Pacquiao vs De La Hoya: Fight of the Year

Rarely ever does a fight become labeled the Fight of the Year before it even begins but this Saturday’s match between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya is all but guaranteed to be the most exciting fight of the year. And if it does turnout to be a flameout, there’s no denying the fire in each of the fighters’ eyes as they inch toward their unbelievable bout. A year ago a tilt between these two men was virtually impossible to dream of because of the vast weight difference. But now, as the “Dream Match” is being billed, Pacquiao and De La Hoya are both nearing the weight limit of 147 pounds(welterweight) ready to face each other.

Manny Pacquiao is coming up three weight divisions while Oscar De La Hoya is coming down weight divisions. De La Hoya hasn’t fought at welterweight since he fought Arturo Gatti in 2001 and has fought as high as 160 pounds. Pacquiao is coming off a victory where he defeated David Diaz at lightweight(135 lbs.) and is jumping two more weight classes to fight De La Hoya. Pacquiao gives up six inches in reach and four inches in height and most boxing enthusiasts are skeptical as to how Pacquiao can pull off the upset. He started at a near 2-1 underdog but days from the fight the odds Pacquiao finds himself at +135 according to Sportsbook.com, meaning a wager of $100 will net you 135 dollars. Obviously, this means that there is a good amount of money being placed on Pacquiao.

Whether you believe that Oscar De La Hoya still has his Golden Boy magic and can land his devastating left hook on Pacquiao’s chin or whether Manny Pacquiao can use his superior speed to get in and out to confuse De La Hoya, it will be an outstanding fight. Filipinos around the world, like my family, will be huddled around our TV watching and hoping Pacquiao will win and shock the world. But even if he can’t he’ll still be the champion of his people and his homeland, the Philippines.