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MANNY PACQUIAO holds the rare distinction of forcing
into retirement two of the best Mexican boxers—Marco Antonio
Barrera and Erik Morales, both three-time world champions.
Can Pacquiao, 29, and a world
champion in four weight categories, do it again and show the
legendary Oscar de la Hoya the door to retirement?
Renowned trainer Freddie Roach
said his prized ward could do it, just as he did when he knocked out
Barrera and Morales that led to their hanging their gloves.
De la Hoya said in a conference
call today that he would continue fighting only if he comes out
successful against Pacquiao in a match he is taking very seriously.
“[If] I can beat a young,
hungry lion like Manny Pacquiao and the best pound-for-pound fighter
in the world, it helps me to realize that I can still do this
against the young guns, the hungry lions out there,” said de la
Hoya, 35, a 10-time world champion in six weight classes. “And,
therefore we move on to the next if we come out successful.”
De la Hoya said his principal
motivation for his coming fight is Manny Pacquiao—his
explosiveness, punching power, speed and youth.
“I have nothing bad to say
about Manny…but I’m oozing with motivation, that’s for
sure,” de la Hoya said.
De la Hoya, who has dispelled
doubts about him making the 147-pound agreed weight, said he is wary
of the fact that Pacquiao is also dealing with the issue of moving
up in weight nicely.
“They’re gaining the weight
properly. Manny’s looking fast. He’s looking strong. I think
it’s going to be an advantage for Manny to come up in weight. I
think he’s going to be the same Manny as we saw in the lower
weight class,” de la Hoya said.
De la Hoya, who bulked up to 160
pounds to fight middleweights Felix Sturm and Bernard Hopkins, said
going up in weight improves a fighter’s ability to take a punch.
“Well, when you put on the
weight, you can take the punch,” he said. “And obviously big or
small, what matters is if you have a chin, if you have the heart, if
you have the desire to win.”
De la Hoya said that although his
power and speed has improved when he shed weight, his biggest
concern is how his body will react to the weight loss during the
actual fight.
“I’m feeling great here in
training camp, but come fight night it’s a whole different story.
My conditioning has been a big issue for a lot of people over the
years,” he said.
--JUN MEDINA
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