World’s best boxer battles Golden Boy on Dec. 6

MANILA, Philippines—The biggest boxing match in years is finally set.

Barring last-minute hitches, Oscar De La Hoya, boxing’s box office superstar in the past decade, will take on Manny Pacquiao, boxing’s hottest commodity today, in what promises to be a $100-million welterweight bout on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

This was confirmed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Thursday by Franklin “Jeng” Gacal Jr., Pacquiao’s legal counsel, who said in General Santos City that “both parties agreed (to the fight) and were satisfied.”

In a statement e-mailed by Gacal to the Inquirer, Pacquiao said he had agreed “in principle” to the December match, promised a fiery fight, and vowed to give the nation another moment of boxing glory.

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$100-M fight: Pacquiao vs De La Hoya

I have agreed in principle to accept the Dec. 6 fight against Oscar De La Hoya. This will be the toughest test in my boxing career because of the reach and height advantage of my esteemed opponent, aside from his great boxing skills,” Pacquiao said.

“This fight, however, will not be a walk in the park for Oscar De La Hoya. The boxing fans will see the same fire and intensity they have witnessed in my previous fights.”

Pacquiao, currently the World Boxing Council’s lightweight king, brimmed with confidence.

“I will frustrate the desire of Oscar De La Hoya to avenge the defeats of the great Mexican boxers who lost to me,” the Filipino ring idol said. “I am dedicating this forthcoming fight to my countrymen and all the boxing fans all over the world.”

“Don’t worry,” Pacquiao said with a laugh over the phone when asked what he thought of his opponent, an American of Mexican descent, who is also known as boxing’s “Golden Boy.”

At 5-foot-10 inches, De La Hoya stands four inches taller than Pacquiao and has a 6-inch reach advantage over the Filipino.

But at 29, Pacquiao is six years younger.

Farewell fight

It will be De La Hoya’s farewell fight and Pacquiao’s biggest ever.

Gacal refused to divulge the details of his talk Thursday night with Top Rank promotions boss Bob Arum.

“It was no less than Bob Arum of Top Rank Promotions who called me up last night and confirmed the Dec. 6 Pacquiao-De La Hoya fight,” Gacal said.

According to Gacal, both parties will still meet to further discuss the details of the contract and possibly the final signing.

Although the announcement of the fight will still have to be officially made by De La Hoya in Los Angeles on Thursday (Friday in Manila), The Associated Press (AP) said the deal was “nearly wrapped up.”

The AP, in its report from San Francisco, California, quoted two people with knowledge of the negotiations as its sources. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal still has to be officially announced.

Fight over purse

The AP’s sources said De La Hoya’s long-stalled talks with Pacquiao were recently revived when the two sides found an acceptable way to split the possible $100 million in revenue from what’s certain to be boxing’s most lucrative fight since De La Hoya’s split-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year.

The negotiations hit a snag last week.

The fighters’ camps argued over the split of the purse, with De La Hoya angling for 70 percent while Pacquiao pursued a 40-percent cut. The expected fight receipts would include a projected 2-million-plus pay-per-view buys, over which the two camps also reportedly wrangled.

How the impasse was resolved wasn’t immediately clear, but Inquirer sources said both camps had either agreed on a 65-35 deal, or on a 70-30 split, which De La Hoya had dangled to include a side deal that would sweeten the pot for the Filipino.

$15M for Pacquiao

It hasn’t been an easy match to make. Both boxers must make physical sacrifices for the 66.5-kilogram (147-pound) bout, with De La Hoya dropping down to welterweight for the first time in seven years while Pacquiao bulks up to the heaviest weight of his career by far.

At any rate, observers believe the fight could easily rival the blockbuster encounter between De La Hoya and Mayweather last year which reportedly grossed $120 million, including the pay-per-view buys which generated a record $2.4 million.

If the fight earns $100 million, Pacquiao stands to get his biggest paycheck ever—estimated at $15 million.

Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach also said a victory would open the floodgates for even bigger fights for the Filipino icon.

The two boxers earlier agreed to fight at a catch weight of 147 pounds and use eight-ounce gloves.

Size advantage

De La Hoya would be banking on his size but he will have to shed pounds and thus give up some strength to make the 147-pound weight. The 1992 Barcelona Olympic lightweight gold medalist fought heaviest at 160 lb against Felix Sturm for the WBO middleweight title.

The last time De La Hoya (39-5-0, 30 KOs) fought as a welterweight was in 2001. In his last fight, against Steve Forbes last May, he weighed in at 150 lb but entered the ring at 154 lb.

De La Hoya has won six titles in six different weight classes and has taken on practically every fighter who has donned the mythical best pound-for-pound crown.

However, he lost to the four biggest names he has encountered—Shane Mosley twice, Felix Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins and Mayweather Jr.

Roach said speed and youth would be the weapons of Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs), who started his career at 106 lb. He has won four titles in four different categories, snatching the lightweight title from David Diaz last June.

Last fight

De La Hoya repeatedly has said he won’t fight again after this year.

After a proposed rematch with Mayweather in September was scuttled by Mayweather’s retirement, De La Hoya has struggled to find a suitable opponent for his final bout before turning his full attention to his burgeoning promotions company and other business interests.

De La Hoya now thinks he has his man in Pacquiao, widely considered the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter. Pacquiao hasn’t fought since stopping Diaz in his first fight as a lightweight.

Pacquiao will have to move up to welterweight to fight De La Hoya, a surprising weight surge for a fighter who began his career as a minimum weight boxer.

Hand speed

Roach has said his fighter won’t have trouble maintaining his peerless hand speed at that weight, since Pacquiao routinely puts on 4 kilos (10 pounds) or more in the 24 hours between weighing in for his bouts and actually stepping in the ring.

De La Hoya beat Forbes by unanimous decision in his most recent fight, but has won just three of his six bouts over the past five years.

He considered Miguel Cotto and Sergio Mora for his farewell fight, but realized the most lucrative challenge would be Pacquiao, the Filipino hero who has won eight straight fights since early 2005. With reports from AP and Los Angeles Times

Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar De La Hoya Official

Source: http://sports.inquirer.net/inquirersports/inquirersports/view/20080829-157484/100-M-fight-Pacquiao-vs-De-La-Hoya