Pacquiao: I pay no mind to Roach-de la Hoya trash talk

Less than a week before the megabuck welterweight super fight between him and Oscar de la Hoya, Manny Pacquiao distanced himself from the ongoing word war that his coach and chief trainer, Freddie Roach, has been having against the "Golden Boy."

"There has been a lot of talk in the media between Oscar and Freddie, that this is personal between them, but I don't talk about that. I just focus on my training," the Filipino boxing icon said in an article written for ESPN.com.

Pacquiao said that Roach will not be blamed should he lose after 12 rounds on the evening of December 6.

"All I know is that I would never blame my trainer for a loss," the WBC lightweight champ said.

Pacquiao reiterated his dislike for issuing harsh statements and predictions for the epic battle, which he described as the "biggest" of his life and career.

"People tell me Oscar has said things like he is going to knock me out, and that he sees this fight as personal. But I don't make predictions," he said.

He added that the multi-million dollar fight, albeit non-title, is purely business for him, nothing more.

"And it is never personal. It is never personal for me. I am doing my job. And I'm going to do it well, and I'm going to win the fight," he said.

Hatton fight possible

Meanwhile, Pacquiao said he is looking forward for a clash against Britain's Ricky "Hitman" Hatton, who defeated Paulie Malignaggi last weekend, also in Las Vegas.

"I was really inspired by watching Ricky Hatton win his fight against Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday. It was a good fight and I would like to fight Ricky Hatton. After my fight with Oscar, I will go back down to 140, which is Hatton's weight, so maybe that fight can happen," he said.

However, he clarified that the possibility of a clash with Hatton will have to wait since he wouldn't want to disturb his concentration for de la Hoya.

Pacquiao also downplayed the fact about de la Hoya's advantage (the former Olympian is four inches taller than the Filipino) in terms of height and build.

"I'm not that small. I'm 149, 150 right now and I have some time to come down to 147," he said.

Roach fires again

Pacquiao's statements about the word war between the Hall of Fame trainer and de la Hoya came after Roach took a verbal swipe againb at the Golden Boy earlier this week.

"He's going to find out that it's going to take more than dieting down to a Twiggy-like 145 pounds to beat Manny," Freddoe Roach said in a report on Philboxing.com.

Roach said that his ward, up two weight divisions from the 135-lb class, is "no cream puff".

"He (Pacquiao) is looking forward to serving Oscar his just desserts at the MGM Grand on December 6," Roach added.

The trainer's statements were in reaction to reports that said de la Hoya beat up a "Carnegie Deli cheesecake" sent by Pacquiao for Thanksgiving Day.

"I'm not too surprised Oscar was able to whip the cheesecake, look at what he did to that French pastry Patrick Charpentier back in 1998. That's his specialty," said Roach.

The coach was referring to the battle between de la Hoya and the Frenchman who had an 11-win streak tucked in his belt prior to the match with the Golden Boy. - abs-cbnNEWS.com

De La Hoya Vs. Pacquiao in Las Vegas

The wait is over and the fight is on, Olympic gold medalist and 10-time world champion “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya will face current Ring Magazine No. 1-ranked pound for pound champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao on Saturday, December 6 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada in a bout that will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.

The MGM Grand in Las Vegas will be absolutely buzzing on December 6th. Already, some fans are asking themselves, 'will Manny be too quick for Oscar?' And, 'is there a chance "Pac-Man" will pull it off?' Pacquiao himself has said he is very confident he will win. A fearless warrior if ever there was one, the reigning lightweight champ has apparently stated he feels he will do to De La Hoya what he did to David Diaz last time out. A bold prediction to be sure, but in successfully getting Oscar to agree to get down to a 147 pound weight limit, "Pac-Man" may have gotten himself a big slice of help.

Remember, De La Hoya has not weighed as low as welterweight for some years now - 2001 to be exact. Will the effort of boiling down weaken "The Golden Boy" sufficiently enough to give the Filipino superstar a real chance? Though we are talking about a guy who stands at 5' 10.5" taking on an opponent who is four full inches shorter, the weight issue cannot be ruled out completely. Manny walks around at around 150 pounds or so, therefore welterweight MIGHT not be such a stretch for him. The problem is, he is fighting one helluva big welterweight in De La Hoya.

As for Pacquiao, he has fought once in lightweight and is now moving up to welterweight. Pacquiao is already in his prime and is known for his speed and power but going up the weight class will definitely lessen the power of his blows against bigger opponents.

For De La Hoya, his motivation to win the fight will be fighting for his countrymen since Pacquiao is known to demolish most, if not all, of the Mexican boxers he has fought in the past. For Pacquiao, he will again carry the Philippine country on his shoulders because he is the best athlete the Philippines has to offer in the international sports. Nonetheless, this bout will definitely draw a lot of spectators regardless of the mismatch because both boxers have become legends in this sport.

Despite Oscar's current age, if Manny can beat him it will have to go down as one quite incredible upset.

Presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, Inc., the bout will be a 12-round, non-title fight contested at the 147-pound welterweight limit. This exciting and intriguing match-up pits two of the most recognizable and popular talents in the sport today in what will surely be the grand finale of the 2008 boxing calendar year.

source:cappersmall.com

Pacquiao polishing up Hoya game plan

LOS ANGELES, California—Manny Pacquiao ducked under a simulated left jab and went for trainer Freddie Roach’s body with a spear-like punch. He stopped, pushed his coach away and said “sometimes…”

He then sidestepped and went for the head.

“Because sometimes, he jabs very slow, like this,” he told Roach, acting out De La Hoya's tendencies.

Things are slowly shifting to wrap-up mode at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, where Pacquiao and Roach worked the mitts again Friday to polish up a game plan the Filipino ring icon will use against Oscar De La Hoya for their Dec. 6 “Dream Match” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

A day after De La Hoya told Ring Magazine that he can’t lose that match, Team Pacquiao went through the motion of making sure no stone is left unturned once it makes its traditional road trip to the Nevada desert gambling haven on Monday.

The Filipino champ went through another rigorous day of training, where he again pushed hard and beyond the limits set by his trainers.

Aside from working the mitts, Pacquiao shadow-boxed, hit the double-end and speed ball, skipped rope, did crunches and also had his arms and abdomen whipped with a Thai stick by trainer Eric Brown.

Other Team Pacquiao personnel also did their jobs.

Reports had it that Team Pacquiao and the World Boxing Council, whose lightweight crown the Filipino holds, have already struck a compromise regarding unpaid sanction fees.

Roach, on the other hand, said he will continue to push the issue on hand-taping to make sure De La Hoya doesn’t have an advantage with the bandages he will be wearing underneath his gloves.
And Pacquiao may push through with testing his weight a week before the fight, even if the WBC is not sanctioning this bout.

