Who is Oscar de la Hoya? What makes him very popular as a boxer? Why is he considered as the best pound for pound boxer in the world by Ring Magazine?

Let's take a look at his credentials, up close and personal.

Personal Circumstances

• Place of Birth : Montebello, California
• Date of Birth : February 2, 1973
• Nationality : American
• Nickname : Golden Boy
• Height : 5'10.5”
• Reach : 73”
• Division : Super Welterweight
• Stance : Orthodox
• Trainer : Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain
• Consultant/Trainer : Angelo Dundee
• Promoter : Golden Boy Promotions

Family

Oscar de la Hoya was born in East Los Angeles on February 4, 1973 to Cecilia and Joel de la Hoya, Sr. Oscar grew up in the neighborhood of East Los Angeles, California. In his childhood, Oscar witnessed violence in his community having been a victim himself when he was held up by a gang in his own community. With a gun pointed on his head, he was forced to surrender his personal belongings to the gang. His sad experiences as a growing child in the neighborhood must have great influence on his personality, though he shunned violence itself by not indulging in it. His parents have shielded him from trouble that plagued their neighborhood.

Oscar has a brother, Joel, Jr. and a Sister Cecilia. They grew up together in the same neighborhood. His brother was into boxing ahead of Oscar and was a great influence in Oscar's interest in the pursuit of boxing. He was in fact the first person to slip gloves into Oscar's hand. His father was likewise a boxer.

Oscar de la Hoya has five children from four wives:

• Shanna Moakler (Child: Atiana Cecilia de la Hoya)
• Toni Alvarado (Child: Jacob)
• Angelic McQueen (Child: Devon)
• Millie Coretjer (Children: Oscar Gabriel, Nina Lauren Ninitte)

Fight Record

• Amateur (Record-224-5)
• 1992 Gold Medalist Olympic Games
• 1992 Gold Medalist World Olympic Challenge
• 1991 Gold Medalist Olympic Festival
• 1991 Gold Medalist US National Championship
• 1990 Gold Medalist Goodwill Games
• 1990 Gold Medalist US National Championship
• 1989 Gold Medalist National Golden Gloves
• Professional (Record-39-5)
• WBO Super Featherweight
• WBO Lightweight
• IBF Lightweight
• WBC Light Welterweight
• WBC Welterweight
• IBF Welterweight
• WBO Middleweight
• WBC Super Welterweight

Life outside the Ring

Aside from professional boxing, Oscar de la Hoya is involved in various businesses including the following:

• Owner of Golden Boy Promotions
• Modeling for a clothing line
• Television program host
• Released a Grammy-nominated CD in 2000
• Produced boxing show on HBO
• Owned through Golden Boy Promotions: Ring & KO Magazine, World Boxing
• Magazine, Pro-Wrestling Illustrated
• TV Commercial Modeling
• Heads a charitable organization for the education of under privilege youth

Oscar de la Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao (The Dream Match)

The de la Hoya vs. Pacquiao Boxing fight dubbed as the “Dream Match” is scheduled to be staged at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 6, 2008.

Oscar de la Hoya's choice of Manny Pacquiao as his next opponent was anchored on the fact that Pacquiao is the best fighter in boxing today. Being an astute businessman himself, de la Hoya knows that it is only Pacquiao who can generate so much interest and enthusiasm from fans all over the world. The promoters hope to generate over 100 million dollars in revenues from pay per view usage. The last fight of de la Hoya generated more than 120 million dollars in pay per view receipts.

Another reason why de la Hoya singled out Pacquiao for the December 6 boxing bout is the constant taunting from his former trainer Freddie Roach, saying that “Oscar can't pull the trigger anymore” on account of his age. Oscar said that it is a challenge to him and it becomes personal especially when Pacquiao has fought almost all the legendary boxing fighters from Mexico and winning over them. Although Oscar is an American, he traces his roots from Mexico. His parents are Mexicans.

