Everybody’s Worried About Oscar De La Hoya
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Boxing Correspondent
It has been sixteen days since the Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, went public with his drug and alcohol problems and checked himself into a rehabilitation treatment facility.
Alleged photographs of Oscar doing cocaine at a Las Vegas party in the weeks preceding the Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Saul Alvarez mega fight saved Oscar’s life, rather than destroying it. Only then could Oscar see himself as he truly was not how he thought he existed. When Oscar went public, he admitted his addictions had led him to consider suicide as a way out.
De La Hoya, like so many others, felt drugs and alcohol took him to a place where he felt safe. Oscar’s success-or failure-in the days, weeks and months to come-to rehabilitate-will be contingent on his ongoing recognition he is suffering from a disease. Two years ago, Oscar went into rehab, but never had achieved recognition of the dangers and the damage drugs and alcohol can do.
It is hard when one is held up to be a hero by young people, and suddenly you are not the champion anymore and cannot live up to public expectations and bath in the warmth and love a world champion receives from an adoring public. The issue goes beyond money.
When you think you have everything, and reach the theoretical ‘top of the mountain’, there’s no higher level to aspire to. The greatest danger ego causes is when a person loses to themselves. From Esteban DeJesus to Carlos Monzon to Clifford Etienne, from Barney Ross to Ricky Hatton to Sugar Ray Leonard, self-knowledge and self-realization often eludes the greats of professional boxing. Athletes in other sports, from Alex Rodriguez in baseball, to Lance Armstrong in bicycling, often fail to realize they are Role Models held to a higher standard by the public and have to live an exemplary life, as well as to do good, and lose to themselves as well. Tommy The Duke Morrison battled inner demons for years.
Even Iron Mike Tyson is battling alcohol demons on top of everything else. Going public and admitting their substance problem is the best medicine for fighters like Mike and Oscar. It is not possible to continue in life without confronting and dealing with one’s inner demons and getting rid of them for good.
Everybody’s worried about Oscar De La Hoya. Oscar is in a life and death battle to win victory over himself now. The fact Oscar has not been seen is a wakeup call to all of us.
COMMENTS
English