by James Slater – Despite word to the contrary, trainer Floyd Mayweather Senior WILL be working with Oscar De La Hoya when “The Golden Boy” faces Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao on December 6th. Despite being an extremely busy man – with a reported assignment with Ricky Hatton being put on his schedule recently – the 55-year-old trainer in demand will still find the time to work with Oscar in what may well be the 35-year-old legend’s final fight.
After having worked with Mayweather for so long – in all of his recent fights expect the loss to Mayweather Junior – Oscar will naturally feel extra confidence knowing that Floyd Senior will be practicing his own particular type of magic so as to help him win on December 6th. FightNews.com have confirmed that Mayweather will work De La Hoya’s corner, and Oscar also spoke about the fight’s 147 pound weight limit.
Many people seem to think, quite logically, that the welterweight limit may be a tough one for De La Hoya to make. The thinking also goes that the fine of $3 million for every pound that Oscar come in above 147 could well become a big, not to mention expensive, factor. De La Hoya, in talking to Fight News, says different, however.
“I’ve fought at 154 pounds, I’ve fought at 160 pounds, but that’s not my natural weight,” De La Hoya told FightNews. “My natural weight is welterweight at 144 pounds or 140. I can make that weight easily. I know Manny Pacquiao says that if I don’t make the weight, there will be a $3 million fine for every pound. I can sleep good at night [knowing] that that’s not going to happen.”
This is really quite surprising talk from De La Hoya. Does he really see 140 or 144 pounds as his NATURAL weight? And if so, and he can make 140 “easily,” then why is the Pacquiao fight not being fought at light-welterweight instead of at welterweight. People have been on Oscar’s back for taking a fight against a much smaller man, but had he agreed to face “Pac-Man” at 140 pounds the critics would not have been so angry. I feel Oscar must be playing mind games and nothing more. Knowing full well he is almost certainly going to have a torrid time getting down to 147 for the first time in seven years, and that the weight issue provides Manny with his best chance of winning, De La Hoya is simply sending Pacquiao a message.
Deep down, Oscar knows he is no light-welterweight, no more than he is even a welterweight at his current age. It seems the psychological battle for De La Hoya-Pacquiao has begun!