Pacquiao In Peak Form, No Silver Lining For The 'Goldenboy'
By Vivek Wallace, Photo by Naoki Fukuda -- The showdown last Saturday night between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao showed us exactly how unpredictable this sport really is. Many experts and fight fans predicted a victory for the bigger guy with the bigger name. Despite initially leaning in his favor myself, as indicated in my pre-fight article I abandoned those thoughts, instead opting to take the guidance of my three year old son whose streak was 6-0 going into the showdown. I guess adapting that child-like "go-with-the-guy-whose-name-sounds-cooler" philosophy is more deft than the ones us grown experts use because oddly enough, my decision to go with the little guys (Pacquiao and my son), was the right one in the end.
As that scenario and the fight itself would indicate, often in life it's the youthful inclination that outweighs the older methodical approach. Better said, when speed kills, maybe size really doesn't matter. Now that the damage is done we can accurately assess the future of both men involved:
OSCAR DE LA HOYA - 'THE AFTERMATH': The options for Oscar De La Hoya moving forward have gone from slim to nearly none. Many felt the fight with Pacquaio was an absolute fraud, and turns out it was, but for none of the reasons anyone expected. Perhaps the most telling statement of the night came from a fight fan I speak to regularly who was actually in attendance in Las Vegas. His perspective was that he "felt totally ripped off after the pathetic undercard, but got complete vindication by the drubbing that Oscar took in the headlining fight". To know that there are people out there who are this disgusted with Oscar I thought was VERY unfortunate, but as I put my ear to the streets, I'm quickly learning that this one fight fans perspective is not at all off the beat and path. Despite all the legendary nights and spirited efforts, all of a sudden, Oscar's most remembered legacy is for all the $55 pocket busting pay-per-view fights that didn't live up to the hype, and all the less-than-appealing ring appearances contained within them. Aside from a potential dual-retirement showdown between Trinidad - which would require Oscar to OK a higher weight limit - there's nothing out there that anyone would want to see that entails Oscar with a pair of gloves on. Absolutely nothing. The proposed showdown with Hatton appeared to be a done deal being that Oscar promotes him, but after Oscar's humbling defeat, there's no interest their what-so-ever.
The irony in this whole matter is that this is now the third time Oscar has taken a fight with plans of setting up another and found himself forced to watch those plans crash and burn. Many remember prior to the Hatton/Mayweather fight when Hatton defeated Castillo, and before Hatton could leave the locker room, rumors spread that Oscar was on his phone telling him that they would put on a great show in Wembley Stadium. Oscar went on to openly endorse Hatton in his fight with Mayweather which would have set their event up, only to watch Hatton humbled by Floyd, forcing him to make the decision to stay at jr. welterweight rather than entertain that fight. Then, Oscar went on to openly endorse Cotto over Margarito, setting the stage for a potential December showdown with the Puerto Rican ring master; Only to watch Cotto humbled by a man he wouldn't dare face - (Antonio Margarito). This time he found himself entering a showdown with Pacquiao while once again opening dialogue which would set the stage for that well coveted fight with Hatton overseas, only to find those plans derailed once again at the hands of a man he probably thought he would outmatch based on his own size and power. In street vernacular the the term loosely used for making money is baking 'cake'. As it relates to this matter, lets just say that Oscar apparently can't bake his 'cake' and eat it too! With no worthy options worth entertaining, the future for Oscar appears firmly entrenched in the promotional world. That is unless of course Trinidad wants to use the great dietician Oscar used to get himself down to 147lbs. Stay tuned.
