DE LA HOYA WANTS REVENGE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 28 Aug 2008
?The Golden Boy? Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and vice president and international matchmaker Eric Gomez were all in Mexico City when we contacted their Los Angeles Office early Wednesday morning.
They are scheduled to return Friday following a press conference in which Golden Boy Promotions and HBO presented : Next Generation Boxing with the first big show scheduled in Monterrey on September 20.
Well-known and widely-respected boxing writer and television reporter James Blears was at the press conference and told www.insidesports.ph that as the in-fighting drags on regarding the revenue split for a fight against Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao, De La Hoya stressed he?d love to pay Pacquiao back, big time, f or his wrecking of a roster of Mexican fighters including legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik ?El Terrible? Morales.
Blears said De La Hoya and his team didn?t pull any punches. He quoted De La Hoya as saying ?I would love to get revenge for all Mexicans who?ve fought against Manny. If you ask me that would be my choice, because he?s considered pound for pound champion of the world, and we can meet half ways, and make a big fight out of it. Manny holds that mythical title now, so all right prove it! He?s exciting, he?s strong, he?s fast. I believe the odds came out at two to one, so why not??
When asked whether he thought Pacquiao was turning down a golden opportunity Oscar responded lightning fast: ?Oh absolutely. It?s a huge opportunity and not only monetarily wise, but exposure, because the whole world will be watching this fight.?
De La Hoya repeated what he told www.insidesports.ph some weeks ago about having no problem making the stipulated weight of 147 pounds for the Las Vegas showdown set for December 6 should it push through. He said ? I can make one forty seven with no problem. I went up six weight classes, so it?s not impossible. Roy Jones went up to heavyweight and he won the title. So in the history of boxing, it?s been proven that the smaller guy jumps up three, four or five weight classes and can be successful, so this wouldn?t be the first.?
De La Hoya and his team was also clearly peeved with Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach who had told us on the dzSR Sports Radio show ?Sports Chat? hosted by Dennis Principe that De La Hoya couldn?t pull the trigger, was slow and would get knocked out by the faster, younger and stronger Pacquiao.
What upset De La Hoya was that Roach who prepared him for the Floyd Mayweather Jr fight made such public statements on Philippine radio.
Blears noted Oscar reflected with unsmiling irritation: ?Freddie Roach is already talking that I can?t pull the trigger. Well if this fight happens, you watch! I?ll pull the trigger!?
After the conference broke up, Golden Boy Vice President and Matchmaker Eric Gomez confided to Blears: ?It was something that Oscar took personally, and it was something that hurt him because he left Freddie on good terms after Freddie helped him for the fight with Mayweather, and to be coming from a guy like Freddie, who he considers a friend it was hurtful. Oscar?s going to try to prove him wrong so let?s see!?
Getting back to the money Eric pursed his lips and stated: ?The truth is in the numbers. Oscar should be getting the lion?s share. The most Manny?s ever made is four times less than what Oscar?s made in his last five fights average. So you really can?t compare apples and oranges, and Manny has to understand that. This is a great opportunity for Manny. If he really wants a worldwide event where he?s going to get exposure from all over the world, he?s got to take this fight. The ball is on his side of the court and he?s got to make it move!?
Referring to The Trigger Syndrome, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer ruefully grinned: ?I think that was a bit disrespectful from Freddie Roach, but if this fight happens, they will be able to see how Oscar?s still able to pull the trigger.?
And Richard pointed out that Manny seems to be banking on percentages too much. He explained: ?I think that?s very dangerous, but sometimes people let their ego get in the way, and they loose the perspective.
?The fact is that in a fight Manny Pacquiao makes two and a half, three or three and a half million dollars. If he goes in against say Juan Manuel Marquez or Erik Morales, maybe he makes four and half or five million dollars?.ok. So now if he goes and fights Oscar, he?s guaranteed ten million dollars and can potentially make fifteen, sixteen or more, depending on how the pay per view numbers are, under that seventy- thirty deal. It?s a little bit difficult to understand why somebody would turn that down? It certainly isn?t because of money, because he makes three or four times more. So I don?t know, maybe he?s scared fighting Oscar? There must be a reason why he hasn?t said YES.?
If there?s no opportunity to pull the trigger against Manny, then there?s a Roy waiting in the wings. Richard confided: ?I got a call in the last couple of days from Roy Jones. If he wins against Calzaghe, he?s interested. Then of course you have Sergio Mora, and Sugar Shane Mosley who would love to have another opportunity to fight Oscar, I don?t know how long Floyd Mayweather?s going to stay in retirement?and Margarito?So theres? a long list.?
But coming back to Oscar?s personal and public preference, Richard explained: ?I think Oscar feels pretty passionate about seeing if he can get a Pacquiao fight done, because as he said, it?s personal for him, as Manny has destroyed most of the Mexican greats of our generation, and now he (Oscar) feels it stops with him.
?I?m continuing conversations with Bob Arum, and we?ll see where it?ll lead. We hope that maybe as early as Thursday, we might have an announcement.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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