Although the early betting line installed Oscar de la Hoya an 8-5 favorite over Manny Pacquiao, the consensus is the odds will even out as wagers from Filipino fans pour in during the run-up to the Dec. 6 fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
That?s the word from Pacquiao?s adviser Michael Koncz who flew in last week to set up a teleconference call with the WBC lightweight champion in General Santos City. Koncz returns to Los Angeles tonight.
?I?m not a gambling man but I expect close to even odds as the fight draws closer,? said Koncz the other day. ?The Filipino money will see to that. But as far as Manny is concerned, the odds don?t mean anything. Manny knows what he has to do to win and that?s all that counts.?
Koncz said trainer Freddie Roach will devise a fight plan to overcome De la Hoya?s advantage in size. De la Hoya, a natural light middleweight, is taller and has a longer wingspan.
?Freddie has worked with Oscar so he knows his strengths and weaknesses,? said Koncz. ?If Manny fights the perfect fight, he?ll beat Oscar. I don?t see Manny fighting Oscar like he fought (David) Diaz. Against Diaz, Manny threw one combination after another. Against Oscar, he?ll throw a combination, move out then throw another combination. He?ll use his speed to move in and out.?
Koncz declined to speculate if Pacquiao would knock out De la Hoya. ?I can?t tell you if Manny will win by knockout or on points,? he went on. ?All I know is if Manny fights the way he should, he?ll win.?
Koncz said Pacquiao will be comfortable fighting at the catchweight limit of 147 pounds.
?In some of Manny?s recent fights, he went up to as much as 153 pounds after the weigh-in so I don?t think he?ll be too small for Oscar,? said Koncz. ?He?ll be just right without losing his quickness and he?ll pack more power.?
Despite the De la Hoya hype, Koncz said it won?t be a career-defining fight for Pacquiao.
?For sure, the fight will shoot Manny to superstardom,? said Koncz. ?But it?s not going to be the legacy fight for him. After Oscar, Manny could fight Ricky Hatton who is a much more intriguing opponent. Then, he could bait Floyd Mayweather out of retirement. And if he?d like to do one more fight before retiring, it could be against Antonio Margarito. It?s really all up to Manny what he wants to do.?
But Koncz said Pacquiao?s future depends on how he performs against De la Hoya.
?At this point, we?re taking it one fight at a time,? said Koncz. ?If Manny does well against Oscar, he?ll move forward. I foresee two or three more fights for Manny. I can?t see him dropping down to fight lower-level opponents. Manny is now in a class of his own.?
Koncz declined to disclose what the financial considerations were in signing up Pacquiao and De la Hoya.
?Terms are confidential,? said Koncz. ?The important thing is these two great fighters agreed to fight because they want to give the fans what they want. This was a case of two legends getting together for a fight. Some compromises had to be made but when two professionals set their minds to something, they get it done. Fans can expect a highly competitive and entertaining fight.?
As for the pressure, Koncz said De la Hoya will feel it more than Pacquiao.
?Manny has everything to gain and little to lose in this fight so I think there?s less pressure on him than Oscar,? said Koncz. ?But in a fight like this where the stakes and the level of competition are high, pressure isn?t a big factor. Both fighters probably fight better under pressure.?
Koncz said the undercard is now being assembled with Pacquiao requesting slots for three Filipino fighters.
?We?re looking at the available dates because there may be shows a few days before Manny?s fight where we could bring in Filipinos,? said Koncz.
Some concerns, however, were raised from within the Dela Hoya camp on whether Floyd Mayweather Sr. will be around to train the 1992 Olympic champion for the Pacquiao fight.
Mayweather Sr. has already agreed to train Rocky Hatton for his Nov. 22 bout with Paul Malignaggi also at the MGM Grand. Hatton is under contract with Golden Boy and should have no problem sharing his trainer with Dela Hoya.
