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Philippines, 06 Jan 2009 |
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PACQUIAO WILL STOP DE LA HOYA IN 9TH OR 10TH, ARUM INSISTS By Alex P. Vidal PhilBoxing.com Thu, 04 Dec 2008  LAS VEGAS, Nevada – “I tell you, this coming Saturday Manny Pacquiao will stop Oscar De La Hoya in the ninth or tenth round.” Thus was the bold prediction made by Top Rank big boss Bob Arum after the final press conference of the De La Hoya-Pacquiao “Dream Match” at the jampacked Hollywood theater in MGM Grand, here, December even as he reiterated that the 29-year-old lightweight world champion “will shock the world.” Arum likened Pacquiao’s courage to the Filipino soldiers who fought side by side with American troopers during the World War II where he said the numerically inferior Filipinos did not give up fighting the Japanese Imperial Army which invaded the Philippines. Arum said when Gen McArthur left and returned to liberate the Philippines from Japanese invaders the Filipino soldiers continued fighting on their own and never gave up.” “That’s how I compare Manny’s attitude. He never gives up that’s why I know he is going to win this great fight. And you better believe me because I am older than most of you here,” Arum said. Arum said Pacquiao, although will fight only for the first time in the 147 lbs, is so powerful “and his speed will really make a big difference.” He likened the De La Hoya-Pacquiao tiff to the recent presidential election where underdog Barack Obama beat John McCain. Arum said Pacquiao, who stands five feet and six inches, is the Obama while the five feet and 11 inches De La Hoya, a 10-time world champion in six different weight categories, is McCain. Arum said he sensed that “Pacquiao is not destructed by the fact that he is the underdog” in the 12-round non-title fight, which will be brought “live” on pay-per-view by HBO. “He seems tireless and has tremendous discipline and training attitude not seen in other boxers. I have not seen a focused boxer like him,” Arum said. Meanwhile, Angelo Dundee, the man who made Cassius Clay as world champion in the 60’s, said De La Hoya’s style and skills “will be too much” against Pacquiao. Dundee said “he was happy to be invited on board” the Team De La Hoya as he was hired as training adviser and has been reporting in De La Hoya’s training camp in Big Bear, California together with Nacho Berestain, De La Hoya’s chief trainer who also trained Juan Manuel Marquez. “”Pacquiao’s style is the height of aggression—busy, busy, busy,” Dundee said. “But Oscar is the better fighter. He’s been training like a 21-year-old.” Top photo: Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum drives a point when spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon during the final press conference of the De La Hoya vs Pacquiao mega fight scheduled this Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Photo by Dong Secuya / PhilBoxing.com. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal. Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles: |
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