"World Boxing Dream Match" Oscar De La Hoya Vs Manny Pacquiao -Who's you bet? VOTE NOW!
Pacuiao V.S. De La Hoya
Who's your Bet?
Pacquiao V.S. De La Hoya " The Dream Match"
De la Hoya VS. Pacquiao? WHo's you bet?
Pacquiao is scheduled to face Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday, December 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, Inc., the bout will be a 12-round, non-title fight contested at the 147-pound welterweight limit. Although Pacquiao goes into the fight widely recognised as the leading pound-for-pound boxer in the world, some boxing pundits have speculated that the 147-pound weight class could be too far above his natural weight against the larger De La Hoya.[31]
"Manny Pacquiao is considered the best fighter in boxing today and I always want to fight the best," comments De La Hoya. "I am glad we were able to make this fight happen because while Pacquiao is at the pinnacle of his success and has defeated all of the top fighters he has faced, I am going to show the world that it stops with me. December 6 can't get here soon enough."
"This is my greatest challenge," said Pacquiao. "When I take that walk to the ring to fight Oscar, I will carry all the people of The Philippines - the entire country - on my shoulders. I promise I will fight with all of my heart and that I will give everything I have. Like my trainer Freddie Roach says, I have what it takes to win the biggest fight of my life."
De la Hoya, on the other hand, said: "We're three months away, and we have to figure out quick how we're going to neutralize him. It's going to be an explosive fight. We're going to fight in the center of the ring. I have to find a way to increase my speed."[33]. Many boxing analyst believe the fight will be Oscar's assuring win before he retires. Boxing fans and boxers believe the fight is a mismatch due to Oscar's size and for the first time Manny will enter the ring as an underdog in this dream match. Bets has already taken place with Oscar being the heavy favorite in the polls.
[edit] Tickets and purse
ABS-CBN reported that: "the De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes."[log on to www.hbo.com] Golden Boy Promotions, Inc. (GBP) officially said that tickets (at Ticketmaster's phone service and Web site and at MGM Grand's Web site[www.mgmgrand.com]) for the 12-round "The Dream Match" will be sold on September 24 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. GBP announced tickets are priced at $1,500, $1,000, $750, $500, $250, $150, but, "ticket sales are limited to two (2) per person at each price level with a total ticket limit of four (4) per person." Impulse Tickets[www.impulsetickets.com] further announced its selling prices range from $520 each to $26,250-seat (nearest to the ring).[34][35] Pacquiao will receive $15 to 30 million (share of the pay-per-view), plus a guaranteed amount.[36]
Biography
Biography of "Manny PACMAN Pacquiao"
Pacquiao started his professional boxing career in 1996 at 106 lbs (Light flyweight) at the age of 16. His early fights usually took place in small venues and were shown on Vintage Sports' Blow by Blow, an evening boxing show. His professional debut was a 4-round bout against Edmund Enting Ignacio on January 22, 1995, which Pacquiao won via decision, becoming an instant star of the program. Close friend Mark Penaflorida's death in 1994 spurred young Pacquiao to pursue a professional career.
His weight increased from 106 to 113 lbs before losing in his 12th bout against Rustico Torrecampo via a third-round knockout (KO). As sportscaster Joaquin "Quinito" Henson observed, Pacquiao had not made weight. So he was forced to use heavier gloves than Torrecampo, thereby putting Pacquiao at a disadvantage.[3]
Shortly after the Torrecampo fight, Pacquiao settled at 112 lbs, winning the WBC Flyweight title over Chatchai Sasakul in the eighth round only to lose it in his second defense against Medgoen Singsurat, or Medgoen 3K Battery, via a third-round knockout on a bout held at Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Technically, Pacquiao lost the belt at the scales by surpassing the required weight of 112 lbs (51 kg).
Following his loss to Singsurat, Pacquiao gained weight anew, this time stopping at the superbantamweight division of 122 lbs (55 kg), where he picked up the WBC International Super Bantamweight title, defending it five times before his next world title fight came.
Pacquiao's big break came on June 23, 2001, against IBF Super Bantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Pacquiao stepped into the fight as a late replacement and won the fight by technical knockout to become the IBF Super Bantamweight champion on a bout held at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada. He defended this title four times and fought to a sixth-round draw against Agapito Sanchez in a bout that was stopped early after Pacquiao received a headbutt.
[edit] Personal life
His parents are Rosalio and Dionisia Pacquiao. His brother Bobby Pacquiao is also a boxer. He is married to Jinky Pacquiao with 3 children: Jimmuel, Michael and Grace.