Boxingscene.com reported that Pacquiao’s camp already paid the $30,000 it owed the WBC for sanctioning his fight against Juan Manuel Marquez last March, where the Pacman grabbed the Mexican’s super featherweight title.

The report also said the WBC and Pacquiao have already reached an agreement regarding the $100,000 fee the boxing body requested for the fight against De La Hoya.

Roach, meanwhile, said he is going to make sure the Nevada State Athletic Commission monitors the taping of De La Hoya’s hands to make sure the former six-division champion gets no undue advantage from them.

“(De La Hoya cutman) Joe (Chavez) uses strapping tape, which is not supposed to be used,” Roach said. “Between the knuckles, they use what Joe calls fake ligaments. They make it like a rope and then put it between the fingers and it’s actually in the rules, it says one strip per tape only.”

Boxers’ hands are often taped before wearing gloves to prevent them from getting injured and cushioning the impact of hard punches. Roach may sound like he’s nitpicking, but he may have a valid point.

Bandages used for hand-wrapping often get stiff once soaked in sweat. That means the thicker the bandages used for the wrapping, the stiffer they will be in the late rounds, adding zing to a boxer’s punches.

“I want it fair,” he said. “The rules are rules and that’s what we’re going by. I want them to be upheld.

Roach said he will try to monitor the taping. He will bring the issue up with the Nevada commission once Team Pacquiao hits Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, De La Hoya said he will try to finish off Pacquiao early in the match.

source: inquirer sports

Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao's Sparring Partners Get $1,000 if They Knock Him Down

As the great boxing trainer Freddie Roach gets Manny Pacquiao prepared for his fight on December 6 against Oscar De La Hoya, he has an interesting incentive for Pacquiao's sparring partners: Knock him down and get some cold, hard cash.

"I don't hire sparring partners, I hire real fighters -- contenders who can really push Manny," Roach said on HBO's 24/7 show. "Sparring in my gym is not play. ... It's pretty much a fight, the only rule is if you hurt somebody you don't finish them. ... Sparring partners have a job to do, and the thing is, if they knock Manny down, they get a $1,000 bonus."

Roach says his biggest concern heading into the fight is De La Hoya's jab, so that's what the sparring partners are working. So far, none of Pacquiao's sparring partners (including Amir Khan) have been able to collect that $1,000 bonus. But with cash on the line, you can bet they're trying. - AOL sports

Analyzing De La Hoya in the wake of Pacquiao's afternoon press conference

My fellow boxing scribes are writing about Manny Pacquiao today because he held a telephone press conference, so I’m dodging the pack by thinking about Oscar De La Hoya instead.

With Top Rank poobah Bob Arum standing over him Monday, Pacquiao did his best not to make any revelations of the sort that led to admonition for trainer Freddie Roach last week from the promoter. And, although he obviously isn’t looking past his Dec. 6 welterweight match with De La Hoya, Pacquiao said he figures his next fight will be at 140 pounds. That more or less confirms rumors that Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton is a coming attraction for 2009.

Pacquiao is under far less pressure to win Dec. 6 than De La Hoya, who last week said anything short of a knockout of Pacquiao will be substandard. Although I’m rooting for Pacquiao and his fans dominate my readership, I have rooted against De La Hoya only three times (Pernell Whitaker once and Shane Mosley twice) since Oscar moved up from lightweight, after fighting Jesse James Leija in 1995, and finally started fighting people his own size.

De La Hoya was a monster at 130 and 135, with too much length and power and underrated speed. Even at 147, De La Hoya looks too big to be a welterweight, and that’s part of the reason the Pacquiao fight is perceived as a mismatch.

De La Hoya is all-American to a fault. The Golden Boy still seems a bit artificially packaged, but his public persona is extremely likeable and attractive. He’s got to be one of the biggest babe magnets in the history of boxing, if not No. 1, and despite the aspersions of some people concerning his machismo, he hasn’t ducked any challenges and even took on Bernard Hopkins and took his lumps from the bigger man.

That’s the only bout he ever lost decisively, although a couple of wins were also too close to call.

So there’s reason to care about him, even if you’re rooting against him Dec. 6.

Manny has no chance - ex-champ Mayweather

This Mayweather is certainly no Pacquiao admirer.

In fact, Roger Mayweather, a former champion and member of the flamboyant boxing clan, is belittling Manny Pacquiao’s skills, saying the Filipino champion doesn’t stand a chance against Oscar dela Hoya.

He said the Pacquiao-Dela Hoya “Dream Match” on Dec. 6 at the shining MGM Grand in Las Vegas is nothing but a mismatch.

“Do I think it’s a mismatch? No. I don’t think it’s a mismatch. I know it’s a mismatch,” the 47-year-old champion of the ‘80s, also known as the “Black Mamba,” told fightfan.com in a video interview.

The brother of top-notch trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. and uncle of former pound for pound king Floyd Jr. said Dela Hoya, older at 35 but taller at 5’10, is too much for the Filipino southpaw.

“Dela Hoya has fought everybody. And Pacquiao? What’s he gonna do with Dela Hoya?” said Mayweather.

“He doesn’t have the skills like Dela Hoya. And he’s a guy coming from 115 pounds? What’s he gonna do with Dela Hoya?” he said.

Pacquiao, younger and faster at 29, will give away four inches in height and six inches in reach when he climbs the ring against Dela Hoya.

“Size don’t mean a difference when you have tremendous skills. But when you have average skills and average speed… He (Pacquiao) can fight guys his size but Dela Hoya is too big for him,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ricky Hatton continued to make noise the day after he retained his IBO light-welterweight crown with a stoppage of Paul Malignaggi at the MGM.

The British cyclone is seeking a fight with either Pacquiao or Dela Hoya next year.

“Let’s hope it’s the winner of Pacquiao-De La Hoya. Who am I to say who will win that? In fact, the winner or the loser will be a good fight to be honest. I’ll be in Vegas for that and watching it with interest,” he said.

The 30-year-old brawler wants to stage his next fight at home.

Notes: Businessman Cris Aquino, the bubbly flag-bearer in every Pacquiao fight, is making sure that he doesn’t have another run-in with US Customs as he prepares his give-aways for the coming fight. This time, he’s having “Yes He Can!” ala-Obama sweatshirts, 12 dozens of them, made in the US so there’ll be no need to bring them in, learning from experience when he was charged $800 in taxes for bringing boxes of Pacquiao t-shirts and bandanas. He also ordered 5,000 pieces of cardboard fans bearing Pacquiao’s picture. “We’ll have it made there this time,” said Aquino, who can’t wait for the fight to happen…A high-roller from the South, a very reliable source said, has placed a $200,000 bet on Pacquiao beating Dela Hoya, and with the odds at plus 180 (at the time he placed the bet), his money grows to $360,000 if Pacquiao wins. As of yesterday, the odds for Pacquiao are down to plus 155, and Dela Hoya at minus 180 (you need $180 to win a hundred bucks).

source: philstar.com

Oscar De La Hoya eager for Manny Pacquiao fight

"You've never seen me like this," Oscar De La Hoya says loudly, lying on his back on the boxing ring canvas of a Big Bear Lake training gym. "You'll never see me like this."

