Boxing superstar Oscar de la Hoya is not taking Manny Pacquiao lightly, even if the Filipino is clearly the smaller and lighter fighter.
Tapping the services of noted Mexican trainer Ignacio ?Nacho? Beristain, de la Hoya is willing to go through the grinder as he opens training camp for his highly anticipated December 6 showdown with Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
?Make me cry and make me suffer,? said de la Hoya, echoing to reporters the instructions he had given to Beristain. ?He [Beristain] is in command and I will be ready.?
De la Hoya, 35, will fight Pacquiao at the welterweight limit of 147lbs. It will be the Golden Boy?s first fight in the weight class since March 2001, when he demolished Arturo ?Thunder? Gatti in five rounds. The Pacquiao fight will also mark the first time in 11 years?or since he defeated Hector ?Macho? Camacho in September 1997?that de la Hoya is taking on a left-handed opponent.
De la Hoya, 39-5 with 30 knockouts, will be training at Big Bear, California, the place where he used to sweat it out as a young fighter. It was at Big Bear where de la Hoya trained for his big fights against the likes of Fernando Vargas, Pernell Whitaker, Ike Quartey and Julio Cesar Chavez. It has been seven years though since de la Hoya trained in the area.
Beristain is the trainer of former featherweight and junior lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, the counter punching Mexican who had given Pacquiao a lot of problems in two encounters. Beristain will try to instill in de la Hoya the same counterpunching skill Marquez displayed in near flawless fashion against the Filipino.
De la Hoya doesn?t see himself outgunning Pacquiao, acknowledging that even he is surprised by the PacMan?s hand speed. In June, Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 knockouts) moved up to his fifth weight class (the lightweight division, 135lbs) and displayed no diminution in hand speed in scoring a riveting ninth round knockout of David Diaz. Pacquiao averaged nearly 88 punches per round against Diaz?38 percent higher than the lightweight average of 64.
?I think the win over Diaz demonstrated to me that he is growing and he is progressing. I am not really sure what to expect,? said de la Hoya.
De la Hoya says timing will be the key in eliminating PacMan?s speed.
?You can be the slowest fighter out there, but if you can time that punch coming in, you can be 10 times faster,? explained de la Hoya.
Insiders have that in addition to studying Marquez?s style, de la Hoya has also been working on developing his underrated jab. Pacquiao loves to lunge in with vicious combinations and experts believe a potent left jab from de la Hoya will help keep the PacMan at a safe distance.
?The difference is that Manny will be right in front of me, which is better for me because it means we?ll engage in a great fight,? said de la Hoya.
De la Hoya had earlier announced that the Pacquiao fight would be his last, but he has since reneged on the vow and is actually penciling two more fights before he calls it a day.
?I am not done learning, I am still progressing as a fighter,? explained the Golden Boy.
