LAS VEGAS, NEV. (December 7, 2008) – In a battle between Oscar De La Hoya, boxing’s top attraction, and MANNY PACQUIAO, the sport’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, Pacquiao, a 2 -1 underdog, emerged victorious last night, stopping De La Hoya at the end of round eight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
While securing his claim as 2008’s Fighter of the Year, Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs), also capped off a Henry Armstongesque year, winning three fights in three different weight divisions – two of them for world titles.
By Jason Kim: With only one win out of four huge PPV bouts, Oscar De La Hoya has been somewhat of a dismal failure on big PPV bouts with over 900,000 buys or more. For a fighter as popular as De La Hoya is, he probably should be a lot less popular than he is given his track record in huge PPV bouts. With lesses to Floyd Mayweather Jr., Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley, he has frequently come up short in his biggest fights of his career in terms of the biggest PPV buys.
By Manuel Perez: In watching some of the sparring sessions for this Saturday’s mega fight between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya, I go to say that I don’t see Pacquiao having much, if any, chance at beating De La Hoya. The added weight that Pacquiao has put on his small frame, some 12 pounds, has had the effect of making him slower, less mobile than he was at the lighter weight classes. At the same time, he remains what he was before – namely a small, 5’6″ fighter, trying to mix it up with a much bigger 5’11” De La Hoya.
By William Mackay: With the huge mega fight showdown between Oscar De La Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs) and Manny Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs) only days away, I’m wondering whether we’re seeing the last of The Golden Boy, De La Hoya. At 35, he still talks a good game, predicting with a gleam in his eyes that one of them will be knocked out on Saturday night. However, at his advanced age, with a tired look to him, one wonders if it just might be De La Hoya who will be taken out in this fight.
By Jim Dower: There’s no doubt that Oscar De La Hoya has done a good job in coming down in weight to the welterweight division weight limit of 147, down from his natural fighting weight of 154 in the light middleweight division. Before he started training, there were some that doubted whether or not De La Hoya could even do it. However, making the weight is one thing but being healthy enough, and having enough skills left in the tank is quite another thing.
Boxing promoter Frank Maloney hopes Lennox Lewis will stay retired. In recent weeks speculation about Lewis’ return to the ring has reached fever pitch. Reports say Lewis would return to the ring for a staggering $100m.
By Manuel Perez: As the saying goes, Pride goes before a fall. This was never more the case when World Boxing Council lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao refused the 70-30 purse split offer so generously offered up by Oscar De La Hoya for their December 6th bout. Pacquiao not only turned it down, but walked away from the bargaining process completely, leaving De La Hoya alone with egg on his face. It’s not something that a proud fighter like De La Hoya is accustomed to, and I doubt that it will be forgotten now, even if Pacquiao were to have a change of mind and suddenly want the fight.