If the strategy De La Hoya refined in the San Bernardino Mountains works as planned, the person he expects to be flat on his back on Dec. 6 is his opponent, Manny Pacquiao.

De La Hoya, 35, hasn't knocked down a fighter in more than two years, and he hasn't won by a true knockout since 2000, when he belted the forgotten Derrell Coley. In 11 fights since, De La Hoya suffered four losses and the most impressive of his four technical knockouts came against Fernando Vargas in 2002.

But now, De La Hoya, who has fought at or above 150 pounds in nine consecutive bouts, has a date with current lightweight (135-pound) champion Pacquiao in a bout set at 147 pounds. It was a match made mostly because of the can't-miss marketing appeal that pits the world's most popular fighter against the sport's top pound-for-pound champion.

source: Los Angeles Times

Pacquiao will beat De la Hoya

IF you’re thinking of where to put your money in the coming blockbuster bout between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya, let me give you a piece of advice. Put it on Pacquiao, who will beat De la Hoya decisively in their fight in December.

No ifs and/or buts about it. Pacman will chew up and then spit out the Golden Boy. Manny is younger, faster and stronger. About the only advantage of De la Hoya is his reach and weight, which won’t be enough to keep the human buzz saw that is Pacquiao at bay.

Most boxing experts think that the weight will make that much difference. It won’t. It would matter if we were talking about an ordinary fighter. And Pacquiao is far from an ordinary fighter.

In the end it will be skill, speed and heart. And in all categories, our “Pambansang Kamao” has got De la Hoya beat.

When I see Pacquiao, I think of another great boxer of another era: Henry Armstrong, who held the world featherweight, the lightweight and the welterweight titles all at the same time.

Armstrong was the 126-pound division (featherweight) world champion when he beat world welter champion Barney Ross, 147 pounds, by unanimous decision to add the world welterweight title to his featherweight belt.

Armstrong then went down in weight and beat world lightweight champion Lou Ambers on points.

Armstrong was so versatile, he even battled for the middleweight title, but was frustrated when he was held to a draw by then welterweight champion Filipino Ceferino Garcia. Armstrong had beaten the same Garcia in an earlier fight for the welterweight crown.

If the difference in weight was not an insurmountable obstacle for Armstrong, I don’t see how it could be for Pacquiao.

Even the man considered as the greatest boxer of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson fought the much larger and heavier Jake LaMotta numerous times despite being outweighed by LaMotta by as much 16 pounds in one of their many bouts.

Boxers moving up in weight to capture titles in heavier divisions was not that unusual during the glory days of boxing. As far as I’m concerned in the Pacquiao-De la Hoya bout, weight is just a number and Pacquiao will beat De la Hoya decisively.

source:Reuel Vidal, manilastandardtoday.com

Boxing legend De la Hoya confident despite weight loss to face Pacquiao

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) — US boxing legend Oscar de la Hoya said Monday he has dropped pounds but no punching power ahead of his December 6 welterweight showdown here with Philippines star Manny Pacquiao.

De la Hoya, training at the Big Bear retreat in the California mountains, has had to lose weight but has already reached the 147-pound limit to meet Pacquiao, who will have to gain weight to set up the "Dream Match."

"Training camp is going well. Being up here has once again ignited that fire in my belly that hasn't been ignited in many years," de la Hoya said.

"Now that many weeks have passed by, I feel very comfortable with welterweight. I don't think we're sacrificing any power. We're punching harder than ever."

De La Hoya said that when he first reached the welterweight limit, "I did feel a little light headed and weak" and noted that stamina "can be a big problem."

"I don't know how my body is going to react come fight night," he said. "Conditioning is my primary concern."

Pacquiao will enter the ring 47-3 with two drawn and 35 knockouts while de la Hoya, in his first welterweight fight since a 2000 knockout of Arturo Gatti, is 39-5 with 30 knockouts.

The contest is set for 12 rounds but don't expect it to go the distance, de la Hoya said.

"I will be extremely disappointed if this fight does not end in a knockout," de la Hoya said. "It would be a total disaster for me."

De la Hoya wanted to push the idea that Pacquiao might be larger than him on fight night, although it would be a shock.

"It actually doesn't shock me one bit. I've made 145 already. I feel very strong," de la Hoya said. "It has been no problem. My way of training and eating has been very disciplined."

De la Hoya shrugged off criticism from Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer. "It's his way of pumping up his fighter. Me and Manny Pacquiao, we don't have to say anything bad about each other," de la Hoya said.

"We will put boxing back on the worldwide stage. I beat a young lion like Manny Pacquiao to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, it helps me prove I can do this and move on and still be successful.

"I'm oozing with motivation, that's for sure."

That stems from a seven-fight deal worth at last 35 million dollars that Pacquiao signed with de la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions in September of 2006, only to return bonus money two months later and stay with promoter Bob Arum.

The broken deal led to a legal fight that inspires de la Hoya still.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would fight Manny Pacquiao," said de la Hoya. "That's one of the reasons this fight is so personal to me."

"We signed the deal and he turned his back on me and he's going to have to pay on December 6," de la Hoya said. "That moment is what makes it personal. I don't want him to talk about how he honors honor. He didn't honor me. I'm not going to honor him."

De la Hoya lost to Floyd Mayweather last year in the richest fight in boxing history but this one is unlikely to approach those record numbers despite loyal backers for both fighters, with the struggling economy a likely culprit.

"Obviously it's a big concern for us because of the economy when you have a big fight like this one," de la Hoya said. "People are picking and choosing what fights they want to buy and see and I think they're waiting for this one."-AFP

Oscar De La Hoya – Manny Pacquiao: What to Expect from a Dream Fight

When this fight was first mentioned, I assumed like most that it was not going to happen. Manny Pacquiao is far too small to go to battle with a skilled powerhouse like Oscar De La Hoya. But this is boxing and money talks, and here we are with less than a month to go before this “Dream Fight” takes place. I have watched HBO’s great documentary series 24/7 and they are really doing a great job to present this fight as a competitive bout between the arguably best pound for pound fighter in the game, Pacquiao and the most marketable boxer in the world, De La Hoya. What should be expected as these two warriors get into the ring, and make no mistake, they are both warriors. De La Hoya has been unfairly treated at times by the media as well as the fans when he elected to not fight like Julio Cesar Chavez in every fight, but what cannot be taken away from him is the fact that he faces anyone, anywhere, any time. He has fought men in their prime that were great fighters like Felix Trinidad, Ike Quartey, Fernando Vargas, Shane Mosley, Miguel Angel Gonzalez, and Rafael Ruelas. He looks at the sport as a business, but he also understands legacy and that is why he has faced so many tough customers. With his marketing potential, he could face nobodies and the fans would lay down the money, but he has opted to take on the challenges that the fans wanted to see him face, and he has won most of them.