MANNY PACQUIAO - 'THE AFTERMATH': For Manny Pacquiao, the future has never looked brighter, and no matter what it entails, both major paths lead to a Mayweather. He can either face Ricky Hatton who's now trained by Floyd sr., or he can really roll the dice and entertain the X-factor, which is a showdown with the sports last pound-for-pound king before he got the title, Floyd Mayweather jr. Other options that would be a blast to see, yet lack the economic support would be a lightweight showdown with current division ruler Nate Campbell, another showdown with Juan Manuel Lopez, or perhaps even a fight with the powerful but somewhat untested Edwin Valero. At any rate, options are plentiful and all with the exception of the Mayweather showdown would seem to point to Pacquiao landing the bigger purse. In a showdown against Hatton, the preliminary scouting report would lean towards Pacquiao who has proven that he can handle his own against much bigger opposition. Hatton showed significant improvement under the tutelage of Mayweather sr. and there's no question the fight wouldn't be too easy for either man, but in the end, at first glance I feel you have to lean towards a very powerful Pacquiao who not only has learned to pace himself, but also transformed into a very slippery defensive agent as well. The possibility of another showdown with Juan Manuel Marquez isn't a bad one but I'm pretty sure at this point that Pacquiao and his team aren't gonna make the mistake that Roy Jones jr. did with Tarver by taking a dangerous rematch with a foe who gives him much to lose and very little to gain.
A similar line can be drawn with the dangerous Nate Campbell. Campbell's come straight ahead style and ability to take a shot wouldn't make for a very comfortable night for Pacquiao, which is why he and Bob Arum won't risk the possibility of a loss or a poor outing against someone who isn't quite on that mega fight level - for whatever reason. When you analyze all of Pacquiao's options, the only two that make sense is Hatton and Mayweather. With Mayweather being the more dangerous of the two, I expect Pacquiao to take the challenge of facing Hatton first, then upon successful completion, entertain the notion of facing a very idle yet still dangerous Mayweather by Fall of '09. Both fights will reach epic proportions on a global scale, and unlike the original 'Dream Match' that we were told 'The World Awaits', I expect either of these two matchups to whet the appetite of anyone who has even remotely entertained the fight game. Soon we shall all find out.
Manny Pacquiao - A True Modern Day Phenomenon!
 by James Slater - What can one say about the incredible Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao except good things? Last night, in beating up and surely retiring for good fellow all-time great Oscar De La Hoya in what can only be described as a huge upset, the 29-year-old Filipino did something incredible. Now having made his mark in weight divisions from flyweight up to welterweight (even though there was no title on the line last night) Pacquiao is without a doubt the finest fighter not only to have come out of his country, but in the world today.
Yet despite all his talents and despite being able to do what he did last night, Manny remains a humble and very likeable person. Never letting his greatness go to his head, the gifted southpaw prefers to let his countrymen and women take the glory his fast fists bring. Last night, whilst being interviewed, first by Larry Merchant and then by the UK's Ian Darke, Pacquiao called his interviewer sir. This after pulling off the finest and most shocking victory of his career! Clearly, what we are dealing with here, inside and outside the ring, is someone truly special.
And to think, when last night's "Dream Match" was first announced, and right up until its first bell rang, vast numbers of fans and experts were calling the fight a bad joke of an event, a bout that would do nothing but line Oscar De La Hoya's pockets - a fight many fans said they were going to boycott and refuse to pay to watch. How do these people feel now? If they were as good as their word, they missed something both astonishing and historic last night. In short, Pacquiao didn't just win, he dominated - and who predicted that beforehand?
Surprisingly retaining his speed along with a fair amount of his punching power, "Pac-Man" truly ate up the former "Golden Boy." Landing his southpaw left cross almost at will, Pacquiao out-boxed and wholly out-punched De La Hoya, before busting up his face and then, in what was deemed almost impossible beforehand, was on the verge of not only a stoppage victory, but an outright KO victory! Many mouths were agape last night at The MGM Grand, Las Vegas, and with good reason. We asked ourselves, could what was happening before our eyes really be true?
