Boxing is different as there are rules to follow like like fighting in a catch weight. You cannot create a rule for a train/car to crash at a certain speed. It can't be compared to a car/train crash and you can't predict w/ certainty that this fight is mismatch. Each fighter has its strengths and weaknesses. It's up to smart guy to explore the weakness of his opponent and utilize his strengths.
By definition this fight is most definately a mismatch. Even weighing in at 147 ODLH would enter the ring the very best side of 160, Manny would be extremely lucky to make 147 and maintain any semblance of his assets (please don't talk about walking around weight as that is a complete red herring). Added to this at least a 4 inch height and 6 inch reach advantage to DLH and you have by any measure a mismatch. The reason boxing has such finally controlled weight divisions is to stop farce fights like this happening. If all the Pac fans in the Phillipines and around the world think that Manny wins this then I am afraid they are completely deluded.
Both camps already spoken and this is what they plan about the weight. Take it seriously or not but this is what they stated so far. PAC weigh in at 140 and fight at 147 to 149. (PAC's last fight he weigh in at 135 and fought at 146) Hoya will have to make the 147 at weigh-in and fight at 151. (Hoya's last fight he weigh in at 149 and fought at 151)
Roach's argument is that they will weigh in at 140, thereby coming into the ring around or above 147. What they fail to mention is that De La Hoya will probably weigh in at 150, and walk in at about 170. FACT: DLH hasn't weighed in at 147 since fighting Gatti in 2001, SEVEN YEARS AGO. OPINION: The only chance Manny has is if he maintains his speed and power moving up AND (and this is a big AND)...Oscar agrees to fight at 147 and weighs in dehydrated, rendering him weak for fight night. MOST LIKELY SCENARIO: DLH will weigh in at 150, walk in at 170, and KO Manny under 3.
I guess you haven't read the latest news (there's a thread here about that). DelaHoya said he can make 147 for this fight. He further said that he only gain 1 to 3 lbs between weigh in and fight night. So Hoya weighing in at 147 and probably will weigh 151 on fight time. FACT: Hoya weigh in at 150 (or is it 149?) just 3 months ago, May 3, 2008 to be exact, against Steve Forbes.
This doesn't prove anything though. From what I remember Forbes-DLH was supposed to be done at the 147lb limit. The fact that DLH couldn't go down past 150 means he has great difficulty in actually going down 147.
I've presented that FACT as oppose to this FACT: "FACT: DLH hasn't weighed in at 147 since fighting Gatti in 2001, SEVEN YEARS AGO." But here's the latest news: "Asked about his readiness to come down to 147 pounds for a Pacquiao fight which may be a struggle for him, De La Hoya shrugged it off. “No struggle at all” he said. “I am a natural welterweight. I can make the weight easy. There’s no problem.” He said he only gains a maximum of four pounds by fight night because he is a natural 145-146 pounder. De La Hoya said he doesn’t gain much between the weigh in and fight night pointing out that in his last fight against Steve Forbes “I weighed in at 149 and by fight night I was only 151. The most I gain in-between fights, the maximum, is six to seven pounds.”
Its funny. I mean look at the second paragraph, he himself stated that he weighed in at 149 against Forbes, when the fight was supposed to be at 147lbs. I don't see how that disproves Sweet Pea Pacquiao's statement.
I cant believe this fight is planning on happening. :-( Margarito vs. Delahoya > Pacquiao Vs. Delahoya
And of course every fighter who has struggled to make weight announces it to the world via a newspaper interview. Regardless of what BS DLH spouts he will walk into that ring the best side of 160 at least.
Pac - Cotto?, anyone? anyone? Cotto is fairly short for 147, if Pac can pack on the pounds(no pun intended) effectively is this a viabale option?
How about $750,000 penalty for every pound overweight sounds to you? But I think the rich Oscar can afford being 2 pounds overweight at weigh-in for a total penalty of $1.5 million... He can afford it...
He won't be overweight at the weigh in, he will be just too big for Pac when they climb through the ropes, end of.
Let PAC finish with the DelaHoya business first. It's the fight that he wanted for the time being. We can talk about PAC vs. Cotto or PAC vs. Margarito after the DelaHoya fight since it will depend also on the outcome of this mega fight. OK?