the people saw it
01:14:05and my family saw it
01:14:07I was there
01:14:08so I saw it
01:14:09Do you feel that you performed
01:14:11up to your expectations
01:14:12Oh my gosh
01:14:13and that you had turned
01:14:14the clock back successfully?
01:14:15I knew I did
01:14:16that was the perfect thing
01:14:18about it
01:14:18that you know
01:14:19we came out here
01:14:20and expressed the old
01:14:22the Pernell Whitaker of old
01:14:23the people
01:14:24the movement
01:14:25the pizzazz
01:14:26the green generosity
01:14:28Are you saying
01:14:29that you had a good time tonight?
01:14:30I had a great time
01:14:31I had a fabulous time
01:14:32and it was a great fight
01:14:34the world saw it
01:14:35so I hope everyone enjoyed it
01:14:37Thank you very much
01:14:37Pernell Whitaker
01:14:38and just for the record
01:14:41I thought that
01:14:42Pernell Whitaker
01:14:42won a narrow decision
01:14:45and now to James Brown
01:14:48Alright Larry
01:14:49well statistically
01:14:50you saw the numbers
01:14:51Pernell Whitaker
01:14:53landed a lot more
01:14:54but the power punches
01:14:56went the way
01:14:56of the younger
01:14:57Oscar De La Hoya
01:14:58so style and impression
01:15:00certainly carried the evening
01:15:02as far as
01:15:02Oscar De La Hoya is concerned
01:15:04very impressed
01:15:05with Oscar's
01:15:05graciousness
01:15:06and honesty
01:15:07in that post-fight interview
01:15:08said that he would give
01:15:10Pernell Whitaker
01:15:11a rematch
01:15:11willingly
01:15:12we'll find out
01:15:13if it takes place
01:15:14Alright folks
01:15:15so we believe
01:15:16that the fans
01:15:17certainly got their
01:15:18money's worth
01:15:18in terms of seeing
01:15:19an exciting fight
01:15:20that went the distance
01:15:23Pound for Pound
01:15:24has been brought to you
01:15:25by Budweiser
01:15:26Beachwood Age
01:15:28for crisp clean
01:15:29classic taste
01:15:31by AT&T
01:15:35by Speed Stick
01:15:36by Minute
01:15:38and by Floresheim Shoes
01:15:40the soul of success
01:15:43so for Jim Lampley
01:15:44Larry Merchant
01:15:45Roy Jones Jr.
01:15:47Harold Letterman
01:15:47and Ray Torres
01:15:49this is James Brown
01:15:50saying so long
01:15:51from Las Vegas, Nevada
01:15:54the executive producer
01:15:55of TVKO
01:15:56is Ross Greenberg
01:15:57this is James Brown
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