Oscar De La Hoya vs Manny Pacquiao: The Fight of the Year, Golden Boy vs Pac-Man

On Saturday one of the most prolific fighters of all time is up against a fighter that many say is here to take his place. Its speed vs. skill, it’s boxing vs. brawling, it’s kill or be killed. Any way you bill it, this one is definitely one for the ages.

Any way you dissect this fight there are too many intangibles that can sway this fight any way. In times like this, you just sit down and enjoy the fight, because that’s just what it’s going to be, a fight. De La Hoya swears that this fight is personal, in many ways it can be. Manny Pacquiao has dishonored De La Hoya and Golden Boy promotions by jumping ship and staying with Top Rank.

Pacquiao says that it’s nothing personal and that he is going to do all his talking in the ring. Well let’s hope so, it’s time to put up or shut up. That element only adds more fuel to the fire. And if that is what De La Hoya needs to get up to fight this fight then so be it. The last few “tune-up” Fights have been nothing to spectacular. If he needs to bill this one as a personal vendetta then that’s what it will be.

We all know that he is going to have to bring his A game to beat Pacquiao. As we all are were expecting to see Oscar fight Floyd, we now see him in a head on collision with one of the best right now and one of the best pound for pound fighters around. In this fight of fights I think it boils down to who wants it more.

As it is in any fight, Saturday night we will see who is going to dig deep and give us, the fight fans, exactly what we need to kick off the New Year, The fight of the year. On the other hand as we dissect the two and what they have to lose as opposed to who has more to lose. We see one of two things that will come out of Saturday’s fight other than finally giving fight fans what they have wanted for so long, a great fight.

In the eyes of many especially mine, I see Manny Pacquiao having far more to lose than Oscar. This is a win, win for De La Hoya as was the last major fight that he had with Floyd. Manny has a whole lot more to offer fight fans after this fight whether he wins or loses, well at least in the ring.  De La Hoya will always be the Golden Boy and always have the stable of great fighters to promote. Pacquiao hasn’t reached that status yet. He has a legacy to create yet, and is on the eve of doing that with a win on Saturday.

A win for him will open up more opportunities than he can waive a stick at. Let’s just hope he doesn’t run into the same fiasco that he did two years ago and book two fights at the same time, because that’s what he is looking at with a win on Saturday. Now De La Hoya on the other hand, again has nothing to lose. He is still going to make more than Manny. Win, lose or draw and he will still have been one of the best fighters of his time.

It can’t be stressed more, that with a win over Pacquiao the golden boy cements his legacy as being able to beat the best at any given time. Maybe even opens the door for another fight with Floyd. We all know that if it makes enough money Floyd will come.

Now if Manny loses, he loses to one of the best fighters of all time, and he can hide behind the idea that he was fighting a giant at the 147 weight class and that a fighter of his size was no match. If you really look at the tale of the tape, he is surrendering six inches in reach.

No matter how you look at it this fight is great for boxing, hands down. Boxing needs this fight right now, and the golden boy and the Pac man are here to save it. The sport of boxing has to have someone like Manny. Fearless, brave, throw any objective up there and that is Manny. “A throwback that would win in any era of boxing” is how Bob Arum see’s him.

This is a major jump for a fighter of his size and to take on such a world class fighter such as Oscar De La Hoya. Who better than the man they call Pac-man, the pride of the Philippines, and the man they call “Golden Boy” one of the best of all time to square off in Las Vegas. I am haplessly excited about this fight.

The up and coming Manny Pacquiao (47-3-2) ready to take off like a space ship come a win on Saturday night. Then there is Oscar De La Hoya (39-5) ready to cement his legacy with a win over another at-the-time pound for pound greats. It’s only a matter of who is going to come to fight. Will it be the Boxer with style and grace from De La Hoya, or will we see the home run swinging, bomb throwing Pacquiao.

No matter how you look at it or which side you take history will be made in the ring come Saturday.