[edit] Pacquiao's rise
Pacquiao went on to defend his title four times with expert training from adam chambers and daniel cragg at melton mowbray boxercise, improving his hand speed and mental preparation before the match that many consider to have defined his career, a bout against the Mexican boxing idol Marco Antonio Barrera. Pacquiao, moving up in weight and in his first fight ever in the featherweight division, brought his power with him and defeated Barrera via a TKO in the 11th round at the Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas. Although this fight was not recognized as a title fight by any sanctioning bodies, Pacquiao was recognized as world champion by Ring Magazine after his victory [4], and he held that title until relinquishing it in 2005.
Only 6 months removed from his win over Barrera, Pacquiao went on to challenge another respected Mexican counterpuncher, Juan Manuel Márquez, then holder of the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) Featherweight titles. The fight held at the MGM Grand ended in a controversial draw after he knocked down Márquez three times in the first round but lost most of the latter rounds. One of the judges later admitted to making an error in the scorecards because he scored the first round as "10-7" in favor of Pacquiao instead of the standard "10-6" for a three-knockdown round.
In a bout held at Taguig City, Philippines, Pacquiao fought against Fahsan (3K-Battery) Por Thawatchai. Pacquiao sent 3K-Battery to the canvas three times en route to a knockout in the fourth round. A left uppercut to the jaw that lifted the Thai fighter's feet off the canvas ended the fight.
Manny once again moved up another division from 126 to 130 lbs to fight another Mexican legend, three-time division champion Érik Morales on March 19, 2005, at the MGM Grand. However, this time around, at his first fight in the superfeatherweight division, Pacquiao lost the 12-round match by a unanimous decision from the judges.
On September 10, 2005, Manny Pacquiao knocked out Héctor Velázquez, capturing the WBC International Super Featherweight title in the process, in a fight held at Staples Center, Los Angeles, California.
Pacquiao defeated Morales via a 10th-round TKO in a much-anticipated rematch on January 22, 2006 in Las Vegas at Thomas and Mack Center.
[edit] Newfound fame
After the Morales bout, Pacquiao was in the limelight again during the first week of February 2006 when a waitress working in a Manila nightclub claimed that he was the father of her son, born out of a whirlwind affair with the boxer. The boxer, allegedly, was giving the child financial support, which was also kept secret from his wife, Jinkee, until she found out. This caused a problem in their marriage, but things were mended.[5]
Trainer Freddie Roach had previously voiced concerns about the late- night lifestyle and warned that the boxer was in danger of losing both his edge and focus. Roach noted that there are too many distractions surrounding Pacquiao in the Philippines.[6]
On July 2, 2006, Pacquiao defeated another Mexican, Oscar Larios, a two-time superbantamweight champion. Despite his camp's big promise of an early knockout, the fight went until the final round, with Pacquiao knocking down the Mexican two times during the 12-round bout for the WBC International Super Featherweight title held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines.[7]
In September 2006, Pacquiao signed a major deal with Golden Boy Promotions (GBP), headed by Oscar de la Hoya, which was good for seven fights.[8] This development was confirmed by his coach Freddie Roach. Under the deal, Pacquiao was guaranteed a prize money of US$5 million for each fight. With regard to profits made on each fight, Pacquiao would receive at least 90%, whereas the remaining 10% would go to Golden Boy Promotions.
Pacquiao and Morales fought for a third time (with the series tied 1-all) on November 18, 2006. Witnessed by a near-record crowd of 18,276, the match saw Pacquiao defeating Morales via a third-round knockout at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.[9]
After the Pacquiao-Morales rematch, Arum announced that Manny returned his signing bonus check back to Golden Boy Promotions, signaling intentions to stay with Top Rank. This resulted in GBP's decision to sue the famed fighter over contractual breaches.[10]
At the end of 2006, he was named by both HBO and Ring Magazine as the fighter of the year, with HBO also naming him as the most exciting fighter of the year.
After a failed promotional negotiation with Marco Antonio Barrera's camp, Bob Arum chose Jorge Solis as his next opponent among several fighters that Bob Arum offered him to fight as a replacement. The bout was held in San Antonio on April 14, 2007. In the sixth round of the bout, an accidental headbutt occurred, giving Pacquiao a cut under his left eyebrow. The fight ended in the eight round when Pacquiao knocked Solis down twice; with Solis barely beating the count after the second knockdown, the referee (who was also a doctor) was prompted to stop the fight. The victory raised Pacquiao's win-draw-loss record to 44-3-2, with 35 KOs.
On June 29, 2007, it was announced that Top Rank and GBP agreed to settle their lawsuit, meaning the long-awaited rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera will occur despite being the number 1 contender for the super-featherweight title of Juan Manuel Marquez.
