My fellow boxing scribes are writing about Manny Pacquiao today (Monday) because he held a telephone press conference, so I?m dodging the pack by thinking about Oscar De La Hoya instead. With Top Rank poobah Bob Arum standing over him Monday, Pacquiao did his best not to make any revelations of the sort that led to admonition for trainer Freddie Roach last week from the promoter. And, although he obviously isn?t looking past his Dec. 6 welterweight match with De La Hoya, Pacquiao said he figures his next fight will be at 140 pounds. That more or less confirms rumors that Pacquiao vs.Ricky Hatton is a coming attraction for 2009.
Pacquiao is under far less pressure to win Dec. 6 than De La Hoya, who last week said anything short of a knockout of Pacquiao will be substandard. Although I?m rooting for Pacquiao and his fans dominate my readership, I have rooted against De La Hoya only three times (Pernell Whitaker once and Shane Mosley twice) since Oscar moved up from lightweight, after fighting Jesse James Leija in 1995, and finally started fighting people his own size.
De La Hoya was a monster at 130 and 135, with too much length and power and underrated speed. Even at 147, De La Hoya looks too big to be a welterweight, and that?s part of the reason the Pacquiao fight is perceived as a mismatch.
De La Hoya is all-American to a fault. The Golden Boy still seems a bit artificially packaged, but his public persona is extremely likeable and attractive. He?s got to be one of the biggest babe magnets in the history of boxing, if not No. 1, and despite the aspersions of some people concerning his machismo, he hasn?t ducked any challenges and even took on Bernard Hopkins and took his lumps from the bigger man. That?s the only bout he ever lost decisively, although a couple of wins were also too close to call.
So there?s reason to care about him, even if you?re rooting against him Dec. 6.
