[align=center][b]Arum Says De La Hoya-Pacquiao Won't Happen[/b]
There had been a lot of talk recently of a proposed bout between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao, but in the words of Hall and Oates - say no go(at least for now). After all the talk that centered around weight, gloves sizes and other ancillary issues, the negotiations stalled because of the financial bottom line.
"They offered us a 70-30 split," Bob Arum, who represents Pacquiao, told MaxBoxing around 10:30 this morning from his offices in Las Vegas. "Oscar said he wasn't budging. It was take-it-or-leave it. Manny opted to pass."
While it's not clear who De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions will target for December 6th (and no, it will not be Antonio Margarito, Arum told Maxboxing "I tried that as late as 15, 20 minutes ago; Oscar will not fight him") Top Rank will now focus in on making a bout between 'the Pac Man' and Humberto Soto in the upcoming months.[/align]
[color=#FF0000]

I'm so relieved now. I'm glad this fight is not going to take place.[/color]
[b]
RELATED:[/b]
[align=center][b]Pacquiao-De La Hoya off? That's a good thing[/b][/align]
The tale of David slaying Goliath is perhaps the most important and enduring story of Christendom. It is the perfect metaphor of the underdog fighting the bully and prevailing despite the latter’s apparent superiority. The Bible’s greatest protagonists are exemplary underdogs. Abraham’s willingness to kill his son despite the tremendous moral anxiety he feels is meant to demonstrate unshakeable faith in God. Even though Abraham experiences intense doubt, he is still prepared to go through with it. Jesus also loses the battle with the Romans but wins the war. He rises from the dead and creates a religion which proves to last longer than anything the Romans did bar the architectural ruins their empire left behind. Real life is littered with its own figures that mimic these religious templates and boxing is no different. Arturo Gatti, Mickey Ward, Julio Caesar Chavez and James J. Braddock may not have been the most skilful practitioners but they still achieved immortality through blood and guts.
Boxing fans may draw an intellectual line from Pacquiao and de la Hoya to David and Goliath. Surely the faithful ask: If De La Hoya and Pacquiao share the same characteristics as David and Goliath that justifies this bout to go ahead? This is where scepticism has to usurp any irrational fandom from creating a market. The market, as we all know, is what will drive the opportunity to make what is an insane fight possible. Money is a religion itself.
Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao are the two biggest marquee names in the boxing world. Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito and maybe Kelly Pavlik have their own gangs of enthusiastic supporters. De La Hoya and Pacquiao, however, have more than that. They are icons who are worshipped. In his homeland Pacquiao is beyond a superstar. He is more of a saint and those who have been around him say the reverence is like nothing else they have ever seen. Only Muhammad Ali at the zenith of his career possessed that degree of unquestioning loyalty. Christianity is the official religion of the Philippines but the Church of Pacquiao cannot be far behind.
De La Hoya may be irritating with his inability to retire and pick a final opponent yet he still commands the biggest paydays in boxing. If there was a boxing currency, de la Hoya’s face would be on the notes. Unfortunately, ‘Saint Pacquiao’ and ‘Dollar Sign de la Hoya’ do not licence an exchange between them, which is at the moment mere speculation. Nevertheless, conjecture can quickly shift to fact.
From a strictly business perspective, Pacquiao versus De La Hoya is logical but business sense does not always equal common sense. Of course, putting the best fighter in the world with the former best fighter in the world on posters titillates imaginations and can motor boxing back into the mainstream consciousness. That’s desirable right? Yes. But look closer and think. One fight cannot re-establish boxing on the map. De La Hoya and Pacquiao are huge names but it requires more than two fighters to rebuild a sport. The burden has to be shared by many fighters, bouts, media, television networks and promoters. Certain pundits raised the question if Mayweather and de la Hoya could save boxing. It couldn’t. A blockbuster film cannot save the entire film industry so how can one fight save boxing? The theory is flawed.
Now we come to the practicalities. There are other extremely good reasons not to make this fight. De La Hoya is thirty five and during the last portion of his career has matured into a fine junior middleweight. He has demonstrated he can get down to welterweight. He can also be a dangerous prospect for inexperienced rookies with his intelligence and sound boxing fundamentals. De La Hoya is a great fighter and I can understand that he wants to retire with a bout that is worth the weight of his storied career but Pacquiao is not part of the solution.
The Filipino is in his prime and made a magnificent statement by defeating David Diaz. He has shown he is a force to be reckoned in a very deep lightweight division. Pacquiao has too many dates to choose from with Nate Campbell, Joan Guzman, Michael Katsidis. Julio Diaz and Joel Casamayor.
There could be Ricky Hatton down the road too. Furthermore, Pacquiao started off his career at flyweight and has jumped thirty pounds to the lightweight limit. He has retained his mesmerising power, speed and athleticism. Against Diaz his athleticism and added technical polish were startling. He has never looked better. Yet there has to be a point where Pacquiao cannot keep putting muscle onto his frame without removing his qualities. Asking him to become a legitimate welterweight is praying for a miracle. If he does make the weight and can fight competently, he will still be minuet compared to de la Hoya. There are limitations to all fighters, even Manny Pacquiao. His fans won’t accept it.
I find it very hard not to have the deepest respect and admiration for de la Hoya. He has wonderful achievements in boxing but that does not allow him to cash in on his laurels as if they are a pension fund or insurance account. A glorious past cannot sweeten what could be a sordid present. I would rather see de la Hoya wait till early next year to pursue a meaningful contest rather than a theatrical performance. He is better than that. The same is true of Pacquiao.
Since the summer of 2007, boxing has gained an intelligence and coherence it has not had for many years. It does not need to become stupid again. You may say it is only one fight, what is the harm of one bad fight materialising in boxing when so may other excellent ones are occurring? Why cannot we just enjoy the event and excuse the actual embarrassment of the fight? Sorry, but those who have an interest in the well being of boxing must have the most exacting standards. A lightweight fighting a junior middleweight falls below the bar. Boxing does not need religious fans; it needs fierce thinking and open minded fans. Let us hope this article remains a critical opinion of what might transpire, not a forecast of what actually will happen.
Last edited by bhebhiej (2008-08-14 20:51:59)