Since Bob Arum was out on a vacation, GBP's chief executive Richard Schaefer politely declined to discuss Pacquiao's purse from the October 6, 2007 rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera (at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas). However, Pacquiao was likely to get a purse of $5 million, plus possibly a share of the pay-per-view rights.[11] Pacquiao defeated Barrera in their rematch via an easy unanimous decision. In the 11th round, Pacquiao's punch caused a deep cut under Barrera's right eye. Barrera retaliated with an illegal punch on the break that dazed Pacquiao but also caused the referee to deduct a point from Barrera. Two judges scored the bout 118-109, whereas the third scored it 115-112.[12]
In The Ring magazine, Pacquiao (45-3-2) remained at the top of the junior lightweight division (130 lbs). He had been in the ratings for 108 weeks. Pacquiao was also at No. 2 in the pound-for-pound category behind welterweight champ Floyd Mayweather.[13][14]
On November 13, 2007, he was honored by the WBC as Champ Emeritus during its 45th Annual World Convention held at the Manila Hotel.[15]
On November 18, 2007, the Manila Bulletin Online edition reported a possible bout between Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya. Although it remains to be seen whether it will come to fruition, the prevailing scenario will have Pacquiao battle against David Diaz, the WBC's current reigning lightweight titlist.[16]
On November 20, 2007, Jose Nunez, manager for WBO Superfeatherweight Champion Joan Guzman, accused Pacquiao's handler Bob Arum of evading a match between the two boxers to protect Pacquiao.[17] Guzman went as far as to directly call out Pacquiao at the postfight press conference of the Pacquiao-Barrera rematch in front of a stunned crowd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center's media room in Las Vegas.[18]
The 240-member House of Representatives of the Philippines, on August 7, 2008, issued a Resolution, sponsored by South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio, which recognized Pacquiao as a "people's champ" - for his "achievements and in appreciation of the honor and inspiration he has been bringing ... to the Filipino people." He received a plaque from Speaker Prospero Nograles.[19][20]
On July, 2008, it was announced that Pacquiao would be the flag bearer of the Philippines at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[21] He became the first Filipino athlete, non-Olympics competitor, to be the Team Philippines' flag-bearer during the August 8 opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics at Bird's Nest, Olympic stadium. Swimmer Miguel Molina, Southeast Asia Games' Best Male Athlete, yielded the honor to Pacquiao, upon Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's request to national sports officials on the Philippines at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[22]
[edit] Super Featherweight title
On March 15, 2008, in a rematch against Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao won via a highly disputed split decision. Pacquiao won the WBC and The Ring superfeatherweight belts, making him the first Filipino to win three world titles in three different weight divisions (Pacquiao was a former WBC Flyweight Champion, IBF Super bantamweight, and now WBC Super featherweight). The fight was controversial, with some boxing analysts saying Marquez should have been the winner.
During the postfight interview, Marquez's camp called for an immediate rematch. Richard Schaefer, GBP CEO, offered a $6-million guarantee to Pacquiao for a rematch. Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, still stinging from the less-than-stellar revenue from Kelly Pavlik's immediate rematch with Jermain Taylor, said the fight will probably happen but only after there is time to "put a little air under it." Pacquiao, for his part, said "I don't think so, this business is over" because he planned to move to lightweight (135 lbs) to challenge David Diaz, the reigning WBC Lightweight Champion at the time. Diaz won a unanimous decision over Ramon Montano that night as an undercard of "Unfinished Business."