Manny Pacquiao is another boxer that fights the best available opposition, facing Erik Morales (3 times), Marco Antonio Barrera (2 times), Juan Manuel Marquez (2 times), Oscar Larios, and David Diaz. He has been labeled the “Mexican Assassin” because most of his victories have been over great Mexican fighters. The blood and guts style that Barrera and Morales have used were custom made for the Filipino superstar. He eats up aggressive fighters and that is why he has done well against the group mentioned above. When his opponent elected to box instead of slug, they had a much easier time. Morales actually picked up a victory while Marquez got a draw and lost a disputed decision in the rematch.

The Facts:

Oscar De La Hoya, 39-5, 30 KO’s
Career: 1992-Present
Age: 35
Former Super Featherweight, Lightweight, Light Welterweight, Welterweight, Light Middleweight, and Middleweight Champion.

In 1992, the professional career of De La Hoya began at the very low weight of 133 pounds, an unnaturally low weight for a man his size and build. The intention was to win titles at many different weight classes and to come in stronger than his opposition to make him look more devastating. This weight did both, and when he came in at 128 to vie for the WBO Super Featherweight Title, he overwhelmed Jimmy Bredahl. The first defeat on his record would be a highly disputed one to Puerto Rican superstar, Felix “Tito” Trinidad. To most, Oscar won handily but by giving up the later rounds, he gave up the fight. Two fights later, he would lose to Shane Mosley in a thrilling fight. He would rematch Mosley and lose in another disputed decision. There was no disputing his failed attempt to capture all of the middleweight gold when a body shot put him on the floor against Bernard Hopkins. That is the only knockout loss of his career. He has since come back with a record of 2-1, 1 KO, since that defeat, with the only loss being a decision to Floyd Mayweather, JR.

Manny “The Pacman” Pacquiao, 47-3-2, 35 KO’s
Career: 1995-Present
Age: 29
Former Flyweight, Super Bantamweight, Super Featherweight, and Lightweight Champion.

In 1995, Pacquiao began his career at 106 pounds. He would win his first title with an eighth round stoppage of Chatchai Sasakul, taking home the WBC Flyweight Title. He wouldn’t really make his name in the United States until November 15, 2003, when he stepped up to face one of the toughest fighters in the world, Marco Antonio Barrera on HBO. Barrera had just signed with Golden Boy Promotions and planned to showcase his skills against Pacquiao, who was moving up in weight, meeting at 125 pounds. It was a slaughter, with Barrera not only losing poorly, but behaving worse, intentionally head butting the Filipino superstar on several occasions. It didn’t matter, and Barrera was beaten into submission in the eleventh round. The next fight was easily fight of the year when Manny and Juan Manuel Marquez fought to an exciting draw. Erik Morales was next, but showed the blueprint to beat Pacquiao, out-boxing him over the course of 12 rounds, but in the three times that they met, Manny would win two of them, both by spectacular knockout. Pacquiao has won eight in a row, five of them by knockout, and is rated by most as the best fighter in the game.

The Breakdown

Freddie Roach

There has been a big deal made about Freddie Roach being in the corner of Manny because in De La Hoya’s last high profile bout against Floyd Mayweather, JR., he was his trainer and now some believe that he has an inside track and has the key for his man to defeat the Golden Boy. Had Roach been there from day one in his corner, perhaps he would have some sort of psychological advantage or may have even noticed a trend over the course of time to take advantage of, but realistically, the one fight that Roach trained him for means very little going into this one. De La Hoya is a professional, has been boxing professionally since 1992, and in all honesty, did not perform well under the tutelage of Roach. Expect a different De La Hoya come fight night. This concept that Roach being a former trainer of Oscars working against him is just smoke.

Size versus Speed

This is where most people put their stock into. Those siding with Oscar, point to the size advantage, while the ones that are betting on Manny to pull the upset, state that the speed will be far too much for the older fighter to handle. Both arguments are sound, but speed can be nullified where size really cannot. There was a time when Cassius Clay (later becoming Muhammad Ali) was discussing boxing with Cus D’Amato, the trainer of many world champions but mostly associate with Mike Tyson. At the time, Clay was in his prime, and he was known for his lightning speed and reflexes, while Cus was just an older guy that had been around the block. Well, Cus was able to land on the young heavyweight, startling him. How could an old man land a shot on somebody so young and quick? Timing. Timing beats speed and that is how Oscar plans to nullify it and most likely will. The size will be a much tougher nut to crack for the smaller Pacquiao.

Down the Stretch

Stopping Oscar “down the stretch,” is something that I have heard several times leading up to this fight. There is the thought that De La Hoya is weaker as the rounds go on and that the pressure of Manny will make him wilt in the later rounds, leading to a TKO victory for the Pacman. As far as I’ve seen there has been little to no evidence that De La Hoya fizzles incredibly “down the stretch.” Against Vargas, he was pressured as much as any fighter can be pressured and used his superior conditioning to comeback and stop him in the eleventh round. In his last two bouts against Floyd Mayweather, JR., and Steve Forbes, he showed no indications that he was dead tired in the later rounds. The fact of the matter is that he has gone twelve hard rounds on many occasions and I don’t think the pressure of a natural 130 pounder is going to get him “down the stretch.” It should also be noted that De La Hoya was only stopped once and that was by a 160 pound Hopkins. He actually takes a very good punch and has very good endurance.

Shane Mosley Proved it

In two encounters with Shane Mosley, De La Hoya came up short. In the first fight, it was the speed of Sugar Shane that was the deciding factor. Also, Shane was a naturally much smaller man and was able to stay out of harm’s way and take the decision, out-hustling the bigger man along the way. This is true, but Manny Pacquiao is no Shane Mosley in the sense that Mosley is a much more natural boxer and brought a different style to the ring then Pacquiao does. Although the standard has been set that speed and the right style could give Oscar some problems, there doesn’t seem to be much relevancy comparing Shane to Manny at this point. It’s not really accurate to say that Oscar has trouble with speed and speed alone.

Business Man or Boxer?

