DE LA HOYA PICKS BERISTAIN AS TRAINER FOR PACQUIAO FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 24 Sep 2008
Oscar De La Hoya?s worries over not having decided on a trainer for his ?Dream Match? against Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand on December 6 are over. He has come to terms with the legendary trainer Ignacio?Nacho? Beristain.
De La Hoya called www.insidesports, Manila Standard and Viva Sports over the weekend when he was in Monterrey for a Golden Boy Promotions fight card and said he was ?going to be talking to Nacho Beristain in the next couple of days.? De La Hoya told us ? he (Beristain) is a great trainer and obviously knows Pacquiao very well? having been the trainer of Juan Manuel Marquez in his two classic encounters with Pacquiao.
dzSR Radio host Dennis Principe had an exclusive interview with Beristain on his popular ?Sports Chat? morning show in which Beristain said ?I see a great fight. I can tnell you its going to be a great fight because Manny Pacquiao is an excellent fighter, Oscar De La Hoya is the best fighter? adding that Pacquiao has ?everything to gain and nothing to lose.?
Beristain told Principe who is also a partner of www.insidesports.ph that ?Manny?s advantage is his speed and power but I don?t see him winning against Oscar since Oscar is the bigger, stronger and smarter fighter. I don?t think Manny Pacquiao has a chance.?
However, the astute trainer believes the fight will go the distance but ?if it ends earlier its going to be by technical knockout for Oscar.? Beristain conceded that if Pacquiao wins ?there?s going to be madness and craziness in Manila that you people might consider putting up a monument for Manny.?
In a statement emailed to media, De La Hoya said Beristain is a great trainer whom he has respected for many years and he was honored to have him in his corner. He said ?in addition to his great tactical mind and considering that he prepared Marquez for two fights againt Pacquiao and he knows him very well, I?m confident that with Nacho?s gameplan and my execution, we?ll be victorious on December 6th?
For his part Beristain referred to De La Hoya as ?one of the premier fighters of this era" and said he was "excited about working with him for this very important fight. I already have a plan in mind for beating Pacquiao and I know Oscar will do whatever it takes to carry that plan through on fight night.?
A member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, Beristain is widely considered to be one of the best trainers to ever come out of Mexico.
Beristain demonstrated an admirable trait when he told Principe that he learned everything he knows in boxing from California-based Filipino trainer Johnny Villaflor who was the resident trainer of the great George Parnassus who later became one of the biggest promoters in the glory days of boxing and was a close friend of other legendary names in boxing such as Dewey Fragetta and Lope ?Papa? Sarreal.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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