[edit] WBC Lightweight title
On June 28, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Pacquiao defeated David Díaz via ninth-round knockout to become the WBC lightweight champion. With the victory, Pacquiao became the only Asian boxer to win four major titles in four weight classes and also became the first Filipino fighter to ever win a world title at lightweight.[23][24] The fight ended at 2:23 of the ninth round and was viewed by 8,362 spectators. Bob Arum announced that Pacquiao is most likely to fight November 15[25] versus 130-lb Venezuelan champion Edwin Valero or Humberto Soto in Planet Hollywood, and he also mentioned the name of WBA, WBO, and IBF lightweight champ Nate Campbell. "I can fight in November," Pacquiao stated, "Who I fight is the job of my promoter (Bob Arum)." Diaz had his best payday, $850,000, and Pacquiao earned at least $3 million.[26][27]
Bob Arum reported that the Pacquiao-David Diaz fight which made $ 12.5-M (250,000 pay-per-view hits at $ 49.95 per hit), paled in comparison to the 400,000 in the Marquez showdown. The sales reached over $20 million. Pacquiao's 3 classic fights with Erik Morales earned a combined sales of 1 million pay-per-view hits. After HBO and Top Rank get their share, Pacquiao and Diaz will get theirs based on the contract, that is, in addition to the $ 3 million contract pay. Official records revealed an attendance of only 8,362 tickets of the seating capacity of 12,000, because of rising gasoline costs.[28]
Meanwhile, WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman clarified that Pacquiao is not a 5-division but 4-division world champion, because the November 2003 Barrera fight was a non-title bout.[29]
Holding both the WBC Super Featherweight and Lightweight Titles following the win, Pacquiao decided to vacate his super featherweight title in July 2008 in order to defend his lightweight crown.[30]
Pacquiao started his professional boxing career in 1996 at 106 lbs (Light flyweight) at the age of 16. His early fights usually took place in small venues and were shown on Vintage Sports' Blow by Blow, an evening boxing show. His professional debut was a 4-round bout against Edmund Enting Ignacio on January 22, 1995, which Pacquiao won via decision, becoming an instant star of the program. Close friend Mark Penaflorida's death in 1994 spurred young Pacquiao to pursue a professional career.
His weight increased from 106 to 113 lbs before losing in his 12th bout against Rustico Torrecampo via a third-round knockout (KO). As sportscaster Joaquin "Quinito" Henson observed, Pacquiao had not made weight. So he was forced to use heavier gloves than Torrecampo, thereby putting Pacquiao at a disadvantage.[3]
Shortly after the Torrecampo fight, Pacquiao settled at 112 lbs, winning the WBC Flyweight title over Chatchai Sasakul in the eighth round only to lose it in his second defense against Medgoen Singsurat, or Medgoen 3K Battery, via a third-round knockout on a bout held at Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Technically, Pacquiao lost the belt at the scales by surpassing the required weight of 112 lbs (51 kg).
Following his loss to Singsurat, Pacquiao gained weight anew, this time stopping at the superbantamweight division of 122 lbs (55 kg), where he picked up the WBC International Super Bantamweight title, defending it five times before his next world title fight came.
Pacquiao's big break came on June 23, 2001, against IBF Super Bantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Pacquiao stepped into the fight as a late replacement and won the fight by technical knockout to become the IBF Super Bantamweight champion on a bout held at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada. He defended this title four times and fought to a sixth-round draw against Agapito Sanchez in a bout that was stopped early after Pacquiao received a headbutt.
[edit] Personal life
His parents are Rosalio and Dionisia Pacquiao. His brother Bobby Pacquiao is also a boxer. He is married to Jinky Pacquiao with 3 children: Jimmuel, Michael and Grace.
[edit] Pacquiao's rise
Pacquiao went on to defend his title four times with expert training from adam chambers and daniel cragg at melton mowbray boxercise, improving his hand speed and mental preparation before the match that many consider to have defined his career, a bout against the Mexican boxing idol Marco Antonio Barrera. Pacquiao, moving up in weight and in his first fight ever in the featherweight division, brought his power with him and defeated Barrera via a TKO in the 11th round at the Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas. Although this fight was not recognized as a title fight by any sanctioning bodies, Pacquiao was recognized as world champion by Ring Magazine after his victory [4], and he held that title until relinquishing it in 2005.
Only 6 months removed from his win over Barrera, Pacquiao went on to challenge another respected Mexican counterpuncher, Juan Manuel Márquez, then holder of the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) Featherweight titles. The fight held at the MGM Grand ended in a controversial draw after he knocked down Márquez three times in the first round but lost most of the latter rounds. One of the judges later admitted to making an error in the scorecards because he scored the first round as "10-7" in favor of Pacquiao instead of the standard "10-6" for a three-knockdown round.
In a bout held at Taguig City, Philippines, Pacquiao fought against Fahsan (3K-Battery) Por Thawatchai. Pacquiao sent 3K-Battery to the canvas three times en route to a knockout in the fourth round. A left uppercut to the jaw that lifted the Thai fighter's feet off the canvas ended the fight.
Manny once again moved up another division from 126 to 130 lbs to fight another Mexican legend, three-time division champion Érik Morales on March 19, 2005, at the MGM Grand. However, this time around, at his first fight in the superfeatherweight division, Pacquiao lost the 12-round match by a unanimous decision from the judges.
On September 10, 2005, Manny Pacquiao knocked out Héctor Velázquez, capturing the WBC International Super Featherweight title in the process, in a fight held at Staples Center, Los Angeles, California.
Pacquiao defeated Morales via a 10th-round TKO in a much-anticipated rematch on January 22, 2006 in Las Vegas at Thomas and Mack Center.
