KUALA LUMPUR – Scrolling through the list of fighters he faced in a legendary career, Oscar Dela Hoya singled out one who he considers as the best he ever shared the ring with.
Take a bow, Manny Pacquiao.
The ‘Golden Boy’ mentioned the Filipino boxing great as the toughest he faced in the 45 bouts he had as a pro boxer for 16 years.
“I think his determination, his conditioning, his skills, his power, his speed, his footwork,” said Dela Hoya, rattling off one by one the traits that made Pacquiao a class above the rest of the boxers he faced in a Hall of Fame career.
“He was probably one of the fighters I most appreciated,” he added during a 30-minute interview at the 33rd floor of the Le Meredien Hotel a few hours after arriving here for the world title fight between Pacquiao and welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse of Argentina.
Dela Hoya lost by eighth round stoppage against Pacquiao in their 2008 showdown, a loss that forced him to finally hang up his gloves.
He retired with a ring record of 39-6, with 30 KOs.
“There’s an old saying in boxing that says, ‘You can turn old overnight.’ And he (Pacquiao) made me get old when I fought him,” said the five-division world champion of his last career fight. “When I fought Pacquiao, he was the best and I have to respect that.”
It’s been a decade since that loss to Pacquiao and definitely a lot has changed since then, Pacquiao, the fighter included.
“I think Pacquiao is still fast but not as fast as he was before and that comes with age. That’s normal, it happens,” he said.
Asked about his fight prediction, Dela Hoya sees a different outcome for both Pacquiao and Matthysse.
“Lucas has a good chin so if Manny wins, he’s going to win by decision. I think if Lucas wins, he’ll win by knockout because Manny Pacquiao throws too many punches and he’s too busy,” said the Golden Boy Promotions chairman and CEO.
“But Lucas Matthysse, you never know. He hits hard and his right hand is lethal,” he said. "If Lucas is going to win this one, it’s going to be one of those one-punch knockouts.”
Going to Sunday’s 12-round fight at the Axiata Arena, Pacquiao is a 2-1 favorite to win over Matthysse.
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