What's Next For Oscar De La Hoya?

Now that the smoke has cleared, and the dust has settled from "The Dream Match," what does the future hold for The Golden Boy?

After his performance Saturday night, many would say it's time for old Oscar to hang em' up. I am not one of those people.

I still strongly believe Oscar has the skill to beat  a lot of fighters out there at Junior Middleweight. Call me crazy, but I honest to god believe that Oscar was severely weight-drained and underestimated the smaller foe Manny Pacquiao.

As soon as I saw Oscar walking into the arena, I immediately knew something was wrong. His complexion was pale, he had a worried look on his face. When he stepped into the ring, I knew he was in for a long night. He simply came out with nothing in the tank, and an incorrect game plan.

Nobody would have been prepared to defeat Manny Pacquiao that night. He executed his game plan perfectly. He was quick, powerful, and the reason Oscar just couldn't land a punch is because of Pacquaio's movement and awkwardness.

It was a bad combination of being weight-drained, and having the wrong game plan against Pacquiao. In fact, if I were managing Oscar, I would not have him fight at 147 ever again. His true weight class now is 154.

The reason Bernard Hopkins can go up in weight and still be successful at this stage of his career is because his body isn't dehydrating itself to make weight. He can eat healthy and big portions of food and be strong and energetic in the ring.

What Oscar's managers should do now is go back to the drawing board. At 154, Oscar can redeem himself with a win over the Mosley/Margarito winner.

If it is, in fact, Margarito like everybody predicts, that will be even better for Oscar. He's always had problems with the fast, smaller, southpaws.

Against a big, sloppy welterweight like Antonio Margarito, Oscar can recapture his Golden image.

The reason I say this is simple. Oscar has the perfect style to beat someone like Margarito. Margarito comes forward, and telegraphs punches.

Miguel Cotto dominated him for 8 or 9 rounds. All Oscar has to do to win that fight is jab. Margarito is a sitting duck for the left jab and we all know what kinds of combinations can be set up from the left jab.

Every man meets someone better then himself, and Oscar is that man for Margarito. I believe that Oscar is an All Time Great, but many in the boxing world do not agree with me.

So I believe Oscar beating Antonio Margarito cements his spot as an All Time Great. If Oscar, or anybody with influence at Golden Boy Promotions is reading this then please don't call it quits yet.

Fight the winner of Margarito/Mosley and beat them. It's not about big money fights anymore, it's about your legacy. Oscar has given us many great fights, and deserves to go out on a big win like a true champion!