Now here is an argument that the Pacman fans can sink their teeth into. Steve Forbes noted that Oscar wasn’t going to be hungry anymore because it’s hard to be when you go to be in silk pajamas or something to that effect. Oscar is rich. He is filthy rich, and he had noted to Larry Merchant that he wanted to be a billionaire, which isn’t necessarily a boxer’s goal. The choice of Pacquiao was a business decision, nothing more. He could have faced off against Antonio Margarito in a true test, but opted to face the smaller boxer because he typically eats the smaller guys alive and will also be able to say that he beat the pound for pound best fighter in the world. But because this is solely a business decision and because Manny resembles many of the fighters that he had beaten with ease in the past, there is the possibility that he is not taking this fight that seriously mentally. He may be focusing on the cash and underestimating the challenge of his opponent. That right there is where Manny has a chance in this fight. If the business man shows up and Manny fights the fight of his life, we may see a memorable upset in the world of boxing. Oscar could go to sleep thinking about those billions.

December 6th, 2008: Dream Fight

It’s closing in quickly and HBO has that hype machine running in overdrive for this upcoming “Dream Fight.” Pacquiao being a god in the Philippines will do all he can to win this fight for the fans and has shown the heart of a lion in the past to win fights, but how does he knock De La Hoya out? He had trouble with the strength of Juan Manuel Marquez and Oscar is a world stronger and hits a world harder. This fight is rightfully called “The Dream Fight” because from all indications, Manny will be put into dreamland early. Size matters but it’s not only a size issue. Oscar is very skilled and intelligent and it should be very interesting to see what happens when that left hook lands. Also, for those of you that are die hard Manny supporters, let me throw something out there before the hate mail comes in. Years ago there were two fights thrown out there for Manny that the masses came out to protest against. Pacquiao was considered too small to face either one and there was concern about his health should he go ahead with the bouts. One was Diego Corrales and the other was Ricky Hatton. Why is Oscar De La Hoya beatable and safe, when those two were far too dangerous to fight? It’s the hype of the event. It has been sold. HBO is great at hyping fights and they could do it for just about anyone, and they are going to give the impression that this is a competitive match when it is unfortunately not. Manny is a very big underdog going into this one, and there have also been persistent rumors that he is not handling the bigger guys in the gym all that well.

This event is more of a circus than an actual super fight. The curiosity factor will sell this more than anything else, outside of the blind support on both sides of the fence for these fighters. Look for Oscar De La Hoya to get his big victory and ride off into the sunset until something else comes along. Remember he is a business man and this is smart business. All signs point to an early KO for the Golden Boy.

source: Geno McGahee, www.ringsidereport.com

Hatton eyes Pacquiao-De la Hoya winner after triumph

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) — England's Ricky Hatton is ready to face the winner of next month's Manny Pacquiao-Oscar de la Hoya showdown after dispatching American Paulie Malignaggi with ease.

Hatton stopped Malignaggi in the 11th round of their junior welterweight fight here Saturday, improving to 45-1 with 32 knockouts and serving notice that whichever lightweight star wins in two weeks, the "Hitman" is waiting.

"What sort of a champion would I be if I didn't take on (Pacquaio or de la Hoya) next? That's what Ricky Hatton is all about," Hatton said.

The only blemish on Hatton's record came at welterweight when he was stopped in the 10th round here a year ago by Floyd Mayweather Jnr in the same ring where Malignaggi's trainer Buddy McGirt threw in the towel.

"I've had 46 fights and only lost one and he was the best pound-for-pound in the world," Hatton said. "No one will ever beat me at junior welterweight. No one."

With Pacquiao and de la Hoya meeting one weight class below Hatton, he might not have to risk supremacy at his specialty for what would surely be a big-money battle against Hispanic legend de la Hoya or Filipino hero Pacquiao.

"I would love to fight the winner," Hatton said. "I would like to think I'd be in the shop window."

Hatton's loyal British supporters have been moneyspinners for his Vegas fights and would likely push the possibilities for a matchup with US "Golden Boy" de la Hoya or Asian superstar Pacquiao.

Pacquiao is 47-3 with two drawn and 35 knockouts while de la Hoya is 39-5 with 30 knockouts.-AFP

Dream showdown will open door to rematch - Arum

Ricky Hatton facing the winner between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar dela Hoya is not a sure thing.

While there’s nothing in the Pacquiao-Dela Hoya contract that calls for an immediate rematch between the two, Top Rank big boss Bob Arum said you just couldn’t discount that possibility.

“There is none,” Arum told The STAR recently when the ageless promoter was asked if there’s any clause calling for a rematch between Pacquiao and Dela Hoya.

However, Arum said it doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be one.

“If both fighters want a rematch then nothing can prevent them from staging a rematch,” said Arum heading into the most anticipated fight of the year in Dec. 6.

The “Dream Match” sold $17 million worth of tickets in just two to three hours, and is tipped to break the 2.4 million pay-per-view buys of last year’s Dela Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight.

The coming fight is also expected to generate $100 million in total revenue, and Pacquiao, fighting in his biggest and heaviest fight at 147 pounds, is guaranteed $10 million. Dela Hoya will get much more.

Arum said the possibility of a rematch between the pound-for-pound king and the pay-per-view king would depend on how the fight, set at the 16,000-seat MGM Grand Arena, would end.

“Absolutely it would depend on how the fight ends,” he said.

Pacquiao and Dela Hoya slugging it out, trading blows, and both men standing at the final bell of their 12-round, and a close decision afterwards could raise calls for an immediate rematch.

“If it’s that exciting,” said Arum

“And then if it involves a lot of money. You know money talks,” he said over the phone.

Pacquiao and Dela Hoya may find themselves fighting each another until they retire.

Hatton, the British superstar, takes on Paul Maliganaggi on Nov. 22 at the MGM Grand for the IBO light-welterweight crown.

He said he “absolutely” loves to fight the winner between Pacquiao and Dela Hoya, saying, “I would like to think I’m in line to fight the winner.”

But he better get past Malignaggi first, and then sit back and relax, and hope for the best as he catches the “Dream Match.”

source:Abac Cordero, Philstar.com

Pacquiao to spend P27.5M for tickets

Manny Pacquiao is giving away $550,000 worth of tickets for the “Dream Match” and 500 turkeys for Thanksgiving.

Yes, the Filipino superstar has admitted to philboxing.com that he has spent around $550,000 or roughly P27.5 million on tickets to be given away to his friends coming over to watch him fight Oscar dela Hoya on December 6.

Pacquiao normally spends a fortune in fight tickets and even plane tickets given away to friends. Only this time, the amount has gone twice or thrice as much simply because the prices have gone up.

Tickets to previous Pacquiao fights were highest at $600 per ringside seat, but this time the same seat costs $1,500. The problem is they’re all gone, and the only way to get them is through the black market.

Or Pacquiao himself.

“Yan ang current expenses ko sa ticket lang. Kasali na dyan mga politicians, artista at sila lahat. Mga kaibigan ko lahat (That goes for the politicians, actors, everyone. They’re all my friends),” Pacquiao told philboxing.com.