[edit] Newfound fame
After the Morales bout, Pacquiao was in the limelight again during the first week of February 2006 when a waitress working in a Manila nightclub claimed that he was the father of her son, born out of a whirlwind affair with the boxer. The boxer, allegedly, was giving the child financial support, which was also kept secret from his wife, Jinkee, until she found out. This caused a problem in their marriage, but things were mended.[5]
Trainer Freddie Roach had previously voiced concerns about the late- night lifestyle and warned that the boxer was in danger of losing both his edge and focus. Roach noted that there are too many distractions surrounding Pacquiao in the Philippines.[6]
On July 2, 2006, Pacquiao defeated another Mexican, Oscar Larios, a two-time superbantamweight champion. Despite his camp's big promise of an early knockout, the fight went until the final round, with Pacquiao knocking down the Mexican two times during the 12-round bout for the WBC International Super Featherweight title held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines.[7]
In September 2006, Pacquiao signed a major deal with Golden Boy Promotions (GBP), headed by Oscar de la Hoya, which was good for seven fights.[8] This development was confirmed by his coach Freddie Roach. Under the deal, Pacquiao was guaranteed a prize money of US$5 million for each fight. With regard to profits made on each fight, Pacquiao would receive at least 90%, whereas the remaining 10% would go to Golden Boy Promotions.
Pacquiao and Morales fought for a third time (with the series tied 1-all) on November 18, 2006. Witnessed by a near-record crowd of 18,276, the match saw Pacquiao defeating Morales via a third-round knockout at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.[9]
After the Pacquiao-Morales rematch, Arum announced that Manny returned his signing bonus check back to Golden Boy Promotions, signaling intentions to stay with Top Rank. This resulted in GBP's decision to sue the famed fighter over contractual breaches.[10]
At the end of 2006, he was named by both HBO and Ring Magazine as the fighter of the year, with HBO also naming him as the most exciting fighter of the year.
After a failed promotional negotiation with Marco Antonio Barrera's camp, Bob Arum chose Jorge Solis as his next opponent among several fighters that Bob Arum offered him to fight as a replacement. The bout was held in San Antonio on April 14, 2007. In the sixth round of the bout, an accidental headbutt occurred, giving Pacquiao a cut under his left eyebrow. The fight ended in the eight round when Pacquiao knocked Solis down twice; with Solis barely beating the count after the second knockdown, the referee (who was also a doctor) was prompted to stop the fight. The victory raised Pacquiao's win-draw-loss record to 44-3-2, with 35 KOs.
On June 29, 2007, it was announced that Top Rank and GBP agreed to settle their lawsuit, meaning the long-awaited rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera will occur despite being the number 1 contender for the super-featherweight title of Juan Manuel Marquez.
Since Bob Arum was out on a vacation, GBP's chief executive Richard Schaefer politely declined to discuss Pacquiao's purse from the October 6, 2007 rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera (at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas). However, Pacquiao was likely to get a purse of $5 million, plus possibly a share of the pay-per-view rights.[11] Pacquiao defeated Barrera in their rematch via an easy unanimous decision. In the 11th round, Pacquiao's punch caused a deep cut under Barrera's right eye. Barrera retaliated with an illegal punch on the break that dazed Pacquiao but also caused the referee to deduct a point from Barrera. Two judges scored the bout 118-109, whereas the third scored it 115-112.[12]
In The Ring magazine, Pacquiao (45-3-2) remained at the top of the junior lightweight division (130 lbs). He had been in the ratings for 108 weeks. Pacquiao was also at No. 2 in the pound-for-pound category behind welterweight champ Floyd Mayweather.[13][14]
On November 13, 2007, he was honored by the WBC as Champ Emeritus during its 45th Annual World Convention held at the Manila Hotel.[15]
On November 18, 2007, the Manila Bulletin Online edition reported a possible bout between Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya. Although it remains to be seen whether it will come to fruition, the prevailing scenario will have Pacquiao battle against David Diaz, the WBC's current reigning lightweight titlist.[16]
On November 20, 2007, Jose Nunez, manager for WBO Superfeatherweight Champion Joan Guzman, accused Pacquiao's handler Bob Arum of evading a match between the two boxers to protect Pacquiao.[17] Guzman went as far as to directly call out Pacquiao at the postfight press conference of the Pacquiao-Barrera rematch in front of a stunned crowd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center's media room in Las Vegas.[18]
The 240-member House of Representatives of the Philippines, on August 7, 2008, issued a Resolution, sponsored by South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio, which recognized Pacquiao as a "people's champ" - for his "achievements and in appreciation of the honor and inspiration he has been bringing ... to the Filipino people." He received a plaque from Speaker Prospero Nograles.[19][20]
On July, 2008, it was announced that Pacquiao would be the flag bearer of the Philippines at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[21] He became the first Filipino athlete, non-Olympics competitor, to be the Team Philippines' flag-bearer during the August 8 opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics at Bird's Nest, Olympic stadium. Swimmer Miguel Molina, Southeast Asia Games' Best Male Athlete, yielded the honor to Pacquiao, upon Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's request to national sports officials on the Philippines at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[22]
[edit] Super Featherweight title
On March 15, 2008, in a rematch against Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao won via a highly disputed split decision. Pacquiao won the WBC and The Ring superfeatherweight belts, making him the first Filipino to win three world titles in three different weight divisions (Pacquiao was a former WBC Flyweight Champion, IBF Super bantamweight, and now WBC Super featherweight). The fight was controversial, with some boxing analysts saying Marquez should have been the winner.
