20.07.08 – by James Slater: It seems there is a very strong chance Oscar De La Hoya’s farewell opponent could be none other than Manny Pacquiao after all. This fight, which has been spoken of as a possibility for some time now, has a good chance of taking place on December 6th in Las Vegas..
“Pac-Man” has gone on record as saying he wants the fight very much, and his trainer, Freddie Roach (much to the annoyance of promoter Bob Arum who is trying to make De La Hoya-Pacquiao or Oscar-Miguel Cotto for December) has said he feels his fighter can stop “The Golden Boy.”
The fight, should it actually happen, would take place at 147 pounds – welterweight being the lowest Oscar could go at this, final, stage in his great career. Trainer Roach feels Manny can fight effectively at around the 145-pound mark, saying also he feels De La Hoya will be beatable. If Steve Forbes could unload on Oscar, Roach says, why can’t his guy? Manny would “annihilate” the 35-year-old legend, Roach claims. But would he? Would the Filipino dynamo, who, let’s not forget, began his pro career way down at 106 pounds, really have a chance at beating a man who has fought as high as middleweight?
There is no doubt Pacquaio means it when he says he wants the fight. A genuine warrior with the mentality to match – “Pac-Man” is utterly fearless. But could the fight turn into an embarrassment almost as soon as the opening bell rings? Only when fighters from differing weight classes get into the ring together does the size discrepancy between the two men show itself fully. Forget the pre-fight stare-downs that frequently occur when the two boxers are fully clothed; only when they are exposed under the ring lights is the real story told. There is a chance, a very good chance, that once Manny and Oscar meet face-to-face in mid ring (or face to chest in this case), the size difference will bring chuckles from ringside observers.
We’ve all seen smaller fighters, no matter how great they are, being destroyed when they have moved up too far in weight divisions. If this were the case between De La Hoya and Pacquiao the fight would benefit no-one. Aside from a huge payday, Manny would receive nothing good. And aside from ending his career with a win – albeit very possibly a farcical one – Oscar would gain nothing positive. And the paying fans will have seen nothing but a one-sided mismatch.
Oscar De La Hoya must think very seriously about if he wants to fight Manny Pacquiao and what his final image as a fighter will be. A bout with Pacquiao is a dangerous one for the 35-year-old – but not in the way you would think. It is dangerous in that it just might leave a great fighter feeling more than slightly embarrassed as he leaves the ring for the very last time.
In the final analysis Manny Pacquiao, at 5′ 6.5″ with a reach of 67″ compared to 73″ for Oscar, is simply too small to fight De La Hoya – all 5′ 10.5″ of him!