Still thousands of fans from the Philippines are worried about the possibility that de la Hoya will inflict so much damage on Pacquiao because of his physical superiority, particularly his advantage in height and reach. Pacquiao stands at 5'6 while de la Hoya is higher by four inches. He also has an advantage in reach.

Boxing enthusiasts believe that the promoters paid a little attention to the fact that the fight is an obvious mismatch, owing to the superior built of de la Hoya. They criticized the promoters for giving so much consideration on the amount of revenues that the fight will generate for their windfall profits, to the detriment of the Manny Pacquiao's life. In the Philippines, the Chairman of the Games and Amusement Board has called for the cancellation of the fight for the reason that it is an obvious mismatch.

But the camp of de la Hoya believes otherwise. They think that Pacquiao is a very powerful boxer and his being inferior in built, is not a basis for judging the fight in favor of de la Hoya. The reason why Oscar is training very hard for this boxing bout is because he considered Pacquiao as a very worthy opponent notwithstanding his physical built.

Future Plans

Oscar de la Hoya will not retire after his boxing bout with Manny Pacquiao. He said that he may fight a couple times more and added: “I want to challenge myself by fighting the best”. And “I am taking it fight by fight and will decide how many more after this fight”

Who is Manny Pacquaio? What makes him very popular as a boxer? Why is he considered as the best pound for pound boxer in the world by the prestigious Ring Magazine?

Let's take a look at his credentials, up close and personal:

Personal Circumstances

• Birth Place: Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines
• Date of Birth: December 17, 1978
• Hometown: General Santos City, Philippines
• Height: 5'6.5”
• Reach: 67 inches
• Division: Lightweight
• Stance: Southpaw
• Trainer: Freddie Roach
• Promoter: Top Rank

Education

Manny Pacquiao had a little formal education. At a very young age, he dropped out of school to help her mother by selling bread and other merchandise to support his mother and siblings. Last year, Manny took and passed the Accreditation and Equivalency Test (A&E) administered by the Department of Education. He received his High School Diploma from Sec. Jesli Lapuz, the Philippines Secretary of Education.

Right after obtaining his High School Diploma, he immediately took the college entrance examination from Notre Dame College in Mindanao where he is now enrolled, taking up business administration.

Family

Manny is one of the four children of Rosalio and Dionisia Pacquaio. His other brother Bobby is also a popular boxer. Manny is married to Maria Geraldine “Jinkee” Pacquiao. They have 3 children named PJ Hoffy, Bebot and Christian. His wife is presently pregnant and expecting another daughter.

Fight Record

Manny Pacquiao has fought 51 times since the start of his professional boxing career in 1995 at the age of 16. His first professional fight was against Edmund Ignacio for a four-round bout which he won via a decision. Manny won 11 fights successively since turning professional.

Since winning his first professional bout against a fellow Filipino boxer, he lost only 3 of his 51 professional fights. His first loss was in 1996 against Rustico Torrecampo, a fellow Filipino boxer. Manny was knocked out on the third round.

His second loss was against Thai boxer Medgoen Singsurat in a fight held in Thailand in September 17, 1999. He was likewise knocked out on the third round and lost his WBC flyweight title.

His third loss was against popular Mexican boxer Eric Morales where he lost via a unanimous decision for the vacant WBA and IBA championship crown. The fight was held at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada in March 19, 2005.

Titles Held

• Current WBC Lightweight Champion
• WBC Super Featherweight Champion, March 15, 2008 to July 31, 2008
• WBC International Featherweight Champion, September 10, 2005 to March 15, 2008
• IBF Super Bantamweight Champion, December 18, 1999 to April 28, 2001
• WBC Flyweight Champion, December 1998 to September 17, 1999
• OBF Super Bantamweight Champion, June 26, 1997 to December 4, 1998

Ratings

Manny Pacquiao is currently rated number one by WBC, WBO and IBO. He is rated number two by WBA and number three by IBF. Ring Magazine, the world's top boxing sports magazine rated him number one pound for pound boxer in 2006.

Movie and Singing Career

Aside from being a famous boxer, Manny is a popular movie personality in the Philippines. He has made several movies and numerous product endorsements including the world-famous Nike commercial.

