Manny Pacquiao’s Cutman Declares Oscar De La Hoya “Spent” While Oscar’s Own Company Wonders What A Loss Would Mean

When the Oscar De La Hoya v. Manny Pacquiao pre-fight hype was in its infancy we really only heard any bravado coming from the Golden Boys’s camp, as Oscar seemed to go out of his way to look past his December 6th battle with Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound best boxer in the world.
In recent weeks the Pacquiao crew has begun puffing out their collective chests as well. Last week Pacman’s trainer, Freddie Roach, announced that De La Hoya would be unable to handle Manny and hit the canvass in the ninth round. And now, Manny’s cutman is making his own predictions, denigrating Oscar’s skills to the Spanish-language press.

“De La Hoya viene gastado (De La Hoya is spent),” [Miguel] Diaz, who is being tapped by Team Pacquiao, told ESPN Deportes recently when asked about his thoughts about the much-awaited 12-round welterweight bout on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas.

“Of course Pacquiao will win over Oscar,” said the 70-year-old Diaz, who has worked the corners of more than 40 world champions either as trainer or cutman.

“Manny has shown that he didn’t lose power when moving up in weight. His speed will be decisive because Oscar will not be able to adjust to it. Pacquiao is exceptional,” said Diaz.

It’s agreed then: everyone in De La Hoya’s camp thinks Oscar’s gonna win the fight, while everyone in Pacquiao’s camp thinks Manny will come out on top. Talk about breaking news.
If there is any risk to this fight it’s all De La Hoya’s. He’s heavily favored by the Vegas bookmakers, and few outside of the Roach/Diaz/etc. group seem willing to call this one for Pacquiao, at least in public. The fight is so critical to Oscar that executives in his own company, Golden Boy Promotions, think his career would be essentially destroyed if he didn’t pull out a victory over Pacquiao.

Golden Boy Promotions Vice President and international matchmaker Eric Gomez s says that if “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t beat Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao, then De La Hoya will no longer be in the limelight as a fighter.

In an overseas telephone conversation with www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports from Chengdu, China where he attended the 46th Annual Convention of the WBC, Gomez said De La Hoya “will be sidelined if he can’t win” his “Dream Match” with Pacquiao at the MGM Grand on December 6.

Gomez who grew up with De La Hoya in the same East Los Angeles neighborhood said they were making sure that De La Hoya doesn’t pay attention to that he is “ too big and too strong for Manny” and it would be an easy fight.

Well, Oscar is getting older, and he has lost three of his last six fights, so it’s not difficult to see how another high-profile loss could do serious damage to his future earning potential. That said, those previous losses haven’t hurt him at all. Could Oscar De La Hoya still compete for big money fights following a loss to Pacman? Provided he doesn’t get embarrassed, we’d say yes.
Regardless, he could always sing for a living, right?
Pacquiao’s cutman says De La Hoya a spent force [Manila Bulletin]
GOMEZ SAYS DE LA HOYA WILL BE SIDELINED IF HE DOESN’T WIN [Philboxing.com]
Image [Frustrated Sports Analyst]