He said the amount can even increase as the fight nears.

And on Sunday, as Americans prepare for Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of this month, Pacquiao will be at the Community Center in Los Angeles’ Lake Street Park in the historic Filipino town to give away the 500 turkeys.

Top Rank publicist Fred Sternburg said yesterday through e-mail that Top Rank big boss Bob Arum is spending for the turkeys worth $11,000.

Lance Pugmire of the LA Times wrote, “certainly, hundreds, if not thousands of people will be showing up” and that those who organized it may have “underestimated Pac-Man’s appeal.”

Handing out goodies isn’t something new for Pacquiao.

Normally, during his birthdays, which fall on Dec. 17, Pacquiao spends a hefty sum giving away bags of goodies to thousands of his provincemates. And on ordinary days, poor people line up before the gates to his mansion.

Pacquiao has a very soft heart for the poor, having come from an impoverished family. It was written once that the only time he failed to give money to the poor outside his home was “when he forgot to bring his wallet.”

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Hatton wants winner of Pacman-Hoya bout

Ricky Hatton, all primed up for his clash against Pauli Malignaggi on Saturday, said he wants to fight the winner of the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar dela Hoya dream showdown on Dec. 6 in what could be the sport’s biggest fight next year.

“I would absolutely love to fight the winner of that,” said Hatton, the Ring Magazine’s junior welterweight champion, in an interview with AOL Sports. (Related story on A-25)

Hatton sounded particularly interested in fighting the Filipino boxing champion, whose size and style would make a fight against him particularly interesting.

“Manny Pacquiao is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world,” Hatton said. “I would like to think I’m in line to fight the winner.”

Hatton acknowledged that in his last fight, a unanimous decision win over Juan Lazcano, he looked lackluster. But he said he’ll prove against Malignaggi that he deserves to fight one of the biggest names in the sport – Pacquiao or Dela Hoya.

“Judging by my performance against Lazcano, I’m not worthy of that fight,” Hatton said. “But after I beat Paulie Malignaggi I will be really, truly worthy of a fight against the Oscar dela Hoya-Manny Pacquiao winner.”

Meanwhile, Dela Hoya, in deep training in Big Bear, California, is now down to 145 lbs, making Pacquiao, who is around 147 the last few weeks, a little heavier than the 10-time world champion in six different weight categories.

The Pacquiao-Dela Hoya fight, set at a catchweight of 147 lbs, is set Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

In his latest conference call, Dela Hoya said the training camp with Nacho Beristain has been going on well, insisting he is ready to take on Pacquiao two weeks before the big fight.

“I’m ready to go. I’ve been weighing 145 pounds now for the last three weeks. The weight is no problem. I feel strong. I do have to admit that I – in the first couple of days that I did make the weight or I tried making weight, about a month ago, I did feel a little lightheaded and weak,” said Dela Hoya.

“But now that I have gotten used to it and now that weeks have passed by, I feel strong and fast and very comfortable with welterweight. And I’m even thinking of going back down to 140 after this fight, so we’ll see,” he added.

Dela Hoya said that Pacquiao’s power and speed have driven him to train and work hard to ensure his victory.

“My motivation for this fight is Manny Pacquiao’s explosiveness, punching power, speed and youth,” Dela Hoya said.

Dela Hoya had earlier vowed to go for a knockout in five. Pacquiao’s trainer and coach Freddie Roach also believed the fight would not last the distance, only it would be in favor of the Filipino WBC lightweight champion.

“Tell Oscar not to worry, the fight will end in a knockout,” said Roach in a report on 411mania.com. “On Dec. 6, Oscar’s going to think he’s back in the 1930’s when Manny airmails him into The Great Depression.”

The outspoken Roach reiterated the joke that Dela Hoya “can’t pull the trigger anymore.”

“Oscar can’t pull the trigger anymore. Losing all that weight doesn’t impress me,” said Roach.

The 35-year-old Dela Hoya, however, took Roach comment in stride, saying he would rather take Pacquiao’s trainer’s words as motivation.

“Obviously, he has to try to get under my skin. I don’t know how much of it is real, I don’t know how much is hype,” De la Hoya wrote in his Ring blog.

He even commended his rival camp’s buildup for the keenly-awaited fight.

“From the looks of Manny and who he has behind him, they’re doing the right thing. They’re gaining the weight properly. He’s looking fast. He’s looking strong. I think it’s going to be an advantage for Manny to come up in weight. I think he’s going to be the same Manny as we saw in the lower weight class,” said De la Hoya.

source:Philstar.com

De La Hoya Wants a Knockout and Freddie Roach Promises One

During a conference call yesterday as we reported, Oscar De La Hoya talked about the need to win by knockout, claiming it would be a disaster if he didn't. In light of those comments, Freddie Roach today had some things to say to his former pupil.

"Tell Oscar not to worry, the fight WILL end in a knockout. On December 6, Oscar's going to think he's back in the 1930's when Manny airmails him into The Great Depression," responded Roach. "I can see when the paperback version of Oscar's autobiography comes out. It will begin by paraphrasing the opening line of Moby Dick. Only instead of starting with ‘Call me Ishmael,' it will be 'Call me Ishtar,' one of the biggest box office flops in motion picture history. Mark my words he will flop too. Oscar can't pull the trigger anymore. Losing all that weight doesn't impress me. Twiggy is going to find out that looking the part is not equivalent to acting the part, a lesson Muhammad Ali learned when he fought Larry Holmes."

On another note, in Roach's blog this week for The Ring Magazine, Freddie talked about a sparring session that Oscar De La Hoya reportedly had with junior flyweight champion, Ivan Calderon.

"Calderon slapped Oscar around like it was unbelievable. I said between rounds one time, "Oscar, I want you to hit him one shot to show him who's boss." He couldn't do it. I got mad at him. I told him the same thing another time; we used Calderon for a couple of days. I said, "Go ahead and hit that little mother." Again, he couldn't do it. Calderon was too quick and had a southpaw stance, like Manny does. That's when I thought of Manny. I knew then it was a winnable fight."

With only a few weeks left to go, the personal jabs continue to mount.

source: Ramon Aranda, 411mania.com

Manny’s style fits Oscar just right

Manny Pacquiao’s devil-may-care attitude on top of the ring is tailor-made for six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya.

The Golden Boy said in a teleconference call held Monday from his high-altitude training camp in Big Bear, California, that he welcomes Pacquiao’s sometimes reckless fighting style.

Admitting that he has had problems dealing with scientific fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Steve Forbes, the 35-year-old De La Hoya is looking forward to see what Pacquiao will come up with on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas.

