GOMEZ SAYS DE LA HOYA WILL BE SIDELINED IF HE DOESN’T WIN

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com




Golden Boy Promotions Vice President and international matchmaker Eric Gomez s says that if “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t beat Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao, then De La Hoya will no longer be in the limelight as a fighter.

In an overseas telephone conversation with www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports from Chengdu, China where he attended the 46th Annual Convention of the WBC, Gomez said De La Hoya “will be sidelined if he can’t win” his “Dream Match” with Pacquiao at the MGM Grand on December 6.

Gomez who grew up with De La Hoya in the same East Los Angeles neighborhood said they were making sure that De La Hoya doesn’t pay attention to that he is “ too big and too strong for Manny” and it would be an easy fight.

Gomez said De La Hoya “is not listening to that” and is “getting ready preparing hard” for the December 6 showdown in Las Vegas.

He said De La Hoya was looking good and would be ready when he steps into the ring for what may well be a fight that could end his career and sideline him.

The hype for the “Dream Match” continues even as we understand that HBO which will telecast the fight on pay-per-view is taking steps to enhance the buys and to prevent if not minimize piracy which appears to be a major problem hurting promoters, fighters and the PPV networks.

Head trainers Freddie Roach and Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain will be featured in an international conference call on Monday in Los Angeles (Tuesday, Manila Time) with Pacquiao’s team of Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Roach featured at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Beristain will be thirty minutes later.

Pacquiao, Ring Magazines No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world will himself host a media conference call on November 24, one week after De La Hoya takes center stage on November 17. Schaefer and Arum will take their turn on December 1, five days before the “Dream Match.”