Tonight is the big fight: Pacquiao-De La Hoya in Las Vegas. I am watching it over at a friends house. I will be rooting for Pacquiao of course but I don't think he will win. Ok, ok I take that back. I don't think it is likely that he will win, but the great variable is Oscar De La Hoya.
I've watched matches of De La Hoya since the mid-90s, and he is above everything an extremely technical and accurate boxer. He seems to excel at destroying an opponents' defense and picking apart someone until they have nothing left. I have seen it time and time again that when De La Hoya is focused and determined there is nothing that can stop him. However, I have seen several fights where either he is uncomfortable or not aggressive enough. In the past few years, the invincibility of the Golden Boy has definitely faded. He reminds me of another technical fighter that was prone to lapses in ability, Lennox Lewis. Lewis, boxing fans will remember, was knocked out by a relative unknown, Hassan Rahman. He had a tendency to be either overconfident or to look past his opponent. I feel that De La Hoya has that same tendency.
Pacquiao will be who Pacquiao is: aggressive, fast, and relentless. He has certainly improved a lot over the last 10 fights, but he was extremely raw when he debuted on the worldwide stage. It almost seemed that he has no style and no strategy. His strategy was to hit the other guy a lot of times; tactics be damned. Recently though, he is starting to really become scary. His trainer, Freddie Roach, has taught him to tone down his attacks, maneuver better, throw combinations. Pacquiao's wild style, the tornado of punches is a bit more restrained. I think he still takes way too many punches, but you have to respect his bravery and relentless push. The one thing that Pacquiao knows is how to take a punch.
De La Hoya has the reach, the weight, the pedigree, and even the technical skills. The smart money is on the Golden Boy, and his experience....Ugh, forget what I am saying. I absolutely can't stand De La Hoya. His preening, his overconfidence, his Hilary Clinton-like ability to be completely disingenuous. Pacquiao is my guy. I've loved his career since the beginning. His battles with Erik Morales and Barrera were epic. Heck, I'd love this boxer even if I weren't Filipino. Pacquiao in 8 rounds.
The great thing about Pacquiao is that he has the same tenacity that the great ones like Jack Dempsey and Joe Frazier had. He really is relentless. He keeps coming and coming. I wonder sometimes how long his career will be as his ages slows down the speed and fury that he has now. As I stated before he really can take a punch. If you ever watch a highlight video on Youtube, you'll see a lot of devastating punches the he inflicts and absorbs. I think the fight tonight will be decided in the first two rounds. It won't end in two rounds but the first time Pacquiao shrugs off a lethal De La Hoya patented left hook, the Golden boy will realize that this is no ordinary fighter. One would have to drive a Kenworth truck straight through Pacquiao's defense to knock him down, and even then he will still keep coming. If the fight evolves to a street fight and De La Hoya gets away from the technical aspect, it will be Pacquiao's night to lose.
The biggest question mark will be whether or not Pacquiao's power will come with him as he moves up in weight. As demonstrated in the David Diaz fight, the power is still there at 135 lbs. Diaz's dismantling at the hands of the Mexicutioner (Pacquiao's awesome nickname) was a sight to behold. It is hard to imagine that this is the same fighter that started his career at 106 lbs. His power and speed has consistently followed him throughout his career. When Pacquiao's furious combination hits De La Hoya for the first time, take note of the Golden Boy's reaction. If he backs down and is staggered, Pacquiao will be victorious. De La Hoya doesn't like getting hurt and is not a brawler. He will back down.
I really do feel sorry for De La Hoya because he has everything to lose and nothing to gain in this fight. If he wins, the public will remark that he essentially beat a smaller fighter. If he loses, his legeacy will be tarnished and his reputation for being soft and delicate solidified. If Pacquiao wins, the sky is the limit. We will become the face of boxing and it will be momentuous night in the history of the sweet science.
0 comments:
Post a Comment