If ever Manny Pacquiao accepts the terms regardless of the sharing as laid out by the Golden Boy Promotions for their “dream fight” with Oscar De La Hoya to take place, two conditions governing the fight contract that are unprecedented in the history of the sport would surely attract attention. As a standard practice in boxing, fighters are weighed a day before each fight. This time, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach devised and suggested that a new rule exclusively to cover this fight be applied, that both fighters be weighed on the day of the fight. Another will be in the imposition of fines in the form of cash, say, $750,000.00 per pound for excess weights to be deducted from the purse of the fighter who exceeds the contracted limit. The money then will go to the fighter who makes the weight right and will have all the options, either to go on or call off the fight. This rule was the same applied in the last two Pacquiao-Morales fights and based on other past big events, makes sense.dela hoya

In their supposed third fight that was to be held in Las Vegas in 2006, the fight between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo was called off a day before it was scheduled when one of the fighters weighed more than the weight limit and could not decide if they go on with the fight or what. The promotion suffered losses from the cancellation and the overweighed fighter penalized. However, had there been a rule like what Roach envisions now, such fight would have taken place as scheduled since both fighters were eager to get at each other bad for they have a grudge to settle. From their pasts, both men has a score to settle with each scoring a knockout win over the other that such trilogy would have been an interesting and a blockbuster event to watch. In Pacquiao’s coming fight, there’ll no grudge to settle with De La Hoya, however, considering Pacquiao’s kind of a fighter, it would be more of a grudge fight. And where the fight would count most is in the honor Pacquiao will be carrying of being that good especially of taking on a bigger, taller and a smart fighter in De La Hoya. Of course, there’s always this money factor, but who would not?

Years after former world heavyweight champion George Foreman was knocked out by Muhammad Ali in the 8th round of their 15-round world title fight in Zaire, Africa in 1974, popular US tv sport commentator Marv Albert went to see him for an interview during one of his training session for a comeback fight. Albert asked Foreman why he took the gamble of fighting Ali who was then a dangerous fighter for him. Foreman’s answer was frank and automatic: “Five million dollars!” Despite being the champion, Foreman had just to settle with an equal pay of $5M each with then just challenger Ali acknowledging that Ali and not him, was the biggest draw in their title fight. In short, Ali who was very well known and most feared fighter then was the most sought-after fighter of all. Since then, Ali always took the bigger share in all his fights, an accepted practice since he was solely the one fans wanted to see most. However, in Pacquiao’s position in this fight, it is not so. But why he took the gamble is because he believes so in his capabilities that he can beat De La Hoya and the very the reasons that prestige and honor are at stake, and that his high place in the history of the sport will be secured.

While Pacquiao earns in millions of US dollars in his every fight, these are a thousand-fold more than what many of his fellow Filipino boxers now earn, that is, even if they are included in the preliminaries of big PPV fights in Las Vegas or anywhere in the US. On this, Pacquiao deserves it all as he is one fighter who brings in the most interest, money in the millions of US dollars and quality into the sport and that’s just not only in his country but worldwide. Besides, no other fighter in the world today can command so much interest to give fans their money’s worth every time but Pacquiao. manny pacquiao

With their “dream fight” now almost a done deal except for some items still to be ironed out, questions that will arise now would be if who will be the favorite come fight time. This early, this writer sees a Pacquiao win no matter how the verdict will turn out. Having followed Pacquiao early in his career and sees in him a really very determined fighter plus the many years of following his idol Muhammad Ali’s career too, though having watched his actual fight only once, this writer feels just too experienced when to pick a real winner. And as a refresher, take some of where he was right before:

In 1974, this writer predicted to his friend in his town that Ali would knock out world heavyweight champion Foreman in the 8th round of their 15-round title fight in Zaire. As it is now a fact, the prediction turned out to be very correct. And that was despite the predictions of so-called “experts” and the huge odds that the champion will have just a “walk over” win over an old “washed-up fighter” Ali.

In 1988, this writer wrote and predicted to his best friend in Los Angeles, California that then US Vice-Pres, George W. H. Bush (the father of present US president) will win the US Presidential election. However, he continued that Bush would just be a one-term president. It took four long years for this writer’s prediction to come true. george w h bush

Another, while this same friend was vacationing in his hometown in mid-2002, this writer again told him of a bold prediction. He told his friend that if ever Manny Pacquiao who at the time was still not known in America will be given the chance to meet in the ring then Mexico’s “Baby-faced assassin” and then world’s best “pound-for-pound” fighter Marco Antonio Barrera, Pacquiao will knock him out. While his friend disagreed, this writer stood by his prediction. Again, this writer was right on target.

Now, would those just be lucky guesses? You be the judge.

Related Article:

The Greatest After Ali (Part 7) With or without Oscar De La Hoya in his resumé, Manny Pacquiao will always be the second greatest fighter after Muhammad Ali to this writer. Read more…

Maree cartujano
Sports Pundit staff writer
Sports writer and editor....

Comment on This Article

0 comments
Reply to