"But if you’ll have a fighter who’s gonna come at me, a fighter who’s going to throw strong punches with full energy, with full speed and stay in front of me and have the heart to fight as hard as he can, then I’ll welcome it and I will open the door," said De La Hoya, who is the heavy favorite in the scheduled 12-round welterweight tiff at the MGM Grand.

De La Hoya has been working behind closed doors under the tutelage of the esteemed Mexican strategist Ignacio ‘Nacho" Beristain the past five weeks and views the fight as the perfect opportunity for him to make the 29-year-old Pacquiao pay for his alleged misdeeds.

"He turned his back on me," said De La Hoya, referring to Pacquiao’s decision to sign up with Top Rank’s Bob Arum even if he had earlier forged a seven-fight deal with De La Hoya in Sept. 2006.

"I don’t want him talking about honor and this is one reason (why this fight) is very personal. He didn’t honor me and I am not giving him honor on Dec. 6," De La Hoya said.

"It’s strictly Manny Pacquiao up here. I think, sleep and breathe Manny Pacquiao. My motivation here is Manny Pacquiao’s explosiveness, Manny Pacquiao’s punching power, Manny Pacquiao speed and Manny Pacquiao’s (advantage in) youth."

source: Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin Online

ROACH, DE LA HOYA UP THE RHETORIC

Manny Pacquiao was his usual decent self at his media workout at the Wild Card gym of trainer Freddie Roach as part of the buildup for his “Dream Match” with Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on December 6 but Roach played the bad guy by continuing to needle De La Hoya with his comments.

The two-time “Trainer of the Year” who trained De La Hoya for his megabuck fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr two-timed De La Hoya by calling his former student "weak minded" while at the same time praising Pacquiao for being "strong minded."

Pacquiao who has often been admired for his refusal to bad-mouth his opponents declined to comment on the statements of Roach who insists that Pacquiao will knock De La Hoya out in nine rounds just like he did to WBC lightweight champion David Diaz last June.

Pacquiao for his part once again said he has trained harder than ever before for what he termed the hardest fight of his career and said if a knockout comes “it will be a bonus.”

Roach who previously claimed that De La Hoya “cant pull the trigger” took another dig at “The Golden Boy” saying he is a “a part-time fighter” who had only figured in four fights over the past four years while Pacquiao had, on the other hand, fought four times in the last year."

Pointing to the differences in their ages as Pacquiao will turn 30 this December 17 while De La Hoya is 35, Pacquiao 29 Roach said that De La Hoya will learn just as Muhammad Ali learned when he was badly beaten by his former sparring partner Larry Holmes and as Julio Cesar Chavez did against De La Hoya, what happens when old boxers go up against young guns.

"Oscar will find out how Chavez felt 10 years ago," Roach said. "The younger fighters take over. It's Manny's time now."

Pacquiao conceded that in his 52 pro fights in a storied career that saw him win four world titles in different divisions De La Hoya will be the most best-skilled boxer he will face.

Roach and Pacquiao have worked on a fight-plan that Roach says will spell major trouble for De La Hoya.

De La Hoya said in a recent interview on ESPN Sportscenter that he lost the fight with Mayweather when he suddenly stopped using his left jab and had no explanation on why he did. But Roach claimed "I know why the jab stopped working and that's part of our plan."

De La Hoya in an international conference call Tuesday, Manila Time, backed up an earlier statement that he would knock Pacquiao out in five rounds said he would be “extremely disappointed if the fight doesn’t end in a knockout. It will be a total disaster for me.”

De La Hoya reiterated what he told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports in an exclusive interview right after news of the Pacquiao fight broke saying “this is personal” because of Pacquiao’s decision to sign with Top Rank some 24 hours after signing a deal with Golden Boy Promotions and receiving a cash advance of $250,000.

While he refuses to publicly state that he wishes to give Pacquiao a bad beating De La Hoya admits that what Pacquiao did to him was “one of the reasons why the fight is personal to me.” Saying that Pacquiao turned his back on him after signing a deal, De La Hoya made it clear that Pacquiao “is gonna pay come December 6.”

Showing his bitterness De La Hoya said “I don’t want him to be talking about honor and this and that. He didn’t honor me that night and I’m not gonna honor him on December 6.”

source:Ronnie Nathanielsz, PhilBoxing.com

Pacquiao confident as he prepares for De La Hoya

LOS ANGELES - Trainer Freddie Roach believes Manny Pacquiao will have one significant edge when he fights Oscar De La Hoya: concentration.

Roach said the 35-year-old De La Hoya has changed since his younger days as one of the most dominant fighters.

"He's not quite as active, he's a little more patient, and he tires a little bit quicker," Roach said Monday at the Hollywood gym where he trains Pacquiao. "He has had trouble focusing on the game plan. His mind wanders in there.

"He's weak-minded. I'm not saying nothing bad about him. But some people are very strong-minded, like Manny Pacquiao, and he can hold the game plan throughout."

Pacquiao, who faces De La Hoya on December 6 in Las Vegas, said he doesn't know if his opponent is weak-minded. The 29-year-old from the Philippines also is concentrating on his preparation ahead of the bout.

"Spiritual, physical and mental. You have to focus on that," he said.

The fight will be literally the biggest ever for Pacquiao, who first fought at 106 pounds and will be fighting at the welterweight limit of 147. He has gained weight while De La Hoya has been losing. The taller De La Hoya has fought at 160 pounds but is down to 145.

De La Hoya has said he considers himself a natural welterweight.

Pacquiao, who weighs 151, noted the difference in height, but did not seem concerned about any weight issues for the bout.

"I'm very comfortable at this weight. There are a lot of people saying that Manny Pacquiao is moving up a weight division and, 'Is he going to be fast or is he going to be slow?'" Pacquiao said. "In training, we focus on speed, because the speed will be the key in this fight."

Roach thinks weight also will be a factor that will work in Pacquiao's favor. After the weigh-in for his 134-pound bout against David Diaz in June, Pacquiao was up to 147 when he stepped into the ring.

"I expected him to be sluggish, thought he put too much weight on," Roach said. "You know what? He didn't. He was great that night, he was explosive. I think it was the best fight he's ever fought. He was very disciplined. There'll be a lot of similarities in this fight."

Pacquiao stopped Diaz in the ninth round.

Roach said Pacquiao was stronger now that he's gotten heavier, adding De La Hoya "might be at weight now, but I know he's killing himself making it and I think he's going to be weak going into the fight."

Pacquiao said he is preparing for whatever tactics De La Hoya uses.

"My concern is if he jabs and is running, running," he said. "We have been working on that. And we are prepared if he's going to come in and fight toe to toe."

And Pacquiao is fully aware of the opportunity presented by going up against one of boxing's best-known stars.

