Oscar de la Hoya reportedly talking to Bob Arum about matching Canelo Alvarez with Manny Pacquiao

Is the Cold War about to thaw?

According to a report by Lance Pugmire of the LA Times (the link takes you to the LA TImes homepage, the article is in the sports section), Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, has been recently speaking with Bob Arum, head of Top Rank Promotions. The two have engaged in conversation regarding putting an end to not working together, and Oscar named a fight between Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao as a fight he is interested in pursuing.

"Anything’s possible," De La Hoya said. "That’s one of the reasons I was extending the olive branch. The fans want to see these kinds of fights."

In regards to his absence from the sport due to drug abuse issues, and the rift between his company and Top Rank, De la Hoya had this to say:

"I was dealing with personal issues, but I’m back," De La Hoya said. "Golden Boy is my baby. Boxing is my passion, boxing is my life. This is what I’ll be focusing on, growing the brand, making the fights people want to see."

"If anyone with Golden Boy has any differences with Bob, it’s on them," De La Hoya said. "I have nothing against Bob and I feel making fights with Bob is beneficial to the fans and the market."

"Bob, what he did for my career was amazing and I appreciate it, am so grateful. I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t extend an olive branch, end the cold war and make fights together. I will be making calls in the near future and we’ll make an event together very soon."

But it wasn't just one-way love. Arum also got in on it too, stating that he and De la Hoya have always had a strong relationship.

"I’d be happy to talk to Oscar about any subject in boxing he wishes to talk to me about," Arum said. "All this baloney about a cold war has never really applied to Oscar and myself. We can talk bout any subject in boxing rationally. … We might disagree on a particular point, but we can talk. I hope we’ll get together and have some significant meetings in the near future."

"I’ve always had a good relationship with Oscar except when other people interfered," Arum said. "Oscar and I got along famously and I think we will continue to in the future.

"Remember, we had a long and successful, very profitable relationship. It was a very happy time in both of our lives. To revisit that and to renew the relationship is something I look forward to."

If we're being honest, the two promotional giants have not always had a positive relationship like Arum paints a picture of. They've certainly had fights in the past, both as competitors and when Arum was De la Hoya's promoter. But things appear to be rosy now, so I won't complain.

The LA Times article doesn't give a direct quote about the Canelo - Pacquiao potential fight, simply saying it was one fight that De la Hoya is interested in. Is it realistic from a purely boxing standpoint? That's the biggest question because Pacquiao has fought once at 150 pounds, and didn't enjoy it. His trainer, Freddie Roach, has recently stated that he wouldn't mind seeing Pacquiao drop down to 140. If a fight with Canelo were to occur, it would assuredly have to take place at at least 152, the weight where Canelo faced Floyd Mayweather, if not slightly higher.

From a competitive point-of-view, I don't think Canelo is too big for Pacquiao. Canelo is naturally the bigger, stronger man but he also has below average footwork. His hands can move like the wind at times, but his legs often sludge as if they are stuck in mud. He also has enough holes in his defense and lulls in his offense to make me wonder if Pacquiao couldn't flat out outwork him in a close fight. I don't know if it will get made, but it's a fascinating matchup.

What's your opinion on De la Hoya and Arum suddenly being all peachy? And what are your thoughts on a potential Canelo - Pacquiao fight?