Source: Manila Standard Today
Latest word out of the Pacquiao camp is that the Filipino superstar wants a deal done with Oscar de la Hoya very soon, or that he'll go ahead and schedule a November title defense against Humberto Soto instead.
Money appears to be the real stickler in the negotiations, as Pacquiao wants a 40-60 split and de la Hoya wants a 70-30 advantage instead. 70-30 does seem very wide, all things considered; things like Oscar having every advantage going into the fight, like the huge size difference.
At first, I was someone that thought this fight was a fun idea. I still do think it's fun, I'm just starting to lean toward not believing it can be very competitive. My mind has gradually changed over and over regarding the matchup, but it's always changing in the same direction. Pacquiao is too small. The fight is nearing a farce.
I won't go as far as Jose Sulaiman and call it a "fraud," but I'm not too far away with it, either. I don't think Oscar has the power, I don't think Oscar has the speed, but I do have to admit that the more I've thought about the matchup, I can't see what Manny is going to do. He could win a few rounds and he might not get knocked out, but he's not going to hurt Oscar. And Manny has never been hit by someone with Oscar's weight.
The only hope I could see for Manny is Oscar being totally drained by getting down to 147 pounds for the fight. And what kind of great story is that? "Old man cuts too much weight, loses" is not the headline many would want to see the next day.
The only thing I like from Manny's side is that he'd be getting a huge payday, and he's exactly the type of fighter that deserves it. He'd make so much more to fight Oscar than he would Humberto Soto that I can't advocate just fighting Soto instead; it is a nice fallback, though.
Also, Manny's proposal that he be allowed to wear eight ounce gloves while de la Hoya wears ten ounce gloves was denied by Nevada, and rightfully so. That is a dumb idea that makes the fight even more of a gimmick. The NSAC says they'll wear ten ounce gloves unless both agree to wear eight ounce gloves.
I'm getting bored with all of this Oscar de la Hoya farewell stuff. If Pacquiao falls through, I just don't expect we're going to see Oscar fight in December after all. Mayweather's retired, Hatton's busy, Trinidad won't come down in weight, Mora's fighting on September 13, Cotto just lost, he wants nothing to do with Margarito, Williams isn't popular enough. He's out of options. It might be Pacquiao or bust for December 6.
In case you've never seen a photo of Oscar and Manny standing together, here's the size difference we're talking about:
It's pretty big, considering they're going to fight and not race remote control cars or something. I sadly could not find a photo with the two of them and a briefcase.