Some people will no doubt say, cynical as they are, that Pacquiao did nothing but beat a shell of a man last night. And it's true, Oscar looked a faded force, one who had taken a lot out of himself by getting down to 145 pounds - his lowest weight in years. But this should not take the achievement away from Manny. Even an older, faded bigger man - a MUCH bigger man - should have given Pacquiao a rough time in there. But Oscar, try as he did, could not cope either with the Filipino's speed or southpaw stance. Indeed, Pacquiao looked so good, his performance begged the question of whether or not he'd have been able to do this to a fresher De La Hoya. That's how great Manny was last night, he made us think this way.
In winning last night, Pacquiao also proved his trainer, the wise Freddie Roach, is neither crazy nor foolish. He said all along that Oscar wouldn't be able to "pull the trigger," and wow, was he correct! A one-sided fight was expected, almost feared, by many boxing folk last night - well, we got a mismatch, but not the way we worried we would. It's still hard to accept now, hours after the bout; De La Hoya was no match, at all, for Manny Pacquiao. Who thought they'd be reading anything like that the Sunday after the "Dream Match?"
It still takes some believing: Pacquiao WRTD 8 De La Hoya!
Can Floyd Mayweather Junior Resist The Irresistible Fight - Vs. Pacquiao?
 by James Slater - Go back a year, and any fight fan out there would tell you an undefeated welterweight hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan was the undisputed best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. This pugilist had beaten Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and any other top guy you could care to mention from the 130 to the 154-pound weight class. Well, as true as that was a year ago, this fighter, known as "Money," no longer holds the distinction today. There is a new star of the mythical pound ship, and his name is Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao.
In last night brutalizing Oscar De La Hoya like no-one ever has before, Pacquiao looked better than guys named Mayweather, Mosley, Trinidad - even Hopkins. No-one has ever done to "the Golden Boy" what "Pac-Man" did last night in Las Vegas, and the only question out there now is, is there anyone who can dispute the amazing Filipino's worldwide, pound-for-pound dominance?
There is one sensationally talented fighter, but he has now been idle for a solid year. His name? Floyd Mayweather Junior, an unbeaten 31-year-old with a 39-0(25) pro record. Sitting at home and watching last night's astonishing annihilation by "Pac-Man" as he surely did, the true fighter in Mayweather most certainly got hold of him by the throat and demanded that he come back and reclaim his throne atop the very best in the undisputed boxing world. Simply put, how can Floyd sit easy and not feel threatened by what happened last night?
A man perturbed by an ego as much as the next greatly proclaimed boxer, Mayweather has to have felt a twinge and an urge last night. No way can he sit back, relax and accept that another fighter has taken his position as the world's best boxer - especially as he himself has never lost; to anyone. So the question is, will the potentially best and most important lower weight-class bout in modern day boxing history take place in 2009, or will America's finest as proven in Floyd Mayweather leave the superior practicing of the sweet science to a Filipino dynamo named Manny Pacquiao?
Will Mayweather dust off the idleness of a solid year and come back to put the fighter named "Pac-Man" in his place, or will he remain safely content within the riches his, to this point relatively untested, boxing skills have earned him?
All the boxing world demands an answer to this question; and it's now up to Maweather Jr to answer it. Should he remain silent, however, a rival fighter will take his place and step up to the plate. Ironically, this is a fighter Floyd has already beaten, and by stoppage at that. Ricky Hatton is his name, and he is all but aching to get it on with the warrior known as "Pac-Man."
Will the lesser talented but fearless battler Hatton take the place of Mayweather, and attempt to do the job he feels has to be done himself? Or will the man who has called himself the best fighter since the incomparable "Sugar" Ray Robinson come out and do his own work? Time will tell.
Whatever the case, Manny Pacquiao is waiting!
De La Hoya: The Golden era comes to a close
 By Madra Uladh - Oscar Delahoya burst onto the boxing scene in 1992, winning Gold at the Barcelona Olympics. Later that fall, sixteen years and two weeks ago tonight, he turned professional and began a spectacular climb to the pinnacle of the sport.
He faced~more great fighters in more weight divisions than any boxer of the last quarter-century, and captured titles at six weight divisions from 130 lbs to 160lbs, reaching the coveted number one pound-for-pound spot.
