Hindi sa desisyon ng mga hurado gustong talunin nina American trainer Freddie Roach at Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao si Oscar Dela Hoya para sa kanilang non-title welterweight fight, kundi sa pamamagitan ng knockout.
Ito, ayon sa 48-anyos na si Roach, ay mula na rin sa obserbasyon niya sa mga boksingerong bumababa ng weight division. Ilan rito ay sina Roy Jones, Jr. at Sugar Ray Leonard.
“Without a doubt. We are not going to win by decision, we are going to knock this guy out. In history, guys that go up in weight classes and then come back down, get knocked out. Roy Jones Jr, Sugar Ray Leonard, guys like that,” ani Roach sa Boxing Herald kahapon. “We will be a strong 147lbs, and I love this fight.”
Mula sa pagiging 152-pounder (light middleweight), bababa ang 35-anyos na si Dela Hoya sa 147- pound limit (welterweight) upang sagupain ang 29-anyos na si Pacquiao sa Disyembre 6 sa MGM Grand Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sinabi ni Roach na komportable na si Pacquiao, ang bagong World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion, sa welterweight category.
“Well, going up in weight doesn’t usually make you weak like going down in weight does. We are comfortable where Manny is at right now. I added some more protein to his diet, and he’s working with a nutritionist. I have him eating four times a day right now, and it’s working out well,” sabi ni Roach.
Para sa preparasyon ng 5-foot-6 na si Pacquiao kontra sa 5’10 1/2 na si Dela Hoya, kumuha si Roach ng kasing taas ni “Golden Boy” bilang mga sparring partners ni “Pacman” sa kanyang Wild Card Boxing Gym sa Hollywood, California.
Kabilang na rito ay ang pagpapauwi kay light middleweight Aaron Robinson, paggitla kay Rashad Holloway at ang paggulpi sa isang 160-pound Texas fighter.
“I have Manny in there with big guys sparring. He’s been handling the bigger guys quite well. I have the smaller guy in there, and I don’t believe that Oscar fights southpaws very well, and he doesn’t fight smaller guys very well,” sabi ni Roach kay Pacquiao. “I think Oscar has the size advantage, but all the other advantages, we have.” (Russell Cadayona)