By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Los Angeles, CA:- Word got to us that Manny Pacquiao and his entourage landed safely in New York, a little after 6 PM EST (Tuesday). Pacquiao and his group flew via a Continental Airlines commercial flight from LAX.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, Pacquiao and the Golden Boy, Oscar de la Hoya, together with their respective camps and representatives from Top Rank headed by Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer of the Golden Boy Promotions will meet the press under a specially built event tent set at the famed Liberty Island in New York to begin hyping what could be the “biggest fight” in these modern times.
The Pacquiao entourage is composed of trainers Freddie Roach and Buboy Fernandez, legal adviser Franklin 'Jeng' Gacal, PR man non-pareil Winchell Campos, Joe Ramos, videographer Levi Gutierrez and the team’s new dashing photographer, Miguel Salazar.
This initial Pacquiao-de la Hoya press tour is precedent setting. It will be the very first time ever that a formal press conference announcing a boxing event will be held at the historic Liberty Island, the symbol of US hospitality for new immigrants to this country.
Given the security conscious US Homeland Security which also oversee and protect the Liberty Island by way of the National Park Services, the press conference will also be the most secured.
Pacquiao, the WBC Lightweight title holder will meet Oscar de la Hoya at an agreed weight on no more than 147 lbs. at the MGM Events Center at Las Vegas on December 6th. The fight has generated a great debate owing to the vast “difference in size, natural fighting weight, height and reach” between Pacquiao and de la Hoya.
From New York, the same group of people will move on to Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, San Francisco and finally at the Whittier area in East Los Angeles, the Golden Boy’s old stomping grounds. The tour is aimed to add more interest to the already much-hyped and sold-out ($17million live gate) December 6th event, and further bump up the expected record breaking PPV buys from fans across the country and places beyond.
PS: For whatever it is worth, when we got the word from our sources about Pacquiao’s safe arrival in New York, we were just getting into a concert featuring Arnel Pineda and Journey Band at the Greek Theater in Hollywood. It was so heart warming to see another ultra successful and talented Pinoy in person.
Top photo: Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao (R) and Filipina-Mexican-American singer Jasmine Villegas are in New York for tomorrow's opening salvo of the 6-city De La Hoya-Pacquiao promotional tour which opens at the Statue of Liberty in New York. Photo by Miguel Salazar.
PACQUIAO ARRIVES AT THE BIG APPLE, LET THE SHOW BEGIN!
News ROACH PLEASED WITH PACQUIAO’S CONDITION
Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach is clearly pleased at this early stage of Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao’s preparation for his “Dream Match” against “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand on December 6. Speaking to www.insidesports.ph, Manila Standard and Viva Sports from the Wild Card Gym where Pacquiao worked out yesterday, Roach said Pacquiao was coming along “great” and they had “a very good workout before the press tour” which opens at the Statute of Liberty in New York as we reported weeks ago following a conversation with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.
Roach said Pacquiao would work out every day even during the promotional tour and said there were no problems.
He said Pacquiao went six good rounds on the punch mitts and went through the entire routine which he “normally does” in training.
Roach revealed that Pacquiao weighed 152 pounds which is just five pounds over the stipulated 147 pound limit for the De La Hoya showdown.
He said Pacquiao “looked good” and said he played basketball on Sunday and was “happy.”
When told that De La Hoya had been quoted as saying he would go for a knockout against Pacquiao, Roach who trained “The Golden Boy” for his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr retorted “he better.”
Roach added, “if you look for a knockout it never happens. You know that.”
The promotional tour opens with a lot of fanfare in New York and then moves to Chicago for the next stop. Former WBC lightweight champion David Diaz who lost his title in a ninth round demolition at the hands of Pacquiao told us he would try to make it to the tour stop in his hometown of Chicago.
Government could halt Manny Pacquiao fight against oversized opponent
Ricky Hatton has become an icon with boxing fans in the UK, but could you imagine Gordon Brown, David Cameron, or Jackie Smith coming forward to express their fears over Hatton being hurt by a bigger opponent, with a longer reach? Hands off our boy!
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Little and large: Pacquiao may be going a weight to far this time
In this case, 'Only in the Philippines', where Manny Pacquiao, the world-rated No 1 pound for pound fighter, is a national icon and treasure. He is the regarded as a living legend. He's a great boxer, and an honourable man. Such an icon, in fact, that warring factions in that country have called a truce when he fights, as the country grinds to a halt.
But now...a new level of 'Manny Idolatry', from a Filipino congressman, who has requested that the Government revoke, temporarily, Pacquiao's licence to stop him from entering into what Rufus Rodriguez insists may be an unfair mismatch with Oscar de la Hoya in Las Vegas in December.
"I'm afraid that Oscar can hurt Manny very badly. Pacquiao is destined to be a great boxer. We should take care of him," said Rodriguez. "Their fight in December is not for glory, but for money."
Pacquiao faces De La Hoya in a 12-round welterweight fight, Pacquiao is coming up two weight divisions, while de la Hoya must come down to the 147lb limit.
Pacquiao started his career at 106lbs. He won his first world title at flyweight. De La Hoya has won 10 world championships in six different weight classes.
I must admit that when the fight was first made - and there had been talk of Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao at one point, in front of 100,000 in an open air fight at Wembley Stadium last year - my gut instinct was that Pacquiao was undersize and De La Hoya oversize in this one. De La Hoya has fought the likes of Bernard Hopkins - at middleweight - and is coming down two divisions. Pacquiao is moving up two divisions from his natural fighting weight.
In a TV interview in the Philippines, Congressman Rodriguez said the bout should be stopped. "Manny is a national treasure. If something bad happens to him in that fight the Government and the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) would be blamed."
It then emerged that there was actually some substance behind the request. Eric Buhain, chairman of the GAB, revealed that the board had passed a resolution in July which said they were against the fight. The board has actually asked Pacquiao to update them on his preparation on a weekly basis to appease all those supporting him. Congressman Rodriguez insists the Gaming Board should also inform the Nevada Commission that the Philippine Government does not sanction the Pacquiao-De La Hoya fight.
Pacquiao, 29 - known in the Philippines as The Destroyer, People's Champ, and National Fist - should receive between $15 million and $20 million from the non-title fight. Pacquiao is self-managed.
