TONY PENECALE’S DE LA HOYA VS. PACQUIAO PREVIEW

Posted on | December 4, 2008 | 5 Comments

** In-Depth Preview and Analysis **

PACQUIAO VS. DELAHOYA 24/7 EPISODE 3:

By Tony Penecale

It is the age-old story: The biggest name in boxing versus the #1 boxer in the world. Last year, when Oscar De la Hoya took on Floyd Mayweather, the hype was amazing but the fight didn’t live up to it. With Mayweather’s retirement, the smaller yet more explosive Manny Pacquiao is universally recognized as the best boxer in the world. And now he steps up to tackle De la Hoya, hoping to cement his legacy as an all-time legend while De la Hoya is trying to wind down his Hall-of-Fame career still on top of the mountain. Can Pac-man gobble up De la Hoya? Or will it be Game Over for Manny?

AGE, RECORD, AND STATS

De la Hoya: Age: 35 years old
Record: 39-5 (30 Knockouts)
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 150 ** Weight for last bout (5-3-08)
Reach: 73”

Pacquiao: Age: 29 years old
Record: 47-3-2 (35 Knockouts)
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 134 ** Weight for last bout (6-28-08)
Reach: 67”

RING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

De la Hoya: 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist
WBO Junior Lightweight Champion (’94)
WBC Lightweight Champion (’95)
WBC Super Lightweight Champion (’96-’97)
WBC Welterweight Champion (’97-’99, ’00)
WBC Junior Middleweight Champion (’01-’03, ’06-‘07)
Ring Magazine Junior Middleweight Champion (’02-’03)
WBO Middleweight Champion (’04)
Ring Magazine #1 Rated Pound-4-Pound Boxer (’97-’99)

Pacquiao: WBC Flyweight Champion (’98-‘99)
IBF Super Bantamweight Champion (’01-’03)
WBC Super Featherweight Champion (’08)
WBC Lightweight Champion (‘08)
Ring Magazine #1 Rated Pound-4-Pound Boxer (’07-Prs)

STYLE

De la Hoya: De la Hoya is a natural left-hander who boxes from an orthodox stance. Utilized a long jab and has naturally quick hands. Throws punches to set up his vaunted left hook. Has improved his right hand over the years. Is effective boxing from the outside or can fight inside when necessary.

Pacquiao: Pacquiao boxes from a southpaw stance, moving forward bobbing and feinting his way in. Once in close, he uses his right hand to find the range and then unleashes his powerful left, either straight or looping. Has also developed a decent right hook, either as a lead punch or thrown behind the left.

STRENGTHS

De la Hoya: * Big Fight Experience – De la Hoya has been in this position on a number of occasions. Has been involved in 25 world title bouts and 17 PPV main events including bouts with legends and future Hall-of-Famers such as Julio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker, Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather, and Bernard Hopkins, among many others

* Left Hook – De la Hoya has a fine arsenal of weapons but nothing is as potent as his left hook. The punch can be delivered as a lead or at the end of a combination. Dropped several quality fighters with a single hook including Rafael Ruelas, Fernando Vargas, Ike Quartey, and Ricardo Mayorga.

* Chin – De la Hoya has only been stopped once in his career, from a body shot, against the naturally-larger Hopkins. His chin has been tested against several quality punchers and has proved durable.

Pacquiao: * Unorthodox Style – Pacquiao is very unorthodox, even for a southpaw. He moves straight in but is hard to time with his bobbing and head feints. Before most opponents can time his onrushes, he is inside throwing punches like a buzzsaw.

* Speed – Pacquiao is quick and agile and his hands are deceptively quick. He throws quick one-two combinations and can back an opponent with them.

* Stamina – Pacquiao fights just as hard in the last round as he does in the beginning. He applies a lot of pressure and is constantly punching, wearing opponents down in the process.

WEAKNESSES

De la Hoya: * Stamina – Ever since the Trinidad fight when De la Hoya danced the last three rounds and the bout away, he has always had a problem with stamina late. His losses to Mosley and Mayweather, along with his lackluster performance against Felix Sturm, saw De la Hoya fade in the later rounds.

* Tactical Errors – De la Hoya often fights the wrong fight. He tried to match hand speed with Mosley, which cost him those bouts. Against Mayweather, he inexplicably abandoned his jab when it was working effectively. Even in his wins over Chavez (rematch), Quartey, and Vargas, he stood right in front of them and allowed them each to land punches against him.

* Frequent Changes – Over the years, De la Hoya has worked with several different trainers. For this bout, he will be working with Nacho Beristain with Angelo Dundee employed as a special advisor. This marks the third straight bout De la Hoya will be employing a different trainer.

Pacquiao: * Size – Pacquiao started his career at 106 lbs and in his last fight only weighed 134, a weight De la Hoya hasn’t been in 12 years. Pacquiao will also be giving up four inches in height and six inches in reach against his naturally larger foe.

* Cuts – Pacquiao has contended with cuts and scar tissue throughout his career. He was cut badly by headbutts in his fight with Agapito Sanchez and also in his first fight with Erik Morales. His fragile skin could be a liability against De la Hoya’s sharp jabs.

