^^^ hindi pala natuloy ang laban na 'to? nyahahaha!
It hasn’t been an easy match to make. Both boxers must make physical sacrifices for the 66.5-kilogram (147-pound) bout, with De La Hoya dropping down to welterweight for the first time in seven years while Pacquiao bulks up to the heaviest weight of his career by far.
At any rate, observers believe the fight could easily rival the blockbuster encounter between De La Hoya and Mayweather last year which reportedly grossed $120 million, including the pay-per-view buys which generated a record $2.4 million.
If the fight earns $100 million, Pacquiao stands to get his biggest paycheck ever—estimated at $15 million.
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach also said a victory would open the floodgates for even bigger fights for the Filipino icon.
The two boxers agreed to fight at a catch weight of 147 pounds and use eight-ounce gloves.
De La Hoya would be banking on his size but he will have to shed pounds and thus give up some strength to make the 147-pound weight. The 1992 Barcelona Olympic lightweight gold medalist fought heaviest at 160 lb against Felix Sturm for the WBO middleweight title.
The last time De La Hoya (39-5-0, 30 KOs) fought as a welterweight was in 2001. In his last fight, against Steve Forbes last May, he weighed in at 150 lb but entered the ring at 154 lb.
De La Hoya has won six titles in six different weight classes and has taken on practically every fighter who has donned the mythical best pound-for-pound crown.
However, he lost to the four biggest names he has encountered—Shane Mosley twice, Felix Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins and Mayweather Jr.
Roach said speed and youth would be the weapons of Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs), who started his career at 106 lb. He has won four titles in four different categories, snatching the lightweight title from David Diaz last June.
Pacquiao will have to move up to welterweight to fight De La Hoya, a surprising weight surge for a fighter who began his career as a minimum weight boxer.
Roach has said his fighter won’t have trouble maintaining his peerless hand speed at that weight, since Pacquiao routinely puts on 4 kilos (10 pounds) or more in the 24 hours between weighing in for his bouts and actually stepping in the ring.
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