De La Hoya-Pacquiao more reality than fantasy (espn article)

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/notebook?page=notebook/boxingjuly18

Immediately after new pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao finished wiping the floor with David Diaz to win a lightweight title June 28, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum began making plans for Pacquiao's next fight. Publicly, Arum said Pacquiao would return Nov. 8 in Las Vegas to fight junior lightweight titlist Edwin Valero, who would move up in weight. But Valero, medically suspended in the United States for an old non-boxing related head injury until being licensed in Texas a few months ago, might still have problems securing a license in Nevada. So Arum had a backup plan: Humberto Soto, another top junior lightweight who would move up for the shot. Unknown to Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer who is an integral part of the team that selects his opponents, Arum has been plotting something bigger behind the scenes -- for Pacquiao to move up to 147 pounds for a mega-money fight against Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6 in what the Golden Boy says will be his final fight. The notion of that fight was first suggested several months ago by HBO broadcaster Larry Merchant. Although it was initially blasted as a fantasy mismatch by some, it has slowly gained steam. Now, the prospect of the fight is real. It's the fight Roach wants for Pacquiao, and he just might get it. Before Arum revealed his plan to ESPN.com, Roach, speaking this week from his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif., said it's the fight Arum should be negotiating instead of the lesser bouts with Valero or Soto.

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AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
No more soft touches for Pacquiao: The lightweight champion is confident about his chances against De La Hoya -- at welterweight, no less.


"Oscar is looking for a fight. I think Pacquiao should fight Oscar next," said Roach, who knows De La Hoya well after training him for his May 2007 split-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. "Oscar says he has one more fight left in him. If we can get Oscar to come down to 147 pounds, I told Pacquiao that maybe we weigh in around 140 and by fight time we'll be up to 145. I would never take a fight I wasn't confident my guy could win. I'm very confident he could win. Oscar is older and he can't pull the trigger anymore. If Steve Forbes can land shots on Oscar like he did [in their 150-pound fight May 3], Manny will hit him with ease. Manny will annihilate him, I feel. "What does Soto bring to the table other than that he beat Manny's brother, Bobby? How many buys does that fight do? Less than David Diaz, I feel. He's a good fighter, but not a popular one. And Valero is unknown in the U.S. I think we should at least try to negotiate the deal, if Oscar is interested. He's shown interest before, and Pacquiao told me many times he would love to fight Oscar. The guy is going to fight one more time in his life and we don't want to miss the boat. Obviously, I want Manny to fight Ricky Hatton, but that fight isn't available right now because he's fighting in November, so let's fight Oscar. Manny could fight Oscar and then Hatton next year and retire as one of the greatest fighters of all time. "Oscar does have that great left hook, but it's one shot. Oscar gets tired. Manny gets stronger and stronger. It's a no-brainer to make this fight. I think we can knock Oscar out. I've been dreaming about him jumping on Oscar in the first round. I know Oscar won't last. If Manny fights at a Pacquiao pace, Oscar won't last." Little did Roach know that Arum was way ahead of him. "Freddie is the trainer and nobody selects an opponent without running it by Freddie," Arum said. "But for Freddie to come out with these statements is counterproductive because behind the scenes there have been talks with [Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard] Schaefer and myself about an Oscar-Pacquiao fight. So I didn't need this kind of grandstanding. The talks are serious. Richard doesn't f--- around. He's not jerking my chain." Arum is also talking to Schaefer about De La Hoya facing one of his other stars, welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto, who would have to defeat Antonio Margarito next Saturday night. "There is a possibility that Oscar will fight Cotto and there's a possibility he'll fight Pacquiao Dec. 6," Arum said. "Obviously, because it's Oscar, and it's ostensibly his last fight, he will get to pick who he wants to fight. My job is to make the best possible deal for whichever of my fighters he picks. Whoever De La Hoya wants to fight, I'll make a deal for." Arum said that if a Pacquiao bout happens, Schaefer told him De La Hoya would come all the way down to 147 pounds. It would take place at Las Vegas' MGM Grand, which Schaefer has already promised De La Hoya's final fight to.


sorry if this has already been posted..

i hope this happens and manny wins so we can get 1 step closer to seeing floyd and manny go at it

 

whoooo i aint read the article till i posted it..

i hope they pull the trigger on this fight.. theres positive's for both fighters

-if manny loses he just made a bad decision by moving up
-if oscar loses hes really over the hill and WE WILL DEFINITELY SEE MANNY VS FLOYD

plus if he can ko oscar that means hes really a threat at the weight

and this fight will sell the best for oscar and get manny a nice little check as well..

this fight needs to be made

 

if oscar was smart hed taking this... itll make the most $$ easily