During the postfight interview, Marquez's camp called for an immediate rematch. Richard Schaefer, GBP CEO, offered a $6-million guarantee to Pacquiao for a rematch. Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, still stinging from the less-than-stellar revenue from Kelly Pavlik's immediate rematch with Jermain Taylor, said the fight will probably happen but only after there is time to "put a little air under it." Pacquiao, for his part, said "I don't think so, this business is over" because he planned to move to lightweight (135 lbs) to challenge David Diaz, the reigning WBC Lightweight Champion at the time. Diaz won a unanimous decision over Ramon Montano that night as an undercard of "Unfinished Business."
[edit] WBC Lightweight title
On June 28, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Pacquiao defeated David Díaz via ninth-round knockout to become the WBC lightweight champion. With the victory, Pacquiao became the only Asian boxer to win four major titles in four weight classes and also became the first Filipino fighter to ever win a world title at lightweight.[23][24] The fight ended at 2:23 of the ninth round and was viewed by 8,362 spectators. Bob Arum announced that Pacquiao is most likely to fight November 15[25] versus 130-lb Venezuelan champion Edwin Valero or Humberto Soto in Planet Hollywood, and he also mentioned the name of WBA, WBO, and IBF lightweight champ Nate Campbell. "I can fight in November," Pacquiao stated, "Who I fight is the job of my promoter (Bob Arum)." Diaz had his best payday, $850,000, and Pacquiao earned at least $3 million.[26][27]
Bob Arum reported that the Pacquiao-David Diaz fight which made $ 12.5-M (250,000 pay-per-view hits at $ 49.95 per hit), paled in comparison to the 400,000 in the Marquez showdown. The sales reached over $20 million. Pacquiao's 3 classic fights with Erik Morales earned a combined sales of 1 million pay-per-view hits. After HBO and Top Rank get their share, Pacquiao and Diaz will get theirs based on the contract, that is, in addition to the $ 3 million contract pay. Official records revealed an attendance of only 8,362 tickets of the seating capacity of 12,000, because of rising gasoline costs.[28]
Meanwhile, WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman clarified that Pacquiao is not a 5-division but 4-division world champion, because the November 2003 Barrera fight was a non-title bout.[29]
Holding both the WBC Super Featherweight and Lightweight Titles following the win, Pacquiao decided to vacate his super featherweight title in July 2008 in order to defend his lightweight crown.[30]
Oscar De La Hoya
Biography of Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya (pronounced /ˈɒskər dɛlə ˈhɔɪə/[1]) (born February 4, 1973) - nicknamed "The Golden Boy" - is a Mexican American boxer and promoter who won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother Joel Jr. were all boxers, but it was Oscar who took his boxing talent to superstar status. De La Hoya became Ring Magazine's "Fighter of the Year" in 1995 and Ring Magazine's top-rated Pound for Pound fighter in the world in 1997. De La Hoya has defeated seventeen world champions and has won ten world titles in six different weight classes.[2][3] He has also generated more money than any other boxer in the history of the sport.[4] De La Hoya's amateur career included 223 wins, 163 by way of knockout, with only 5 losses. He won the United States' only boxing gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics, by knocking down his opponent; a win which he dedicated to his deceased mother.[5] De La Hoya is also the founder of Golden Boy Promotions, a combat sport promotional firm. He is the first American of Hispanic descent to own a national boxing promotional firm and one of only a handful of boxers in history who have taken on promotional responsibilities while still active.[6]
Career
On November 23, 1992, De La Hoya made his professional debut, and in his twelfth professional fight, he won his first title, stopping Jimmy Bredahl in (TKO 10) to win the WBO junior lightweight title.[7] He moved up a division several fights later, defeating Jorge Paez (KO 2) to win the WBO lightweight title, and in his first title defense he defeated former world champion John-John Molina (UD 12). Despite his early success, De La Hoya was criticized, with many dismissing his opposition as weak and noting that he had been knocked down several times early in fights.
