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DL Hoya ready to face Pacquiao
By NICK GIONGCO
The Golden Boy definitely wants a piece of the Pacman, who will reportedly ask a purse of at least $ 20 million.
Oscar De La Hoya is looking at the possibility of facing pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao for his farewell fight on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas.
"If Manny’s serious, I will consider doing this," said De La Hoya as quoted yesterday by childhood friend Eric Gomez, who serves as Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) vice president.
According to Pacquiao confidant Wakee Salud, Pacquiao will only agree if he is going to be amply rewarded financially.
"Manny will ask at least $ 20 million (about P900 million)," said Salud from Bacolod, where he joined Pacquiao in a whirlwind visit of the typhoon-ravaged provinces in the Visayas last Thursday.
Gomez said GBP – through its Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer – has started initial talks with Top Rank chairman Bob Arum about a megabuck De La Hoya-Pacquiao clash and that a clearer picture will be painted sometime in the next several weeks.
But at what weight division will Pacquiao and De La Hoya meet?
"Oscar can make 147 lbs and that (catch weight) is being discussed," said Gomez.
Unlike before when talk about the said matchup was a rumor, Gomez said seeing the two slug it out is no longer as outrageous as it first appeared.
Money is going to be the focal point of the negotiations.
"If the negotiations turn out reasonable, the fight will happen. It can be done," said Gomez, who actually will be arriving in the country on Wednesday to attend a big promotion in Cebu on July 26.
"Oscar wants to fight the best and from what we hear, even Manny wants to fight him and it’s going to be a big fight not only for Manny but for Oscar as well."
Gomez said De La Hoya was likewise "upset" over remarks made by trainer Freddie Roach on Thursday about De La Hoya, who Roach once trained in preparation for the Floyd Mayweather fight last year.
Roach said a couple of days ago that Pacquiao can not only match up well with De La Hoya in a fight that will have a 147-lb limit but knock him out as well since he is no longer as sharp and fast as he once was.
"It was disrespectful," said Gomez.
Arum also took a dig at Roach, who the Hall of Fame promoter said "should shut his mouth."
"You don’t antagonize the other side while the contract is not yet signed," said Arum from Las Vegas. "That was silly and I was told that Oscar was really pissed."
Still, Arum, who is dangling Humberto Soto of Mexico or Edwin Valero of Venezuela as alternatives for Pacquiao on Nov. 8, said negotiations for a De La Hoya bout is "in the preliminary stage."
"We are exploring the situation but we won’t know who, when and where Manny is going to fight until after the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito fight (on July 26). I will see what’s going to be Manny’s financial terms."
"Oscar has other options and I have a lot of thing to go over as well so I will know what’s gonna happen when I get to spend some time with Manny when he gets here next week," added Arum.
Salud, the Cebu boxing man, believes this is the way to conduct business for the boxer’s last few fights.
"This is what Manny needs in this stage of his career. Manny deserves only the big fights," said Salud.
Pacquiao, who turns 30 in December, is the reigning World Boxing Council lightweight (135 lbs) champion.
De La Hoya, 35, has mostly fought at welter (147 lbs) and super-welter (154 lbs) the last 10 years, and – on two occasions – fought as a middleweight (160 lbs).
Last year, De La Hoya faced Mayweather in what turned out to be the biggest fight in history with pay-per-view revenue amounting to $ 120 million--a new record--on the strength of 2,150,000 buys at $ 54.95 per subscription.
In that fight, De La Hoya earned $ 25 million, while Mayweather was paid $ 10 million but De La Hoya got additional money from his share in the PPV sales
By NICK GIONGCO
The Golden Boy definitely wants a piece of the Pacman, who will reportedly ask a purse of at least $ 20 million.
Oscar De La Hoya is looking at the possibility of facing pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao for his farewell fight on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas.
"If Manny’s serious, I will consider doing this," said De La Hoya as quoted yesterday by childhood friend Eric Gomez, who serves as Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) vice president.
According to Pacquiao confidant Wakee Salud, Pacquiao will only agree if he is going to be amply rewarded financially.
"Manny will ask at least $ 20 million (about P900 million)," said Salud from Bacolod, where he joined Pacquiao in a whirlwind visit of the typhoon-ravaged provinces in the Visayas last Thursday.
Gomez said GBP – through its Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer – has started initial talks with Top Rank chairman Bob Arum about a megabuck De La Hoya-Pacquiao clash and that a clearer picture will be painted sometime in the next several weeks.
But at what weight division will Pacquiao and De La Hoya meet?
"Oscar can make 147 lbs and that (catch weight) is being discussed," said Gomez.
Unlike before when talk about the said matchup was a rumor, Gomez said seeing the two slug it out is no longer as outrageous as it first appeared.
Money is going to be the focal point of the negotiations.
"If the negotiations turn out reasonable, the fight will happen. It can be done," said Gomez, who actually will be arriving in the country on Wednesday to attend a big promotion in Cebu on July 26.
"Oscar wants to fight the best and from what we hear, even Manny wants to fight him and it’s going to be a big fight not only for Manny but for Oscar as well."
Gomez said De La Hoya was likewise "upset" over remarks made by trainer Freddie Roach on Thursday about De La Hoya, who Roach once trained in preparation for the Floyd Mayweather fight last year.
Roach said a couple of days ago that Pacquiao can not only match up well with De La Hoya in a fight that will have a 147-lb limit but knock him out as well since he is no longer as sharp and fast as he once was.
"It was disrespectful," said Gomez.
Arum also took a dig at Roach, who the Hall of Fame promoter said "should shut his mouth."
"You don’t antagonize the other side while the contract is not yet signed," said Arum from Las Vegas. "That was silly and I was told that Oscar was really pissed."
Still, Arum, who is dangling Humberto Soto of Mexico or Edwin Valero of Venezuela as alternatives for Pacquiao on Nov. 8, said negotiations for a De La Hoya bout is "in the preliminary stage."
"We are exploring the situation but we won’t know who, when and where Manny is going to fight until after the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito fight (on July 26). I will see what’s going to be Manny’s financial terms."
"Oscar has other options and I have a lot of thing to go over as well so I will know what’s gonna happen when I get to spend some time with Manny when he gets here next week," added Arum.
Salud, the Cebu boxing man, believes this is the way to conduct business for the boxer’s last few fights.
"This is what Manny needs in this stage of his career. Manny deserves only the big fights," said Salud.
Pacquiao, who turns 30 in December, is the reigning World Boxing Council lightweight (135 lbs) champion.
De La Hoya, 35, has mostly fought at welter (147 lbs) and super-welter (154 lbs) the last 10 years, and – on two occasions – fought as a middleweight (160 lbs).
Last year, De La Hoya faced Mayweather in what turned out to be the biggest fight in history with pay-per-view revenue amounting to $ 120 million--a new record--on the strength of 2,150,000 buys at $ 54.95 per subscription.
In that fight, De La Hoya earned $ 25 million, while Mayweather was paid $ 10 million but De La Hoya got additional money from his share in the PPV sales
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