Both camps have already expressed their intention to fight it out in one of boxing history's biggest fights ever since Ali fought Foreman. The only question now is when and at what weight.De la Hoya (5'10") is naturally bigger and taller than Pacquiao (5'6") and this may just decide the turning point of Pacman's carreer. He has shown that he can take the punch of the 135ers but can a bloated Pacquiao fight at 147? Can he evade the longer arms of Oscar and can he muster the necessary speed and power to bring down the Golden Boy?
My view is, if the fight takes place this year, there will probably be no knockdowns as each boxer has shown their capacity to take a punch. The fight will most likely go the distance, which is better for the younger Pacquiao. Manny will win if Manny outpunches and outboxes Oscar. Dela Hoya's killer left hook and left straight will still pose a problem if Pacman does not use his agility and foot speed to get away from dangerous situations and angles. Both may slow down in the middle of the fight starting round 7 up to round 12, for Dela Hoya, because of his age, and for Pacquiao, because his body may not be used to fighting in higher weight classes. Pacquiao will have to bring the fight to Oscar and go inside while punishing Oscar with short upper cuts to the body and head. Pacquiao cannot afford to fight from a distance knowing Oscar's dangerous left jabs.
All in all, in terms of speed and power, I vote for Pacman's victory by unanimous decision. But, definitely, this is going to be one hell of a fight.
Posts
