Conditioning will be key in Dream Match

It’s barely five days from the “Dream Match” on Dec. 7 (in the Philippines) between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Everyone expects an exciting and entertaining bout between two of today’s biggest names in professional boxing.

One reason for the excitement is both fighters had to make adjustments to their normal fighting weights to make the “Dream Match” real: Pacquiao had to bulk up from 135 pounds or lightweight (which weight he now says he doesn’t want to return to after fighting De la Hoya at 147 pounds) while de la Hoya has had to come down from 160 to 147 pounds. There are stiff penalties should any one of the two weigh more than 147 pounds during the official weigh in which will be held Friday afternoon, more than 24 hours before they both actually climb the ring.

Latest odds show De la Hoya is slightly favored due to his reach and height advantage, superior technical skills and overall ring experience and savvy. A chink in his armor is his having to shed 13 pounds, although reports emanating from the flamboyant celebrity’s camp say he is down to 145 pounds with almost a week to go before fight night. De la Hoya’s camp credits his diet of kangaroo and deer meat for the ease with which he will make 147 pounds.

De la Hoya is however expected to bulk up right after the weigh in to get the right nutrients that may have been denied him after going through what is certainly a rigorous weight-reducing regimen. The last time De la Hoya fought at 147 pounds was about seven years ago. Definitely, losing 13 pounds in about nine to 10 weeks after being used to a walking weight of more than 160 pounds for years, will take its toll physically, emotionally and psychologically.

For those who have dieted under a strict program, one only knows too well the inconvenience one suffers: many people say they become ill-tempered, impatient, slower than usual in comprehending and even imagine being hard of hearing.

The effects of shedding weight will therefore one of the main factors working against De la Hoya. At 35, De la Hoya is not exactly a spring chicken who can readily take on the demands of a rigorous weight reduction program.

In contrast, Pacquiao does not have the same baggage that De la Hoya has had to deal with over the past nine weeks (his longest preparation) he has been training. Pacquiao can have all the nutrients he wants, enjoy his meals, do his punishing routine without feeling malnourished and having that annoying un-satiated feeling. Pacquiao therefore has a healthy, positive psychological make up going into the fight with no weight worries. In fact, Pacquiao can even have the luxury of going a shade below 147 pounds at weigh in.

In my conversations with boxing aficionados, like noted boxing promoter and manager, Rod Nazario, the consensus is Pacquiao should tip the scales at 145 pounds. Pacquiao will aim therefore to climb the ring around 150 – 152 pounds, the day after the weigh in so that he doesn’t lose his much of his vaunted hand and foot speed if he were a few more pounds heavier.

What makes the fight more interesting is the physical conditioning of Pacquiao. I think that Pacquiao has the rare gift of responding very well to heavy training over a comparatively shorter period. Like a masochist, Pacquiao trains like a man possessed who joyfully endures the extra punishment to raise his tolerance level for pain.

The first few rounds will be crucial since De la Hoya is expected to go for an early knockout to avoid a battle of attrition which he may not be able to sustain. He will have to use his vaunted left jab, which, by itself, has knocked out several opponents, to fight Pacquiao from a distance. Pacquiao, on the other hand, has to impose his will at the outset and fight at close range. Pacquiao’s speed will therefore have to be maximized if he wants to beat De la Hoya.

Pacquiao’s ability to take the punches of fighters who are two divisions higher than what he has been used to, will be tested. Pacquiao has been staggered and dropped by fighters in lower weight categories and his ability to take punches of heavier fighters in sparring sessions may be indicative of his ability to withstand punches from bigger opponents. I hasten to add however that, generally, gloves used in sparring sessions are heavier than what are worn in actual fights.