Golden Boy or PacMan?…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
I admit it, I’ve been drawn in hook, line and sinker. Not only do I think Oscar de La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao will draw huge numbers, but I think it’s going to be a helluva fight.
I’ve long been blind to PacMan’s flaws. I get excited hearing he’s going to fight, so sue me. If trainer Freddie Roach truly believes Manny can do it, I’m going to along for the ride.
Roach trained Oscar for the super bout last year with Floyd Mayweather. He must have seen something that has made him believe this was a viable proposition.
I know it’s supposed to be the Golden Boy’s swan song, but I think he’s taken the wrong fight here. There were rumors of a Miguel Cotto fight, but then Antonio Margarito messed that up.
Oscar has always picked and chosen his opponents. When the buyrates come in, it’s totally justified. I’ve had no issues with this for years. I’m just wondering what Oscar sees in PacMan (besides size) that makes him believe that this is the way he wants to go out.
Pacquiao has so much versatility to his game. He’s no longer just that one dynamite left hand and that’s it. His right hook has made tremendous strides, and I think he’s become a lot smarter fighter as the years have gone by.
Oscar couldn’t take out a blown-up lightweight in Steve Forbes, and I think PacMan’s chin doesn’t get enough credit. Will Oscar be able to find PacMan? A left hook is tough to land on a Southpaw, and we all know that is Goldie’s golden punch.
I think some people who are dogging this fight now will change once they see how PacMan looks carrying that weight. If Manny still has the speed and the chiseled 8-pack of abs, well, people will be singing a different tune.
Big kudos to Pacquiao for taking this fight. His legacy is already cemented with wars against Mexico’s finest in Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez. He’s the closest thing to a god in the Philippines.
I was worried Pacquiao left too much of himself in his thrilling win over Marquez in March. But he has never looked better than he did in dismantling David Diaz over nine one-sided rounds. Virtuoso performance, for sure.
I’ve been thinking these wars would eventually catch up with the Filipino Icon, but it hasn’t. And there’s no reason to think he won’t bring his best against Oscar.
He doesn’t need this fight. Something tells me he wants this. There has to be a reason for that. On Dec. 6, we’re all going to find out, and it’ll have nothing to do with $$.
Local boxing update: We gots two cards on the horizon, eight days apart. A familiar face, George Tahdooahnippah (Comanche Boy) will try to fight on both of them.
The first is Sept. 12 at the Comanche Casino in Lawton. Grady Brewer is going to make his first fight since winning season two of The Contender on ESPN. We thought Brewer had fallen off the map, well, he’s back. It’ll be interesting to see how he looks.
Then the next is Sept. 20 where Fight Time Boxing Promotions, led by Anthony McGhee, are heading to the Cox Convention Center. Headlining is Kid Carson Jones. This has really piqued my interest. It’s McGhee’s first fight, but it’s at the Cox Center? That tells me he’s got his head on straight. He’s more famous for promoting concerts. He said after seeing events in Dallas, it gave him the itch to try it here. It doesn’t hurt that Bobby Dobbs is the matchmaker. Much more on this card as it draws closer.
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