It has been announced that De La Hoya and Pound For Pound superstar Manny Pacquiao have agreed to fight December 6, 2008 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the fight will be at the welterweight limit of 147 lbs.
Brian Kenny of ESPN is the smartest boxing commentator on television, and he had an interesting comment about the size difference between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquaio, who will announce today that they will fight on December 6:
"Both guys are legitimately great, but it's like a handicap match," Kenny said. "Why Oscar, who's like 5-10 and a half, against a guy who's 5-5-ish. What type of shot will people give Pacquiao?"
I agree with what ESPN's Dan Rafael said in response: "Yes, Oscar is the bigger fighter. ... But Manny Pacquaio is a southpaw, he's got great speed. ... This is no easy fight for Oscar."
I was surprised that De La Hoya is such a heavy favorite, and I think people might be overestimating the importance of De La Hoya's size advantage. De La Hoya is bigger, but Pacquiao is younger and quicker, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he pulls the upset.
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