OSCAR: THEY WOKE UP THE GIANT
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 05 Dec 2008
LAS VEGAS, Nevada ? A visibly irked Oscar De La Hoya said the unfavorable words of his critics led by his former gym mentor Freddie Roach have helped motivate him to aim for a quick knockout when he battles the world?s best pound-for-pound boxer Manny Pacquiao in a 12-round ?Dream Match? at the MGM Grand on December 6.
?With their words, they woke up the giant,? he warned.
De La Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs) insisted that the 147 lbs limit ?is my best weight and I feel very comfortable here.?
He rebuked Roach who had predicted he would end up dehydrated after reducing his weight from 154 lbs to 147 lbs.
When De La Hoya, who made special mention of his sparring partner Victor Ortiz during the final press conference at the crowded Hollywood Theater in MGM Grand December 3, faced the reporters who mobbed him in the presidential table, he boasted that his weight was only 146 lbs three days before the rumble.
?I can even fight in the 140 pounds,? De La Hoya, 35, remarked.
The 10-time world champion in six different divisions, who originally came from San Juan, Puerto Rico but now lives in East Los Angeles, California, refused to be intimidated by Pacquiao?s reputation as ?sharp puncher with fast hands? saying he would show to the Filipino lightweight phenom that ?this is now a different playing field? referring to their height and weight disparity.
?It?s gonna be fun; it?s gonna be interesting,? he told the press smiling.
In apparent reference to Roach?s snide remarks against his ?inability? to ?pull the trigger?, De La Hoya credited Pacquiao for refusing to ape his foster parent who owns Hollywood?s most prominent boxing gym on Vine St.
?We don?t need to thrash talk. My motivation is Pacquiao?s skill, youth and power,? he explained. ?That drove me to train hard and wake up in the morning. I?m looking for a great, great fight.?
De La Hoya?s strength is ?he is taller, heavier fighter fighting at a more natural weight than Pacquiao who is moving up from lightweight (135 pounds),? according to historian Bert Sugar, one of the only two boxing gurus who were at ringside during the ?Thrilla in Manila? on September 30, 1975 present in the venue today.
?Oscar?s height and reach advantage will make it difficult for Pacquiao to get inside where he does that voodoo he does so well,? Sugar continued.
?De La Hoya possesses an effective jab which, together with his mobility and versatility, along with a devastating left hook, make him a more complete fighter than Pacquiao.
?A turnaround left hander, Oscar possesses dynamite power in his left hand?especially with his power punch, his left hook,? Sugar noted.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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