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Philippines, 20 Mar 2026 |
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OSCAR GOES FOR A KO, PACMAN VOWS VICTORY By Hermie Rivera PhilBoxing.com Wed, 03 Dec 2008  Las Vegas, Nevada--It was a fight nobody took seriously when first broached by sports chronicler Larry Merchant. Fight nuts derided it as a mismatch but others were supportive of Oscar de la Hoya when he picked Manny Pacquiao for his fight rival at the MGM Grand. The awaited match-up has since morphed into a thriller featuring the planet's hot draws in a veritable slugfest that will be remembered even after a long passage of time. Pacquiao checks in this Saturday equipped with his tools that leveled the likes of Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, David Diaz---not to mention the previous Mexican stars who got clobbered by the power-punching Filipino idol. De la Hoya, with his physical edge, is aching to knock out Pacquiao. Oscar says he will not settle for anything less than a KO of his smaller rival. So we're back for the big vs small theory? Roy Jones' raid of the heavyweight ranks netted him John Ruiz's crown. But Big John got beat when acolytes of the Dalai Lama he hired flopped as sparring mates. From where I sit, Manny's raw courage encased in a heart as large as the tickers of Marines hunting Bin Laden, will do Oscar in. Al Bernstein's is looking for a Pacquiao victory, ?provided he escapes Hoya?s early assaults." "Manny should play it cool for at least seven rounds and catch Oscar for a W in the late rounds ,? opined the expert. "A faulty trigger has ruined de la Hoya' once deadly aim---ergo---Pacquiao will stun the fistic world with an absolute upset of the favored Golden Boy," said Alllan Recto---fight doctor. As we near the climactic resolution of the war at the Grand, posted odds continue to fluctuate with the Pinoy boxing hero closing in on Oscar's once-imposing betting edge. It will continue to slide with the entry of pro-Pacquiao bets expected to roll in before the betting cages close. Factor in Pacquiao?s awesome gym consistency and Oscar's headache will multiply threefold. Meanwhile, Oscar has stuck to his choice of the fifth round when he would stop Pacquiao. The Pacman has characteristically refused to say when a KO would come. But he's certain he will remain on his feet when the smoke of battle clears. Photo by Miguel Salazar. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Hermie Rivera.  |
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