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Miscalculation costs De La Hoya first defeat
Intent on giving Felix Trinidad a boxing lesson, he forgot to fight enough in the final rounds Saturday night, giving away a lead on all three ringside scorecards to lose for the first time in 32 fights as a pro.
"I was protecting the rounds I had in the bag," De La Hoya said. "I wanted to demonstrate a boxing show, but I guess it didn't work."
Thinking he was well ahead, De La Hoya was content to dance and jab over the final four rounds, while Trinidad came on to score some of his best punches of the fight.
Trinidad, trailing on all the scorecards after eight rounds, won the final four rounds on one card and three of four on the other.
"Some people didn't appreciate my boxing lesson," De La Hoya said. "Boxing counts a lot, not just throwing. Next time I'll be a brawler."
With the boos of the fans who crowded into the Mandalay Bay arena ringing in his ears, De La Hoya tasted defeat for the first time since he fought as an amateur before winning an Olympic gold medal in 1992.
The biggest test of his career -- which he was paid at least $21 million to take -- proved to be his undoing in a fight that ended in a majority decision as close as the even odds were going into the fight.
"I hurt inside emotionally," De La Hoya said. "Obviously, in my heart I thought I won the fight. I thought I won it easily."
De La Hoya controlled much of the fight with his movement and left jab, but also mixed it up with Trinidad on occasions and seemed to get the upper hand in most of the exchanges.
That all ended after the eighth round, though, as De La Hoya went into a protective mode and only threw an occasional punch as Trinidad began landing his right hand more and more.
"I was making him miss, making him pay," the 26-year-old De La Hoya said. "I wanted to go out there and demonstrate all my equipment and give him a boxing lesson."
De La Hoya raised his arms in victory and smiled after the 12th round ended. The smile turned to shock, however, when the judges came out with their decision.
One had the fight 114-114. But Trinidad was favored 114-113 and 115-113 on the other two cards.
"To my fans, I'm very sorry. I love you and I'll be back," said De La Hoya, who had won titles in four weight classes and was trying to add the IBF 147-pound title held by Trinidad to the WBC title he had.
De La Hoya said he needed to take a break and think about a career that saw him turn into the biggest attraction outside the heavyweight ranks.
"I'm going to take an immediate vacation and rethink everything," he said.
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