411's Prizefight Preview: Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao
Posted by Matt Knowles on 12.05.2008
"The Dream Match" is upon us! This Saturday night on HBO PPV, two of the most decorated prizefighters of this generation face off in Las Vegas in the biggest boxing event of the year!
Welcome back to the Prizefight Preview! This week, we look ahead to a mega-fight that has the sports world buzzing, as two of the most popular and accomplished fighters in recent history look to add another credential to their respective Hall of Fame applications. In the main event, we have what is being billed as "The Dream Match" as six-division world champ "The Golden Boy" Oscar De La Hoya comes back down to welterweight to challenge four-time champ/pound-four-pound king Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao. The bout will be taking place this Saturday night from the sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is available on HBO pay-per-view.
If you're clicking on this page, there's a very good chance you already have plenty of knowledge and info in regards to the past accomplishments of each man. I'll spare you the history lesson this week, so that we can get going on what should be expected when these guys begin to throw down at center ring.
So, for this extra-special occasion, we're going back to the 12-category system, in order to evaluate each man's skill-set and determine who will have the greatest number of strategic advantages in the bout.
JAB
Over the past few years, the left jab has been Oscar De La Hoya's primary weapon. When he is at his best, he will throw the jab in multiples, followed by hooks downstairs once he closes the distance. It is this weapon that most De La Hoya backers believe will be the decisive factor in the bout.
For Manny Pacquiao, the right jab is merely a range-finder for his power punches. He throws a lot of jabs, but with very little accuracy and/or conviction. He may just abandon it altogether at one point in this bout if Oscar finds a rhythm and keeps Pac at bay for extended periods of time.
edge: De La Hoya
CROSS
The PacMan throws a scorching left cross from the southpaw stance, which has been his biggest and best punch over his decorated career. He throws it early, often, and with great intensity. The effect of this punch on WBC lightweight champ David Diaz this past June was downright disturbing; Diaz ate a clean left cross in round 9, then crashed face-first into the canvas, earning Pac his 4th official world title belt.
For all intents and purposes, De La Hoya has made a career out of landing his lead left hand; the right cross is merely for scoring points and keeping things honest in the exchanges.
edge: Pacquiao
HOOK
HBO lead analyst Jim Lampley once made reference to De La Hoya's hook as being a gift at birth; as in, it is something that was not learned, but something he inherited in the De La Hoya gene pool. I would have to concur with this sentiment; it is, without a doubt, Oscar's best power punch. He sets his opponents up for it with the jab up the middle, so that they bring their hands inward to block it, then quickly snaps the hook around the right glove of the victim. His KO victories over Rafael Ruelas, James Leija, Fernando Vargas, and Ricardo Mayorga all came off of left hook assaults.
Before one of Pacquiao's bouts against Erik Morales, trainer Freddie Roach made references to the media that Manny would be introducing a new wrinkle to the game-plan, cleverly known as "Manila Ice," amounting to a refined right hook. Frankly, it is still a work-in-progress. He has definitely become more accurate with the hook off of the jab, but it doesn't pack much power.
edge: De La Hoya
UPPERCUT
One new wrinkle that the PacMan did show in his most recent bout vs. David Diaz was an excellent right uppercut off of the right jab. Diaz wasn't exactly an elusive target, mind you, but Manny did land the uppercut all night long. What made it more impressive was that he landed the shot from the outside, which is rare, considering the trajectory of the punch.
This is a punch that has been missing in Oscar's arsenal for practically his entire pro career. His uppercuts are usually thrown to distract the opponent and set-up other shots in combination.
edge: Pacquiao
BODY SHOTS
This is a pretty tough area to call, considering that neither man is especially great at going downstairs. Oscar throws more frequent hooks to the body in combination, but PacMan throws more violent body shots when he chooses to mix things up.
edge: even
PUNCHING POWER
The grand assumption throughout recent media releases is that Oscar will, without question, be the stronger puncher in this bout. I, for one, am not buying it. Look at it like this: yes, Oscar has been fighting at higher weight classes for a longer stretch of time...but has he been showing a great deal of power in those bouts? Dropping guys at the Ricardo-Mayorga-level is one thing; putting the best pound-for-pound fighter on planet Earth on the canvas is another.
