De La Hoya vs Pacquiao FINAL BOXREC PREDICTIONS

[Hagler2002]

"3lbs is nothing"

[Carbo]

Although people question whether Paquiao can take DLH's power, I think that the question is bigger than that. It's whether Paquiao can get past the left, and it poses interesting questions.

DLH's left is a thing of beauty, even at this stage of his career, and the speed and extra weight behind the jab could cause Paquiao serious problems on the way in. Beristein must, simply must, have drummed into DLH to get the jab going early and authoritatively, because if the Golden Boy beats Paquiao to the punch with the jab, it could be all over. Roach will have drummed into Paquiao methods to get past the jab, slipping under it before working the body.

Further, to stay away from the left hook/bolo, Roach will have ideally wanted to tell Manny to step of and to his left, away from the DLH left; however, this will also take Oscar away from Paquiao's honey punch southpaw left cross.

I’m not smart enough to know how that’ll effect the fight, or what either of the guys in the corner have in store to get around this – DLH, moving into range of Manny’s left cross in order to get his own off, and Paquiao the same.

However, I certainly don’t think that this fight is as cut and dry as many here make out. I happen to think that Paquiao is the greatest offensive fighter of our time. When he retires in five or six years, I think we'll remember him of the Duran or the Pryor or the Chavez of his generation.

And DLH hasn’t exactly been stellar when in against the elite of the sport. The last time he was truly competitive at this level was when he fought Mosley the second time. Since then, he’s been in perpetual semi-retirement, and fought, like, what?, four times in the last five years? This has exasperated his already questionable stamina, and has also – surely – affected his timing. There may well be something in what Roach says in terms of Oscar being unable to pull the trigger. I don’t think he’s unable, but he may not have the reaction and timing he once did.

This problem and his stamina will be exposed against an energizer bunny like Paquiao, who is simply electric, and with the tactics Roach will have him use. Roach will bank on being able to sweep the last four rounds.

For me, it boils down to this: can Paquiao get past the jab? If yes, he will win, probably by decision in a thrilling fight. If he can’t, DLH will constantly have Manny off balance and bust him up on the end of the left jab, and later hooking off it, and knocking the Philippine out in the middle rounds.

Take your pick.

[banjo]

Pac gets outboxed by timed counter punching like what Maruez did to him twice and got robbed twice!

Those fights were seriously close and could have gone either way, neither really count as robberies do they?

Anyhow I'm going for DLH on a comfortable points win.

[Captain Hook]

Oscars superfights in the last 9 years consist of

Felix Trinidad - LOST
Shane Mosley - LOST
Shane Mosley - LOST
Bernard Hopkins - LOST
Floyd Mayweather Jr - LOST

I see DLH been dry as a bone at 147 and Manny will look to go to the body and expose this.

Pacquiao KO 10

He won at least one of the fights with Mosley and beat Felix IMO.

KO by Pacquaio? Based on what? The only man to stop him was Hopkins, a fully blown middle now fighting at light heavy.

Based on DLH struggling to make the weight, you have to remember he has never made 147lbs for 7 years, my thinking is Manny will target the body and if Oscar has had weight problems he could well be stopped from a body shot.

If that happens Manny could retire that night and stroll into the HOF. Stranger things have happened, but what a result that would be.

I still go for Manny by UD

[Wales]

Im picking DLH to catch Manny fairly early and finish the fight, within the first 5 or 6 rounds. Im hoping manny does it though...

[jamesmcdonnell]

DLH points or late stoppage. He's just too big for Manny. Forget what manny blows up to, he's a naturally smaller man with a much smaller frame. DLH is going to look huge come fight night beside Manny, it's not all about weight, it's about strength.

Manny is a hell of a puncher, but he is not going to be anywhere near as fearsome at 147.

I think DLH will make weight ok, he's had a great training camp and the highest he ever looked good at was at 154 - 160 he was looking flabby/small.

I think Manny may have some moments, but he won't ever have been in against someone who hits as hard as Oscar.

Oscar UD12 or late stoppage.

[terminator]

Pacman UD

[lvlarc]

Pacman SD

Maybe heart over head but he has the speed and workrate to pull off an upset.

[boxerbob]

does anyone know....start at 7am and was getting up early to watch fight??

[Poncey]

Show starts at 6PM PT on HBO, so the standard 8PM PT.

[boxerbob]

uk time mate.....reckon if i get up at 4am i will be ok????

[Poncey]

Yeah. 8PT = 4am GMT. Standard HBO PPV and WCB start time. Won't be earlier until the clocks change again.

[chinny]

Thoughts? I suppose Oscar is just in great shape and wasn't going to take any chances. The man also likes his franklin faces and didn't want to have to pay any forefeit cash.

[Asterix]

Photos:

[Asterix]

Weigh-in video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh9bZ5JkpOk

[jameswilson]

Is a De La Hoya v Hatton fight a possibility at 140, or will it have to be at 147?

[Cannibal]

DLH doesn't actually look overly drained there, he might well be able to make 140 still

[JC]

Is a De La Hoya v Hatton fight a possibility at 140, or will it have to be at 147?

I can't see why DLH would agree to fight Hatton at 140, he holds all the cards and fighting at 147 would suit him better. If he made Pac do 147 he wont fight Hatton at 140 IMO.

[Carbo]

There's a great video on espn on the weigh in, which includes some great analysis from Teddy Atlas.

Kenny: "Teddy, tell us why you're going for Paquiao."
Atlas: "I go Paquiao because Oscar has a couple of talents. First, he smiles real good; he's got real bright teeth. And he talks like he's readin' from the teleprompter. And he makes more money than anybody else. But one other talent: he loses all his big fights; he finds a way to mess up all his big fights, and I think he's going to find a way to mess this up."

[Old bones Ian]

Pac by 9th round KO

[Datsue]

Pac by 9th round KO

Same here, or thereabouts.

Too quick, too quick, too quick. Too fit, too active. But mostly too quick.

[Bard of Boxrec]

god, i wish this fight wasnt happening. oscar will be too big. i fully expect manny to be ahead around rd 10 but just run out of gas constantly trying to stay on top of a guy naturally 3 weight divisions above him.

[Counter-puncher]

my main ambition for this fight is for Pac to land just one perfect straight left hand down the middle. smash Oscar's nose all over his face. I'd be happy with any result after that.

[E]

Didn't know Hatton was going to be atthe weigh in...

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

There's a great video on espn on the weigh in, which includes some great analysis from Teddy Atlas.

Kenny: "Teddy, tell us why you're going for Paquiao."
Atlas: "I go Paquiao because Oscar has a couple of talents. First, he smiles real good; he's got real bright teeth. And he talks like he's readin' from the teleprompter. And he makes more money than anybody else. But one other talent: he loses all his big fights; he finds a way to mess up all his big fights, and I think he's going to find a way to mess this up."

Atlas is wrong in 95% of his fight picks