Oscar became the highest earning non-heavyweight boxer in history, and one of the two highest paid in any weight division.
Along the way, he provided many great performances in the ring. He had some very decisive victories and some that were closer. These included a couple of bouts where he lost, but probably should have got the decision, and a couple where he was the beneficiary of questionable decisions in the other direction.
Against his many wins, he lost two very controversial decisions, and two split decisions. He was also stopped once, by the much bigger Bernard Hopkins. But in all his fights, he was never dominated.
Till tonight.
Someone said of Sonny Liston that sometimes a man grows old in the course of an evening. I believe this happened to Oscar this evening.
From the opening Bell, his opponent, the number one ranked pound-for-pound Manny Pacquiao was faster, more aggressive and commanded the pace and direction of the action. Oscar just couldn't figure him out. By the end of three rounds, it was evident that Oscar was reduced to having a puncher's chance, and by the end of seven, it was evident that he wasn't going to go the distance.
I'm not sure if I was more surprised by how good Manny looked or how poorly Oscar performed. Manny was at the peak of his game. Had a plan, and he executed it to perfection.
Oscar may have had a game plan too, but when it proved ineffective, he did not appear to have a plan B. He was, surprisingly, the smaller man going in, and, it appeared, the weaker man after the third round. Perhaps he was weaker from the beginning, but Manny needed three rounds to be certain.
I had, in agreement with two of the judges, a score of 80-71at the time of stoppage, eight rounds to nothing, with one 10-8 round. The other judge inexplicably found one round to give to Oscar, scoring it 79-72. At the end of round eight, Oscar's corner advised him that they were going to end matters at the end of round nine if he didn't start throwing back. Then one of his seconds asked about stopping it right there. Oscar didn't offer any resistance, and it was over.
Most of the pundits predicted a mismatch, and they were right. They were just wrong on who was mismatched. This is an upset of almost epic proportions and will generate commentary and post mortem analysis for days and months, even years to come.
For tonight, I would like to pay tribute to a great boxer who provided much entertainment, excitement and interest for our sport, and whose career has now come to its close.
And I would like to congratulate Manny Pacquiao on his historic and monumental achievement. Although he did not capture a title tonight, he accomplished what many believed was beyond reach, and he can now be compared to the great multi-division champion, Henry Armstrong.
Congratulations on a great victory
Pac Man Annihilates Golden Boy
 By Paul Strauss: Manny Pacquiao set the scene from round one, controlling the action and out-speeding and out hitting Oscar De La Hoya. By the third round Manny already knew he had Oscar beat, but he remained cautious, and continued to break him down. For Pacquiao fans, and boxing fans in general, it was a beautiful thing to watch. Manny took every round, and did it will style. He darted in and out, and side to side, always keeping Oscar off balance, and proving as Freddie Roach said, "He no longer can pull the trigger".
Before the action started there was a mini-controversy over the way Oscar wraps his hands. Freddie Roach, Manny’s trainer, protested about Oscar’s use of "strap tape", rather than the normal surgical tape. He explained the strap tape results in a harder wrap. He also objected to the use of rolled up tape placed between the knuckles.. Freddie felt that produces ridges that can work its way threw the padding of the glove, and could cause a cut. Oscar also uses some type of plastic covering or sleeve for his thumb, and Freddie felt that too violated the rules. Freddie lost one and won one, getting the thumb sleeve voted out, but the tape remained. Freddie accepted the decision and said that he might wrap Manny's hands using the same tape and same technique. In the end, it was not a factor, and just pre-fight fluff.
When the opening bell rang, Oscar started out with his usual style, which is jabbing on his way in, and then backing out of range on pretty much of a straight line. Manny, on the other hand, started out at a safe distance, all the while constantly moving his head from side to side. As a result, Oscar couldn't time or reach him with his jab. Then, with lightning speed Manny would step forward with his right foot, parallel to Oscar's left (or front foot), and at the same time shoot a straight left up the pipe to Oscar's face. Then he would duck down and pivot around, further moving to his right and out of range. Oscar couldn't retaliate, because Manny wasn't there. Manny continued this technique, turning him and keeping him on the defensive.
