SPORTS NOTES - YO!!! IT'S ON! - PACQUIAO vs. DE LA HOYA - December, 2008

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

When it comes to a dream fight this is it the Philippines Manny Pacquiao deemed the best pound for pound fighter on the planet verses the Golden Boy USA/Mexico Oscar De La Hoya. Pacquiao possesses a killer instinct and a pit bull ferocious no quit mentality. There is a back story to this fight. In September 2006, Pacquiao signed a major deal with Oscar de la Hoya's Golden which was good for seven fights and Pacquiao backed out on the deal.

Saturday December 6, 2008

YO!!! IT'S ON!!!

When it comes to a dream fight this is it the Philippines Manny Pacquiao deemed the best pound for pound fighter on the planet verses the Golden Boy USA/Mexico Oscar De La Hoya. They will to meet Saturday Dec. 6 (Sunday morning December 7 in Southeast Asia) in an HBO PPV (Pay Per View) fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada USA.

Tickets reportedly sold out just hours after they went on sale. The total gate revenues are said to be nearly $17 million dollars. That amount would make the bout the second largest gate revenue in boxing history (after the De La Hoya-Mayweather Jr. fight in May 5, 2007 which generated $18.4 million in gate revenue).

Pacquiao with a 47-3-2, 35 KOs record is a five-division champion. He is currently the WBC 135-pound Lightweight Champion. He has moved up two weight classes to make this fight happen with De La Hoya and fight at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. He became Ring Magazine's pound for pound number one ranked boxer in the world on June 9, 2008 after Floyd Mayweather, Jr. announced his retirement from boxing. He possesses a killer instinct and a pit bull ferocious no quit mentality. Pacquiao will be 30-years-old December 17. He started his professional boxing career in 1995 at 106 lbs (Light flyweight) at the age of 16.

De La Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs) is a six-division champion. He had to come down to 147 pound weight limit to meet Pacquiao for this title fight. De La Hoya has fought as a junior middleweight for the past seven years weighing in at the 154-pound limit. He fought The Contender runner-up Steve Forbes in May while weighing 150 pounds. He overwhelmed Forbes on points for what appeared to be more of a workout for De La Hoya than a fight.

On a recent media day presentation Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach pulled out a toy gun and look at De La Hoya and said "This doesn't work it must belong to you," implying the 35-year-old boxer was too old and couldn't pull the trigger (fast punches) any more. The 5'10" De La Hoya has a four inch height advantage. Angelo Dundee who trained Muhammad Ali is one of De La Hoya's trainers for this fight.

There is a back story to this fight. In September 2006, Pacquiao signed a major deal with Oscar de la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions which was good for seven fights. Under the deal, Pacquiao is reported to be guaranteed prize money of US$5 million for each fight. With regard to profits made on each fight, Pacquiao would receive at least 90%, whereas the remaining 10% would go to Golden Boy Promotions.

At that point Pacquiao and Erik Morales were to fight for a third time (with the series tied 1-all) on November 18, 2006. A near-record crowd of 18,276, the match saw Pacquiao defeating Morales via a third-round knockout at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. After the Pacquiao-Morales rematch, Top Rank boss Bob Arum who is a co-promoter of this fight with Golden Boy announced that Pacquiao returned his signing bonus check back to Golden Boy Promotions, signaling intentions to stay on with Top Rank. This resulted in Golden Boy Productions decision to sue the famed fighter over contractual breaches.

With Pacquiao being younger and possessing the killer instinct verses the more experienced and savvy De La Hoya this could be one of the greatest fights ever.

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