Dela Hoya kakasa pa rin kahit...

Bagamat wala na siya sa kanyang pamatay na porma, kakasa pa rin si world six-division at 10-time welterweight champion Oscar Dela Hoya.  

 “Obviously Oscar believes he is fighting one of the best southpaws in the history of boxing in Manny Pacquiao. You can put Manny’s name up there with Marvin Hagler,“ ani Eric Gomez  ang vice-president at matchmaker ng Golden Boy Promotions ni Dela Hoya. “You’re dealing with an Oscar now that’s not in his prime. He’s still good and he can still compete at a high level but he’s not in his prime anymore.”

 Matapos umiskor ng isang fifth-round TKO kay Arturo Gatti noong 2001 sa welterweight division, muling bababa ang 35-anyos na si Dela Hoya sa naturang 147-pound class para sagupain ang 29-anyos na si Manny Pacquiao.

 Nakatakda ang ‘Dream Match’ nina Pacquiao at Dela Hoya sa Disyembre 6 sa MGM Grand Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Bilang paghahanda sa naturang non-title welterweight fight, kinuha ni Dela Hoya, ang 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games gold medalist, ang mga fight tapes ni Pacquiao kasama na ang lightweight championship bout nito kay Mexican-American David Diaz noong Hunyo 28. 

“Oscar has all of Manny’s fights. Oscar’s going to expect the best possible Manny. Oscar’s throwing out that he’s too little and stuff like that, he’s throwing that out of the window,” ani Gomez. “Manny, he wants to prove that he’s the top guy and he wants to prove that he can take on any challenge and still be victorious.” 

Si Pacquiao pa lamang ang ikatlong southpaw (kaliwete) na makakalaban ni Dela Hoya matapos sina Pernell Whitaker at Hector Camacho na kapwa niya tinalo via 12-round unanimous decision para sa World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight crown.

 Tinalo ni Dela Hoya si Whitaker noong Abril 12 at isinunod naman si Camacho noong Setyembre 13 ng 1997. (Russell Cadayona)