As the fight progressed, Manny increased the level of his attack, darting in and out and side to side, all the while unleashing punishing combinations. The punches came from all angles. Oscar would try to rely on his gloves to block punches, but he was unable to do so. First, Manny would fire off a lead straight left hand, then a right hook, then a looping left, then a right uppercut, and a left to the body and so forth.
Occasionally Oscar would attempt to counter, but usually he was hitting air, and as soon as he would stop, Manny was back at him like some kind of Pacific Typhoon. To use an analogy the first few rounds were the early signs of the high winds to come, and by the middle rounds, Oscar was right in the middle, or eye of the storm, when first the winds come from one direction, then the other, and there's always the surge. That's about the time victims (Oscar) wish they had obeyed the earlier warning signs and evacuated.
All the pre-fight hype about the size advantage De La Hoya would enjoy meant nothing. Speed and power were the keys to this fight, and not only hand speed. No, as much as anything, Manny has tremendous legs. Those sturdy limbs enable him to get in and out, and go side to side so fast I'm sure Oscar thought he was fighting two guys. Those big calf and thigh muscles also give Manny his tremendous punching power. Make no mistake, this is no pretender from a lighter weight class, who many thought was audacious in his challenge to the Golden Boy. No, the swelling and bruises to De La Hoya's face attest to that fact. He is no powder puff puncher with an unrealistic dream. He is the best P4P fighter in the world. Manny is a supremely confident and talented fighter, who has steadily improved with each fight, making himself, with the help of Freddie Roach, into one of the fiercest destroyers in the fistic world.
As things unfolded, Oscar’s corner wanted him to make extensive use of the jab, and then follow up with a one two combination fired at 45, which meant an upright angle to penetrate Manny's defense. But, as Freddie Roach advised, Oscar just couldn't pull the trigger. By the seventh round, it was readily apparent to all watching that Oscar had had it. He was getting pummeled from all angles, and at one point appeared to want to reach for the ropes for needed support. Referee Tony Weeks moved steadily closer, ready to jump in at any moment and call a halt to the action.
At the end of the seventh round, Oscar was told by Weeks that he would have to stop the fight if Oscar continued to take so many punches. Oscar's corner echoed those sentiments. Bravely, Oscar came out for the eighth, and had one momentary flurry, but for the most part was on the receiving end. It was painful to watch, and you wondered what was keeping him up?
At the end of the eighth, Oscar's corner men, the referee and ringside physician convinced him to let them stop the fight. They told him something he knew only too well knew, and that was, "You're taking too many punches, and you just can't deal with Manny's speed." Lesser fighters would have quit much earlier. Oscar had to know that even when he did land a few punches once in a while, it changed nothing. .
Mercifully the slaughter was stopped at the end of eighth. Once the decision was made, Oscar immediately got up from his stool, and made his way across the ring to congratulate Manny on his victory. Manny thanked him and said, "You're still my idol." It was one of the few times Oscar was able to offer a counter when he said, "No, you're my idol!"
The MGM Grand Garden Arena crowd had many celebrities, including one named The Hitman. Ricky Hatton was seen drooling at ringside over the prospect of fighting either De La Hoya or Manny Pacquiao. Ricky is no fool, and realizes a match with either Oscar or Manny would be an enormous pay day for him. The chances of De La Hoya dropping to 140 lbs seem remote, though. However, Manny shouldn't have any trouble, as his fight before tonight was at 135 lbs., and he moved up in weight for it. The promoter's wheels are probably already turning. The biggest problem might be in finding a place big enough to accommodate all the fans coming from England, the Philippines, Mexico and all parts of the pugilistic world. It will be a cracker jack of a match up!
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