Oscar De La Hoya knows exactly well how to beat an opponent. That is to look at his weaknesses.
That is what he is intending to do when he plans to hire trainers of previous opponents of Manny Pacquiao like the famously known Mexican Nacho Beristain. He was notable in handling Juan Manuel Marquez, the boxer whom Pacquiao has had difficulty beating but had managed to get a draw and a split decision. Rudy Perez, Barrera's trainer is also included in the short list.
This is a wise decision on Oscar De La Hoya's part but would this be enough to beat a warrior in Pacquiao?
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Report: De la Hoya eyeing trainers of ex-Pacquiao foes
Source: GMANews.TV
09/14/2008
MANILA, Philippines – Oscar de la Hoya’s choices for his trainer include the mentors of Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera, two of Manny Pacquiao’s former opponents.
De la Hoya told ESPN.com that he is considering Rudy Perez or legendary trainer Nacho Beristain to work with him when he prepares for his highly anticipated battle with Pacquiao on December 6.
Dan Rafael, ESPN.com’s boxing expert, said Beristain, Marquez’s long-time coach, is “the leading candidate".
Under Beristain, Marquez forced Pacquiao to a draw in their first meeting and was close to beating the Filipino slugger in their rematch held earlier this year.
Beristain also guided Marquez to victory versus Joel Casamayor Saturday in Marquez’s debut in the lightweight division.
Perez, meanwhile, has worked with Barrera.
"It's just a matter of who I feel comfortable with," de la Hoya told Rafael. “At this stage of my career it's not rocket science."
De la Hoya began to look around for a trainer after his first choice, Floyd Mayweather Sr., decided to focus on Ricky Hatton.
De la Hoya is contemplating training jointly with Hatton under Mayweather. But de la Hoya and Mayweather reportedly haven’t spoken since the de la Hoya-Steve Forbes match last May where Mayweather worked de la Hoya’s corner.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Oscar De La Hoya to Tap Trainers of Ex-Pacquiao Foes
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Oscar De La Hoya's Dilemma: Manny Pacquiao's Fighting Stance
Manny Pacquiao's chances of winning against Oscar De La Hoya was backed none other than his promoter Bob Arum when he said than Oscar De La Hoya's main problem with fighting Manny Pacquiao is the way the Filipino boxer fights.
According to him, De La Hoya can't dominate southpaws even during his prime. Is there any truth to his claim? Or he was just hyping up his boxer?
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Arum: Left-handed Pacquiao to pose problems for de la Hoya
Source: abs-cbnNEWS.com
By DENNIS GASGONIA
September 10, 2008
Manny Pacquiao’s fighting stance will pose a “very big problem” for international boxing superstar Oscar de la Hoya when they meet inside the ring in Las Vegas, Nevada come December 6.
Top Rank executive promoter Bob Arum, who used to promote de la Hoya’s fights before the boxer eventually decided to become a matchmaker himself, said the Mexican-American has difficulties in handling southpaws.
“Oscar as I said time and time again, always has problems with left handers. His entire career he's only fought two southpaws. One was [Hector] Camacho … and [Pernell] Whitaker,” Arum told dzSR Sports Radio during an interview Tuesday.
Arum said though de la Hoya managed to win over the two boxers, the six-division champ had trouble dominating them and to think that he was still at his peak when he fought Camacho and Whitaker.
“So I'm very confident with Manny's chances… the way he throws his punches, he's faster than Oscar, he's elusive,” said Arum.
The Top Rank head honcho added that he will be providing Pacquaio’s trainer Freddie Roach copies of de la Hoya’s fights against Camacho and Whitaker. This way, he said, they will see de la Hoya’s disadvantages against southpaws.
Mexicans love Manny
Meanwhile, Arum echoed Roach’s claim that Pacquiao is more popular among Mexicans compared to de la Hoya.
“Manny has endeared himself to Mexicans because he's conducted himself as a gentleman and he fights like a Mexican. Manny has tremendous fans among the Mexicans,” he said.
