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De la Hoya ? Pacquiao: Just Sheer Hype? By Mortz Marcelo Ortigoza PhilBoxing.com Thu, 22 Nov 2007 On September 2003, boxing promoter Oscar de la Hoya fought Middleweight King Bernard ?The Executioner? Hopkins at 160 lbs. He bloated himself to 6 pounds so he could pay himself $ 30 Million, while the wide-eyed Executioner received his first $10 million in prize money. Prior to the said tussle, Hopkins used to satisfy himself with only up to $300,000 purse. For the first time in his boxing career, de la Hoya tasted the thickness of the canvas as he rolled his body back and forth by grimacing in pain -- all compliments by a nine pound left upper cut from Hopkins that landed with a bang on the right liver part area of the Golden Boy?s body. But every boxing kibitzer worth his salt will pooh-poohed that technical knock down. It was a non-issue, and a tragedy not to crow for. The 154 lbs Super Welterweight Oscar was fighting on a heavier division. The Executioner was too big for him. In case de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao cross their path at the controversial catch weight of 147 lbs, will it be physically possible? And if your answer is in the affirmative, will the Golden boy still be effective against the Filipino Superman that surprisingly sports an Indon-Malay face? Erik Morales -- who fought Pacquiao in a rematch and rubber match -- found himself overwhelmed because he was over drained. This as his body was protesting for the weights he shed. Those two encounters destroyed him. Would that 147 catch weight will drain and eventually destroy de la Hoya, too? At the fight night of Pacquiao versus Marco Antonio Barrera held last August 2007, the Pacman swelled at 144 lbs. The 147 lbs is a probable money-churning mega fight that for the first time Manny can taste his first $ 10 Million or more purse. In this fight he will find himself pitted to the biggest money drawing icon who already grossly earned $594.3 million in his entire boxing career. The richest dude in boxing ?- the second most popular sport in the world after soccer football. But the maximum weight Manny could show to all and sundry was 144 lbs. Can he add another 3 lbs to reach 147 lbs? With Pacquaio eating some stalks of boiled banana that we Filipinos called sab-a hours before rumble night to reach 147lbs, would he not lost his power, speed, and reaction. When the 140 lbs Super Lightweight champ Ricky Hatton climbed the dais to fight Luis Collazo in the 147 lbs Welterweight division on May 13, 2006, boxing experts observed the former became slower. Fortunately, he won the fight via a slim margin. The hype to pit Pacquiao against de la Hoya was for me, well, a sheer hype. Since de la Hoya is not a balloon that at the whims and caprices of those some big time boxing promoters he can just shed weight from 154 lbs to 147 lbs at the wink of an eye. Remember the inflexibility since he used to fight at 160 lbs. The real balloon and swell head that can give Pacquiao his mega bucks too will be Floyd Mayweather, Jr. at 147 Welterweights Division. A shed of 3 lbs for Pretty Floyd to par with Manny?s 144 lbs is a physical probability. In case Ricky Hatton pierce the swell out of the Pretty boy on December 9, 2007, then he and Manny can be a hot cake for global consumption. Hatton?s 140 lbs scale will jibe with the Filipino pug who bloated himself to 144 lbs?this without even the luxury of eating the fart-inducing poor man?s sab-a. But will Manny -- who banks on his left knock out punch ?- be effective on Welterweight Division since the amended statute of the Nevada Athletics Commission mandates that pugilist from Lightweight (135 lbs) up should wear a 10-ounce glove -- a big padded stuff that will extract a significant portion of Pacquiao?s power. A power that used to knocked out guys through eight-ounce Cleto-Reyes leather. (Note: Mr. Ortigoza is the voice behind Bombo?Radyo global lived coverage every time Pacquaio has a boxing match in Las Vegas, USA. Please send comment to totomortz@yahoo.com) Click here to view a list of other articles written by Mortz Marcelo Ortigoza. |
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