"This is the biggest fight in my boxing career," he said. "This is my (chance) that the name Manny Pacquiao will be known not only in the Philippines, but in all boxing." - AP

source: gmanews.tv

ROACH SHOULD PAY BACK DE LA HOYA WITH KINDNESS

Pressed to comment on former trainer Fred Roach’s barrage of criticisms on his being “unable to pull the trigger”, among other negative verbal assaults in the press, Oscar De La Hoya displayed a high level of professionalism and decency when he said nothing bad against the prized owner of Wild Card gym.
“I have nothing to say against Freddie. I hold him with high respect,” De La Hoya was recently quoted as saying in the internet. This, despite the apparent systematic thrash-talking in media initiated by Roach, who had predicted a knockout win for his ward Manny Pacquiao when the two popular boxers fight on December 6 in Las Vegas.

This shows that De La Hoya, true to his reputation as a gentleman in and outside the ring, remains to be one of the most likeable professional athletes in the United States as manifested by his strong adherence to good manners and right conduct when dealing with personalities.

The fact that De La Hoya did not throw back the mud despite the series of negative verbiage from Roach that tends to belittle his being a Golden Boy, Roach should refrain from uttering words that might hurt not only De La Hoya’s handlers in the gym but also his family.

Instead, Roach should pay back the “kindness” shown by De La Hoya by leveling the field of propaganda to where it was before Roach severed his trainer-boxer relationship with De La Hoya, who earned applause from some sports enthusiasts by his being humble enough to scale down to the 147 lbs despite enjoy a kingly status in the light middleweight division just to accommodate Pacquiao.

Even Pacquiao, ironically, never badmouthed De La Hoya and has been very careful with his words when asked to describe the 10-time world champion who won the United States’ lone gold medal in boxing in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Meanwhile, George Willis of Mypost.com, said it very well when he wrote that, “Freddie Roach shouldn't expect any work from Golden Boy Promotions anytime soon. Not with the way he's been trash-talking Oscar De La Hoya.

“Roach trained De La Hoya for his split decision loss to Floyd Mayweather in May 2007. But he'll be in Manny Pacquiao's corner when Pacman fights De La Hoya on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Roach predicts Pacquiao will win by knockout.”

For a change, Roach should be kind to his former boss, Oscar De La Hoya. He should remember that after December 6, he and De La Hoya will continue to engage in boxing business. Sooner or later, they will sit down again in the negotiating table to plan for future fights. Bridges should not be burned at this early.

source: Danyeva Grace C. Donato, PhilBoxing.com

Team Pacquiao makes sure champion’s diet is perfect

What’s the secret behind Manny Pacquiao’s seemingly bottomless energy?

Manny Pacquiao’s tireless energy is being attributed in part to training assistant Nonoy Neri, who is in charge of the Filipino champion’s food.

After doing his thing at the gym, Neri assumes the role of Pacquiao’s cook and he is the one responsible for whipping up nearly everything for Pacquiao except when the champ eats out with his team and friends.

According to sources within the camp, breakfast is usually Hawaiian whole wheat bread and eggs and protein shake.

For lunch and dinner, Neri prepares Filipino dishes from beef, chicken and fish. Pork is out of the menu.

Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza said Pacquiao currently weighs 150 lbs and making the welterweight limit of 147 lbs on the eve of the Dec. 6 battle with Oscar De La Hoya in Las Vegas will be no problem.

"Manny’s doing great and we’re working on maintaining our speed and quickness," said Ariza.

Pacquiao eats four times a day — breakfast, pre-workout meal, late lunch at Nat’s Thai restaurant and dinner.

After reviewing the progress of Pacquiao’s training the past five weeks, trainer Freddie Roach is very satisfied with how Paquiao has controlled his weight.

"On the day of the fight, Freddie wants him at 150 lbs," said Ariza, who spends time with Pacquiao doing drills that the boxer himself swore he had never tried before.

Asked about his impression of De La Hoya, who made himself available to the public last week in the mountains of Big Bear, Ariza wasn’t surprised that the 35-year-old legend looked in great shape.

"They’ve put De La Hoya weight in the low 150s the last few months so they’re doing a great job. (Making 147 lbs) won’t be a problem (for De La Hoya)," said Ariza, noting that "more than strength, they’ll work on speed."

De La Hoya is expected to weigh at least 160 lbs when he answers the first round.

Roach has assured critics that Pacquiao will make De La Hoya "work for every second of every round" en route to "breaking him down by the ninth round."

De La Hoya believes nine rounds will be too long a time for him to be in the ring at the MGM Grand, telling one of his interviewers during the open workout in Big Bear that he’ll "catch Pacquiao in five (rounds)."

Meanwhile, Pacquiao will host an open media workout beginning at 1 p.m. (Los Angeles time) on Monday at the Wild Card.

Publicist Fred Sternburg said it will be Pacquiao’s only open training session as Roach and his prized pupil want to spend the remaining days in deep concentration for the biggest outings of their lives.

source: Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin Online

Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La hoya on HBO's 24/7 tonight

The four-episode series "De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7" premieres tonight.

Tonight, HBO's boxing reality-documentary series 24/7 opens its latest installment as fight fans get a chance to size up Oscar De la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao leading up to their scheduled showdown which takes place December 6th, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Previous 24/7 series featured mega fights such as Mayweather/De la Hoya, Cotto/Margaito, Jones/Calzaghe, and Mayweather/Hatton.

Showtime for the initial segment of the 24/7 series is 830pm eastern and 1130pm pacific standard time.

Manny Pacquiao out in 5, says Oscar De La Hoya

Oscar De La Hoya doesn't want to stay on top of the ring at the MGM Grand Garden long on December 6.

The Golden Boy wants to end the fight after five rounds by beating Manny Pacquiao.

The Golden Boy was responding to claims from his former trainer Freddie Roach - now working with Pacquiao - that the Filipino would knock him out in nine in their welterweight showdown in Las Vegas.

"Oh, my response to that is that we’ll catch him in five so we don’t get to nine," said the 35-year-old De La Hoya from his high-altitude training camp in Big Bear, California.

"It’s going to be an explosive fight. It’s going to be a tough fight. I think whoever catches who first is going down," said De La Hoya, who is heavily favored to repulse the challenge of the 29-year-old Filipino lefty.

He added: "Freddie Roach is a nice guy and I have all the respect for him. I obviously know he has to pump up his fighter he has to pump himself up.

"As you know when he trained Bernard Hopkins. He told him after the fight (with Joe Calzaghe which Hopkins lost) that he has to retire. When he trained Israel Vazquez, he told him (after his loss to Rafael Marquez) 'you have to retire'. He trained me and now he's telling me I have to retire.

This week until the next 14 days, the major players – Pacquiao and De La Hoya – will be making themselves more available to the press and public by doing either a teleconference call or open workout.

But with plenty of time before the main event, Top Rank and the De La Hoya-owned Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) remain upbeat about the outcome of the pay-per-view buys.