On the flip-side, Manny has shown electric power in most all of his recent bouts in the 130-135 pound divisions. Even when he goes the distance, you can bet that he'll be scoring a knockdown or two (his KD in the Marquez rematch was the one point differential that won him the bout). I believe that Pac's big power coming up in weight, and De La Hoya's average-at-best power coming down, will completely balance out once they begin to trade shots.
edge: even
HAND SPEED
Is there anyone in the sport who has faster fists than the PacMan? This is his biggest advantage going into this Saturday's bout. Not to say that Oscar is old and slow, but even in the Golden Boy's prime years at 135-140, he would have had issues with Pacquiao's speed. No amount of sparring can replicate the pace that Manny looks to cut at center ring, so Oscar will have to find ways to slow down Pacquiao in order to keep up.
edge: Pacquiao
DEFENSE
Oscar De La Hoya has firmly established himself as one of the best defensive fighters of this generation. He rarely gets hit square on the face, which is an amazing feat, considering the level of competition he has faced in his 15 years in the sport.
edge: De La Hoya
CHIN
Just like the punching power department, the major assumption is that Oscar's larger overall size will equate to him being the stronger guy on both offense and defense. Once again, I'm a bit skeptical until we really see how each man will react once the bombs begin to fly. Granted, Oscar has been in against some big punchers and has gone the 12-round distance, but in recent bouts his face has shown a tendency to swell-up very quickly. Pacquiao's chin has been rock-solid during his rise thru the 122-135 pound weight divisions, but it's hard to predict how he will react to a De La Hoya left hook to the grill. All this being said, strictly based on Oscar's beard holding up to the shots of guys like Trinidad and Vargas, I'd have to slightly lean towards the Golden Boy here.
edge: De La Hoya
FOOTWORK
Yet again, we have an area where both guys have exceptional skills. Both men are well-schooled in the sweet science, with the ability to dart in-and-out in order to score points. At this stage of each man's career, the safe assumption is that Manny Pacquiao will be the more fleet-footed fighter in this bout. Oscar will have to be on his toes all night in order to keep up with Pac's hectic pace within the ring.
edge: Pacquiao
EXPERIENCE
Both men have held numerous world championships in a variety of weight divisions. Both are accustomed to the hot Vegas lights and pandemonium that surrounds a big fight weekend. Oscar may have been in the spotlight a bit longer, but Pac is no stranger to the elite scene in Sin City. Neither guy has a distinct advantage in this area.
edge: even
INTANGIBLES
Each man brings a certain degree of clout into this bout that is worth mentioning. Oscar De La Hoya has made Las Vegas his home-away-from-home as a professional, competing in main event title bouts in Sin City since 1995. His name recognition alone is worth 2-3 rounds in every fight. That being said, he has lost high-profile Las Vegas bouts by decision against Trinidad, Mosley, and Mayweather.
With the PacMan, you have the man regarded as the best boxer on the planet. On top of this, he is going into this bout as the much smaller fighter in overall size. In my estimation, Vegas judges will be doubly-impressed by Pacquiao if he is able to sustain his offense throughout the bout. Whether they admit it or not, even the most jaded officials are always impressed when the "little guy" holds his own against a bigger opponent. This may be a huge factor in the scoring this Saturday night.
edge: Pacquiao
So there you have it! In the end, Manny Pacquiao got the nod in 5 categories, with Oscar De La Hoya holding an advantage in 4 areas, with the other 3 being deemed even.
So now we have some questions to answer:
1. Will Oscar's jab and hook be enough to keep Manny at bay?
2. With Oscar's granite chin, can Manny do any significant damage?
3. Can Pacquiao get inside of Oscar's reach in order to consistently land the left cross?
4. Will Pacquiao's superior hand and foot speed be the decisive factor?
In my estimation, the questions that should most likely be answered with a "yes" on fight night would be #'s 3 and 4. Manny's overall speed should give him opportunities to score points from both the inside and outside. I don't think he can really hurt Oscar, but he should be able to take 7+ rounds from the Golden Boy. Four or five years ago, I couldn't see this happening, as Oscar's reflexes and defensive skills were much sharper at that time. As of right now, however, Manny should have the goods to get the job done and come out victorious this Saturday night. Regardless, expect a very close fight until the final bell, with scorecards all over the place, and a somewhat inconclusive result.
PREDICTION: Manny Pacquiao by split decision
Stay tuned to 411mania on Saturday night for our live round by round coverage!