Roach earlier said that de la Hoya has never been accepted by the true Mexican fans from Mexico. “Mexican-Americans yes, but not Mexicans,” said the hall-of-fame trainer.
“I think to some extend he may have more fans than Oscar does among Mexicans,” said Arum.
The 12-rounder non-title match between Pacquiao and de la Hoya was dubbed as “The Dream Match”. It is slated to take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on December 6.
“It started out as a fantasy, Larry Merchant suggested it and then ESPN ran with it and it was a dream nobody though it would happen and now it‘s a reality. Everybody liked that title,” said Arum.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Manny Pacquiao Can Retire After Oscar De La Hoya Fight – Nazario
I don't agree with this statement by Mr. Rod Nazario, former manager of Manny Pacquiao.
His reason for Manny to retire after the fight with Oscar De La Hoya just because of the windfall of money does not justify what's Manny's purpose in doing battle in the ring.
I do believe that this fight is just the start of Manny envading the bigger stage of boxing. If he is able to beat De La Hoya, then he can be lined up and billed the same way as the Golden Boy.
More importantly, his role as the Filipino's champion and the youth's role model for success are intangible. In my own opinion, he still have some more years before he bid boxing goodbye for his retirement.
Take a look at Mr. Nazario's point of view below as to why he thinks Manny can retire after the fight with Oscar De La Hoya.
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Pacquiao can retire after DL Hoya fight – Nazario
Source: Manila Bulletin Online
By Nick Giongco
Manny Pacquiao’s former manager has expressed his concern over the wisdom of Pacquiao’s decision to fight Oscar de la Hoya in December, but said the bout could be the defining match of his career and he can retire after that, win or lose.
"After this fight, Manny can announce his retirement," said boxing promoter Rod Nazario, who handled Pacquiao from 1995 until 2005.
Nazario noted that the windfall from the fight is enough to set up even his grandchildren for life.
Pacquiao is assured of at least $ 15 million, not including the revenue from the pay-per-view buys.
In a recent rough computation made by the Bulletin, Pacquiao is expected to surpass by many millions the P1 billion mark in ring earnings from his US campaigns.
Nazario, however, warned that Pacquiao, his handlers and other boxing experts should not be lulled into believing that De La Hoya is over the hill.
"(De La Hoya) washed up? I don’t think so," said Nazario.
Nazario said that while De La Hoya has fought 44 times, and lost five since turning professional after winning the US’ only boxing gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the Mexican-American is not a fighter who have taken one punch too many and is just seeking his final shot at glory.
"De La Hoya has taken good care of his body and I do not agree that he is faded," Nazario said.
"Manny will be weighing in at 150 lbs on the night he climbs the ring and not more than that because he’ll be slowed down by too much weight," said Nazario.
How about De La Hoya?
"De La Hoya will weigh 160 lbs on fight night and that’s too big a difference in weight (between him and Pacquiao)."
Although both fighters have agreed to meet at the welterweight limit of 147 lbs on the official weighin that will be held on the eve of the match scheduled at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, they are going to put on additional weight in the next 24 hours.
"Manny will not gain much in the hours following the weighin but De La Hoya will bulk up since he can afford to do that because that’s his natural fighting weight," noted Nazario.
Nazario stressed that Pacquiao’s best chance to score an upset is to get inside in hopes of landing his power shots.
"But that’s not going to be easy because De La Hoya will stick out his left hand to keep Manny at bay. This is going to be tough for Manny," said Nazario, who is known to have given Pacquiao his big break on US soil in June 2001.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal said the stipulation in the contract that mandates De La Hoya to meet the welter limit of 147 lbs will force the Mexican-American to work out a sweat.
"That’s going to push him to get down (10 147) because if we failed to put in the contract that he will be penalized $ 3 million for every pound in excess of 147, he will try to come in at 150. De La Hoya already has a lot of advantages over Pacquiao and we cannot afford to give him another one," said Gacal.