* Distractions – Pacquiao is a popular celebrity in his native Philippines, even running for political office there. Keeping him focused and disciplined between bouts has often been a challenge for his team.

PREVIOUS BOUTS

De la Hoya: De la Hoya tuned up for a potential rematch with Floyd Mayweather by outpointing former titlist Steve Forbes over 12 rounds. De la Hoya used his jab and size advantage effectively and controlled the bout. Forbes landed a few significant punches but didn’t have enough power to seriously threaten The Golden Boy.

Pacquiao: Pacquiao moved up to lightweight after his win over Juan Manuel Marquez and collected another title belt by thoroughly outclassing David Diaz, stopping him in nine one-sided rounds. Pacquiao’s advantage in speed was too much for Diaz to cope with.

3 BEST PERFORMANCES

De la Hoya: * Fernando Vargas (9/14/02) – This was pure grudge match with a naturally larger opponent (with no love lost between them). Conventional wisdom said De la Hoya boxes from the outside but instead he slugged with Vargas, enduring some rocky moments before finally breaking through and wobbling Vargas in the 10th. With Vargas in trouble, De la Hoya turned up the heat the 11th round, flooring Vargas and battering him against the ropes before the bout was halted.

* Ricardo Mayorga (5/6/06) – It’s not because he beat the crude Mayorga, which was expected, but how he did it. De la Hoya crushed Mayorga, dropping his iron-jawed opponent in the bout’s opening minute. De la Hoya took the fight to Mayorga, dropping him two more times in the 6th round and forcing a stoppage.

* Rafael Ruelas (5/6/95) – De la Hoya’s shot at the IBF lightweight title came against a tough and experienced Ruelas. Many thought this bout was coming too soon. It wasn’t as De la Hoya bombed Ruelas with a massive left hook in the 2nd round. After Ruelas rose, De la Hoya showed killer instinct and impressively closed the show.

Pacquiao: * Juan Manuel Marquez (3/15/08) – They had fought to a split draw four years earlier and the rematch was long awaited. Marquez had success when he was able to box and out-maneuver Pacquiao. But Pac-man’s power surfaced, flooring Marquez hard in the 3rd round and landing the harder punches throughout. On the strength of the knockdown, it was Pacquiao winning the split decision by a single point.

* Marco Antonio Barrera (11/15/03) – Little was known about Pacquiao when he stepped into face the legendary Barrera. After 11 rounds, much was known about Pacquiao as he marched forward and punished Barrera with scorching left hands, finally overwhelming and stopping him.

* David Diaz (6/28/08) – It was expected that Pacquiao would defeated the tough but limited Diaz. But he was very impressive in doing so, punishing Diaz through nine rounds. With Diaz bruised and bloodied, Pacquiao finished him off, dropping him to the canvas and forcing the stoppage.

QUESTIONS

De la Hoya: * How will he work with Beristain and Dundee in his corner?

* Will he burn himself out trying to match Pacquiao’s pace?

* Can he follow the strategy laid out for him?

Pacquiao: * Can he significantly hurt De la Hoya?

* Is he moving up in weight too quickly?

* Is he just in this fight for the money?

PENECALE PREDICTION

Pacquiao will open the bout moving in and trying to gain De la Hoya’s respect. De la Hoya will try to establish his jab to keep the smaller man on the outside. Pacquiao’s quickness will surprise De la Hoya and he will be able to move inside but De la Hoya’s strength will counter that as he will able to push Pac-man off of him and keep the distance between them.

De la Hoya’s corner will implore him to be more aggressive and to take the fight to Pacquiao and force him into the uncomfortable role of moving backwards. De la Hoya will move in more behind his jab in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Pacquiao will land a few straight lefts to the head and body but it won’t have the same effect on De la Hoya as it did to the featherweights and lightweights that Pacquiao is accustomed to hitting.

In the 4th round, the momentum will clearly be in De la Hoya’s favor. Pacquiao will continue to press and try to disrupt De la Hoya’s timing with awkward movements. But there will be a sense of desperation to his attempts. It will be as he realizes that he has bitten off a bit more than he can chew. Unlike other bouts where a smaller man has moved up with much success, like Roy Jones against John Ruiz or Bernard Hopkins against Antonio Tarver, this will be more a case where a good big man will beat a good small man.

De la Hoya will slow the pace in the 5th and 6th rounds. He will be in command and picking his shots, but also wary that if the bout lasts to the later rounds, the brisk pace from the beginning could leave him fatigued. At the end of the 6th round, Pacquiao will return to his corner, bleeding from a cut over his right eye, courtesy of De la Hoya’s jab and left hook.

The end will come in the 7 th round. Pacquiao’s heart will keep him in it. But by that time, he will be running on fumes. He will come forward and walk right into a De la Hoya right hand, buckling his knees, and leaving himself open for a short left hook which puts him on the canvas. Referee Tony Weeks will let it continue. De la Hoya will seize the opportunity and attack without caution, hammering Pacquiao against the ropes where Weeks will jump in and stop the contest.

The winner by TKO at 1:25 of the 7th round is “The Golden Boy” Oscar De la Hoya!!!