Oscar De La Hoya opens big odds favorite against Steve Forbes

Oscar De La Hoya opens big odds favorite against Steve Forbes On Saturday Oscar De La Hoya will face former world champion Steve Forbes in a welterweight boxing match where De La Hoya holds odds he'd never enjoyed before. Most of you are aware that Oscar de la Hoya (38-5) is a champion in every division he has competed in from 130 to 160 pounds, but the odds makers at the online sportsbook BodogSports went over the top and opened the betting odds on the De La Hoya vs. Forbes fight at -2000 chalk the Golden Boy, while Steve Forbes (33-5) is a huge underdog with odds +1000. Or in plain English, you have to bet $2,000 on Oscar De La Hoya to win just $100, while a bet of $100 on Forbes will pay out $1,000 if he wins the fight. These odds are likely to change drastically as the fight date approaches, considering Steve Forbes, although hardly the best fighter in the world (at least since winning his world title in 2000 in a fight against John Brown), he has won nine of his last eleven fights, losing two of them by split decisions some call "controversial".

The two boxers are already in Los Angeles promoting the fight, which will take place at the Home Depot Center's 27,000 seat soccer stadium which has been modified to accommodate the expected 31,000 boxing fans. The Oscar De La Hoya vs. Steve Forbes fight will not be a pay-per-view event and will be televised on HBO's World Championship Boxing, starting at 10:00pm EST. "I can't even put into words how excited I am to fight at home in Los Angeles and to be able to have the fight in The Home Depot Center's soccer stadium is just unbelievable. This is a dream come true and I am dedicating the whole weekend to all of my fans, those who will be there and those who get to see the bout on HBO rather than pay-per-view, as they are the ones who have supported and embraced me throughout the many years of my career. I promise to give them plenty to cheer about that night," De La Hoya said in a press statement. "This is a fight between two gentlemen, a match between two masters of the fistic arts, one who is the face of this art and the other a man that has never had the chance to prove he belongs until no. I will be ready and I'm coming to win," underdog Steve Forbes promised.

Published on 04/27/2008