[edit] The Fight With Whitaker and the Welterweight Division
On April 4 1997, De La Hoya moved up in weight to challenge WBC welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker for pound fighter in the world. Despite being knocked down in the ninth round, De La Hoya rallied late to win a controversial unanimous decision by the scores of 115-111 and 116-110. He went on to defend the title. On June 14, 1997, De La Hoya defeated Hector Camacho via a unanimous decision.
[edit] The Quartey Fight
After once again defeating Chavez on September 18, 1998, by making the Mexican champion quit on his stool after eight rounds, De La Hoya defended his WBC title against undefeated former WBA welterweight champion Ike "Bazooka" Quartey. Beforehand, the fight was compared widely with the fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns in 1981, and was labeled "The Challenge".
The fight saw De La Hoya take a bad lead, and in the sixth, he knocked Quartey down with a left hook, only to be knocked down later in the round by a left uppercut. Quartey built a lead later in the fight, but in the twelfth round, De La Hoya knocked Quartey down a second time and dominated him till the final bell, winning the fight by split decision. This win and the effort showed in the final round won De La Hoya wide critical acclaim. Harold Letterman and Larry Merchant both scored the fight for Ike Quartey.
[edit] "The Fight of the Millennium"
After beating Oba Carr (TKO 11), De La Hoya signed to fight undefeated IBF welterweight champion Felix "Tito" Trinidad of Puerto Rico, a powerful knockout puncher who had made seventeen successful defenses of his title. The buildup to the fight was huge, and much anticipated. The nickname of the fight was chosen by De La Hoya's promoter, Bob Arum.
The fight took place on September 18, 1999 in Las Vegas. Many observers believed that De La Hoya had clearly outboxed Trinidad for the first nine rounds and was ahead on the judge's scorecards.[8][9] So on the advice of his corner, De La Hoya chose to circle away and not fight back for the last three rounds, allowing Trinidad to land a few solid punches. When the scores were announced, Trinidad had won a majority decision, even though Compubox punch analysis credited De La Hoya with landing 263 punches to Trinidad's 166 punches. The AP also scored the bout 115-113 in favor of De La Hoya.[10] De La Hoya was widely panned for the way he fought the last three rounds and his behavior after the Oscars.
[edit] Moving up to Junior Middleweight
After hiring Floyd Mayweather Sr. to be his trainer, De La Hoya fought as a welterweight once more, defeating Arturo Gatti (TKO 5); he then moved up to junior middleweight, challenging the Spanish WBC junior middleweight champion Javier Castillejo. De La Hoya dominated the fight, winning almost every round and knocking him down with ten seconds to go to win the title.
[edit] Shane Mosley
In 2000 De La Hoya's stock had not fallen very much despite his loss to Trinidad. In June he faced explosive former world lightweight champion Shane Mosley who he had lost to as an amateur. Mosley, utilising tremendous hand speed and power, won a 12-round split decision over De La Hoya in Los Angeles to claim the WBC welterweight title and unofficial moniker of pound-for-pound king. A 2003 rematch resulted in another loss for De La Hoya, which was disputed by many. According to Compubox, De La Hoya landed 221 of 616 (36%) total punches to 127 of 496 (26%) for Mosley.[11]
Victor Conte, the founder of Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), has since accused Mosley of knowingly taking performance enhancing drugs prior to the 2003 bout against De La Hoya. He told the Los Angeles Times that Shane Mosley knew "exactly and precisely what he was doing" when he utilized BALCO's services. Jeff Novitzky, a lead investigator on the BALCO case, reported that document seized from the lab show that Mosley received "the clear" and "the cream", both designer steroids. Mosley maintains that he believed the products he was using from BALCO were legal vitamins and is suing Conte for libel.[12][13] In May 2008, Mosley's former trainer, Derryl Hudson, supported Conte's allegations against Mosley. In a declaration that was used in Conte's motion to have the lawsuit dismissed, Hudson wrote, "I know that Mr. Mosley was aware that the performance-enhancing drugs provided to him by Mr. Conte were banned drugs because I discussed that fact with Mr. Mosley both during and after our visit to BALCO," [14]
[edit] Rivalry with Vargas
De La Hoya did not fight for the next 15 months, and in this time the rivalry between him and WBA junior middleweight champion "Ferocious" Fernando Vargas grew. They knew each other as amateurs and it is rumored that the rivalry began when Vargas was angered by De La Hoya laughing at him after he fell into a snowbank. Vargas called out De La Hoya for many years but Oscar said he would never fight him. Eventually however, Vargas's trash talking made De La Hoya take the fight. The fight was originally scheduled for early 2002, but De La Hoya had to withdraw because of a hand injury.
