DE LA HOYA WORKING HARD ON HIS LEFT JAB

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 23 Sep 2008



“The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya agrees with fight fans who believe his left jab will be his most potent weapon against Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao when they clash in their “Dream Match” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on December 6. De La Hoya spoke to www.insidesports.ph, Manila Standard and Viva Sports by overseas telephone from Monterrey, Mexico where Golden Boy Promotions staged a highly successful fight card in which Colombia’s Antonio Pitalua scored a stunning sixth round knockout over Jose Armando Santa Cruz and will fight Edwin Valero for the WBC interim lightweight championship.

De La Hoya said “honestly I am going to work on my left jab. I want to throw it three or four or five times and I want to put my punches together. Fire combinations so I will be working on different techniques in training, up to the fight.”

De La Hoya doesn’t have a trainer as yet and this apparently worries him a little but he assured us “I will be ready for the fight.”

The Golden Boy revealed that Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain, the great Mexican trainer who handled Juan Manuel Marquez among others, is on top of the list. De La Hoya said “I am going to be talking to Nacho Beristain in the next couple of days.” De La Hoya described Beristain as “a great trainer who obviously knows Pacquiao very well.”

De La Hoya claimed he has had one month’s training so far and his weight is down to 151 pounds which is a mere four pounds above the stipulated 147 pound limit for the Pacquiao fight.

He said “I feel great. I feel very motivated” emphasizing that “this fight is very serious for me.” De La Hoya reiterated that he is training very hard and expects “a very tough fight from Manny, but we’ll be ready.”

De La Hoya downplayed his height advantage over Pacquiao saying “you know I think he can give me a tough fight. I think because of the speed and his power. Age is obviously going to be a factor but all I can do is get in the best shape of my life and train like I always train, so I could be ready.”

While he conceded that by moving up to the 147 pound limit from his last fight at 135 Pacquiao will “get a little bit slower” De La Hoya noted that “Manny, a little bit slower is still faster than anybody else.”

Discussing the biggest assets of Pacquiao in relation to their “Dream Match, De La Hoya said “I think his greatest asset is his left hand. He’s got a good left hand. And the speed” saying that it was the “one thing we are working on to neutralize.”

Speaking about the promotional tour which opens on October 1 in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York said they had put together a great promotional tour where he and Pacquiao will visit places all over the US that are going to be historical. Aside from New York the tour will move to Chicago, Houston and San Antonio in Texas and San Francisco and Los Angeles.

RELIEVED PACQUIAO RETURNS TO L.A TODAY

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 23 Sep 2008

A relieved Manny Pacquiao returns to Los Angeles on Tuesday night to begin serious training for his “Dream Match” against Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on December 6.

His lawyer, Atty. Franklin “Jeng” Gacal who arrived with Pacquiao on Sunday night told www.insidesports.ph that there were two reasons why Pacquiao decided to return for a brief visit. He wanted to “know first hand the effects of the financial crisis in the US on Philippine banks” and that he was completely assured that his hard-earned funds were well protected because the Philippine banking system was well protected and was not affected by the crisis in the U.S.

Gacal also reiterated what Pacquiao said on arrival that he “missed his family.” Pacquiao and his charming wife Jinkee have two sons and a daughter and she is expecting their fourth child, a girl, in December.

Gacal who returned to his hometown of General Santos City after their arrival came back to Manila Monday afternoon via Davao and confirmed they would leave for Los Angeles today.

Gacal said Pacquiao was pleased that everything was okay and he could be free of distractions and keep his focus on his preparations for the megabuck clash with De La Hoya.

LATEST UPDATE: PACQUIAO MAY TAKE TONIGHT'S FLIGHT TO L.A.

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 22 Sep 2008

There’s apparently no need for supporters of Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao to panic about his sudden return to the Philippines Sunday night, according to his lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal.

Gacal told www.insidesports.ph, Manila Standard and Viva Sports on Monday morning that Pacquiao and he would fly back to Los Angeles on Tuesday for sure, although he said that there was a slim possibility that they may even leave aboard the Philippine Airlines flight on Monday night. The trouble is that Gacal flew to his hometown of General Santos City following their arrival from the US and while he told Pacquiao he could return to Manila right away if Manny wanted to return right away he was told they could leave on Tuesday.

The lawyer said Pacquiao returned to Manila because of concern over his substantial deposits in a big Manila bank which Gacal said “is a legitimate concern” because of the collapse of major financial institutions in the US which has affected the world economy and created a financial crisis although banks in the Philippines were reportedly not affected and were well protected.

Gacal said it would have been difficult for Pacquiao to “continue to focus and concentrate on his training” if he was concerned about his hard-earned money.

Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach told www.insidesports.ph he had “heard about” Pacquiao’s departure but hadn’t been directly informed. He said Pacquiao “needs to get focused” on his training right away.