Friends have been asking me who I’d pick in the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Oscar Dela Hoya fight. "Are you kidding me?" has been my standard retort.Then I ask, "which do want us to bet on, the first, second or third encounter between the two best pound-for-pound boxers in recent years?"I say this because in reality, I believe the deal is for them to meet thrice.The configuration? Well apart from the fact that Dela Hoya’s own Golden Boy outfit is packaging the fight, whoever wins the December 7 date will surely give the loser the customary return match.
Then, from a pure business perspective, you should not expect either one to be beaten into retirement in fight # 2, right?So without suggesting that the result is a foregone conclusion, the score card could very well be 1-1 with the ‘final and deciding’ third Pacquiao-Dela Hoya duel being set also in Las Vegas.Not since Pancho Villa and Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde has a pugilist like Pacquio generated almost boundless admiration from Filipinos, whatever their political stripes and economic stations.One truly good thing that Philippine society gains from all the hoopla about these three upcoming boxing-cum-business duelos is that political enmities will be set aside and Filipinos will all be united in rooting for Manny Pacquiao.Hey even ‘plotters’ wil probably take a rest.
Then, from a pure business perspective, you should not expect either one to be beaten into retirement in fight # 2, right?So without suggesting that the result is a foregone conclusion, the score card could very well be 1-1 with the ‘final and deciding’ third Pacquiao-Dela Hoya duel being set also in Las Vegas.Not since Pancho Villa and Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde has a pugilist like Pacquio generated almost boundless admiration from Filipinos, whatever their political stripes and economic stations.One truly good thing that Philippine society gains from all the hoopla about these three upcoming boxing-cum-business duelos is that political enmities will be set aside and Filipinos will all be united in rooting for Manny Pacquiao.Hey even ‘plotters’ wil probably take a rest.