The unification bout, labeled "Bad Blood", finally took place on September 14, 2002, at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. For the first six rounds, the fight was even, with Vargas landing punches along the ropes in the odd rounds, while De La Hoya outboxed him in the even rounds. De La Hoya took over the fight in the seventh round, and hurt Vargas with a left hook in the tenth. Then in the next round, De La Hoya knocked him down with a left hook, and stopped him moments later. The win is widely considered to be the biggest win of De La Hoya's career. Vargas later tested positive for stanozolol after the fight.
De La Hoya then defended his unified title against Yori Boy Campas (KO 6), before facing Shane Mosley in a rematch. The rematch, billed as "Retribution" and staged at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, was much more of a boxing match than their first match, and many rounds were close, but many were still shocked when Mosley won a close unanmious decision, with all judges scoring the bout 115-113 in his favor.
[edit] Moving up to Middleweight
De la Hoya next challenged Felix Sturm for the WBO world middleweight title on June 5, 2004. Although it was a very controversial decision, he was awarded a unanimous decision and became the first boxer in history to win world titles in six different weight divisions. All three judges scored the bout 115-113 in favor of De La Hoya. Compubox statistics counted Sturm as landing 234 of 541 punches, while counting De La Hoya as landing 188 of 792. [15]
[edit] De La Hoya-Hopkins
De la Hoya then challenged for the WBC, WBA, and IBF middleweight championship and unsuccessfully defended his WBO title against modern legend Bernard Hopkins, then universally considered the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, on September 18, 2004 in Las Vegas. Although the fight was fought at a catchweight of 157 pounds, many thought De La Hoya was way too small for the weight class and Hopkins was considered a heavy favorite.
Despite the odds and the fact that he was fighting with a cut on his left palm, De La Hoya fought a smart fight and was actually ahead 77-75 on one scorecard in the ninth round when Hopkins hit him a left hook to the liver, knocking De La Hoya down and resulting in the first knockout of De La Hoya's career. De la Hoya later said that he wasn't dizzy at all, but that he couldn't get up because the pain of a well placed livershot is unbearable. Despite this De La Hoya made over thirty million dollars from the fight, and months later Hopkins became a partner in De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.
[edit] The Comeback Against Mayorga
De La Hoya then took the longest layoff of his career, twenty months, before signing to fight WBC junior middleweight champion Ricardo Mayorga. In the buildup to the fight, Mayorga insulted everything from De La Hoya's sexuality to his wife and child, but when they fought on May 6, 2006, De La Hoya knocked Mayorga down within the first minute of the fight with a left hook and knocked him out in the sixth round to take his tenth world title.
[edit] "The World Awaits"
Main article: De La Hoya-Mayweather
In early 2007, De La Hoya signed to defend his title against WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the man considered to be, pound for pound, the best fighter in the world. The fight sold out in three hours, and was hyped by a twelve city press tour and the critically acclaimed HBO series "De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7". Mayweather was considered a two to one favorite in the fight.
The fight finally took place on May 5, 2007. De La Hoya pressed the fight early, doing his best when he used his lead left jab, but Mayweather's speed and accurate punches gave him the advantage later in the fight. De La Hoya did rally in the final round, but when the scorecards were announced, Mayweather won by a split decision. De La Hoya was widely praised for his performance, and was the first man to beat Mayweather on any official scorecard.
[edit] De La Hoya-Mayweather II
De La Hoya was in the works for a rematch with Mayweather that would take place on September 20, 2008, in Las Vegas. Before that, On May 3, 2008, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, De La Hoya fought Steve Forbes in a "tuneup" bout. De La Hoya showed a more relaxed style in the fight throwing a constant jab and always staying on his toe showing no sighs of fatigue as he did in other fights and opened a gash near Forbes' eye in the sixth round.[16] The scorecards at the end of the fight were 119-109, 119-109, and 120-108. This has since been canceled due to the retirement of Mayweather.
After the retirement of Mayweather, Ricky Hatton was the new potential candidate to fight De La Hoya on September 20th. However, Hatton rejected the offer because he felt the scheduled date was too close to his last bout. He decided to pass on a fight in September to set the stage for a showdown against either Manny Pacquiao or Miguel Cotto.
