LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao didn?t take too long to recognize the magnitude of his latest bout or where it stands in the history of the sport.
?This is the fight that people won?t forget even in the next 50 years,? the Filipino ring icon said Wednesday after yet another vigorous workout where he stretched himself beyond the limits imposed by his trainers. ?That?s why I consider it an honor to fight [Oscar] De La Hoya.?
Pacquiao has fought several Hall of Fame-bound fighters such as Mexican warriors Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, and even the indefatigable Juan Manuel Marquez. But for sheer box-office draw and marquee power, none of them comes close to De La Hoya, who, despite having rounded the corner of his career?s peak, is still the sport?s biggest draw.
And with the way Pacquiao speaks, you know he recognizes the difference as easily as he can tell a left hook from a right jab.
?This fight will make me known not only in the Philippines, but also all over the world,? he had previously said.
That?s why the 5-foot-6 bundle of relentless energy, who has fought some of boxing?s most exciting fights fueled by a desire to make his country proud, is now making his mission a little bit more personal this time around.
He still drops the ?for the country? phrase every now and then, but not as often as he did in the past. This is his biggest fight, he keeps saying nowadays. This is his personal Everest. That?s why apart from his trademark training, he is adding another weapon — one that, well, moves mountains.
?I believe the Holy Spirit and God are behind me,? Pacquiao said of the December 6 ?Dream Match? against De La Hoya at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Not only will the fight be his biggest in terms of purse — he is expected to earn something within the zip code of P15 million — he will also face his biggest opponent, literally, in the Golden Boy, who has a four-inch edge in height and a five-inch advantage in reach.
None of that, however, fazes Pacquiao. All he asks himself when doubts start to creep into his mind is: ?Where does your faith lie??
?I?m always praying to God to help me win the fight,? said the Gen. Santos native. ?I have faith in God. Whatever happens in the ring, I know it?s His will.?