Pacquiao vs. de la Hoya Fight

The Pacquiao de la Hoya boxing fight is scheduled to be staged at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 6, 2008. This boxing event is considered a “dream fight” by boxing fans. For Manny Pacquiao, this fight is his greatest challenge. He knows that he is an underdog in this boxing match knowing that de la Hoya is superior in general body built, particularly in reach and height. Boxing fans from all over the world believe that this is an obvious mismatch because of de la Hoya's superior built.

One major contributory factor that led to the agreement by the promoters of this boxing match is the near record-breaking prize that both fighters await. Pacquiao is expected to receive more than $10 Million Dollars including his share on pay-per-view receipts, product endorsements, advertising and other promotional income.

Future Plans

Manny plans to retire from boxing in 2009 and he intends to try his luck once more in politics. He may run again for a congressional seat in his home province in Mindanao, Philippines.

The forthcoming fight between two current world boxing champions Oscar dela Hoya and Manny Pacquiao is being considered by many boxing aficionados as a one sided fight because of the marked physical advantage in favor of Oscar dela Hoya. But to other boxing fans, it could be a fight that makes up for the biblical story of David and Goliath.

Clearly, dela Joya has the advantage in height, weight, built and reach. Below is a comparative data of the two boxing legends:

Oscar de la Hoya Manny Pacquiao

Height 5'10” 5'6.5”

Weight (Welterweight) 147 lbs. 147 lbs.

Stance right Southpaw

Reach 73 67

Age 35 29

Record 39-5-0 41-3-2

As may be gleaned from the above statistics of the two boxing champions, de la Hoya enjoys an advantage in height, reach, and built. Pacquiao can only capitalize on his youth and speed. Both boxers are known for their power punches.

The fight is set for December 6, 2008 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oscar dela Hoya will have to drop to 147 pounds while Pacquiao will have to gain more weight to satisfy the welterweight category. It is believed that Oscar de la Hoya will have a hard time going down to 147 pounds without affecting his endurance for the 12 round boxing event. He may come in at 150 pounds and just pay willingly the $1 million penalty per pound of excess weight over and above the 147 pounds limit. But then again, Manny Pacquiao's favorite trainer Freddie Roach, will most likely object to this come fight night. He was quoted to have said that “a contract is a contract” and it says that the limit is 147 pounds.

What is in this fight for Oscar de la Hoya? Money is first and foremost. The bright boys of his own boxing promotions outfit, the Golden Boy Promotions, believe that fighting Manny Pacquiao at a time when the “Pacman” is at the height of his flourishing boxing career after having been named as the best pound for pound boxer by the prestigious Ring Magazine plus his recent victory over David Diaz for the lightweight crown, will generate the biggest paycheck for de la Hoya both in pay per view and gate receipts. Of course, there are other minor considerations like, avenging the loss of his fellow Mexicans who have all lost to Pacquiao in recent championship boxing events. Another reason is that de la Hoya himself may have thought that he has good chances of winning because of his built, height and reach advantage.

For Manny Pacquiao, the most popular boxing champion in the world today, its more about winning over the Olympic boxing gold medalist and an equally popular boxing personality, despite his superiority in height and reach. Another reason is Manny's self-imposed role as peace advocate in his country where he is looked up to by the masses as a model for sports excellence. Winning this fight would further boost his popularity among the great number Filipino masses. Of course no one can deny that big money is a major consideration in his decision to fight de la Hoya. It has been announced earlier that he will run for a seat in congress in the 2010 national elections and he would need substantial funding for his political campaign.

Whatever motivation is there for these two great boxing champions, most boxing aficionados believe that this fight is going to be a one-sided affair or even a mismatch. Some boxing fans think that this fight is being stage because of greed for money and utter disregard for fairness and fair play. But because of Pacquiao's own inherent talents and physical assets like his youth, speed and punching power, he might just fit the role of David, winning over Goliath in the famous biblical story of “David and Goliath”.

However, Manny Pacquiao has become the most popular boxing champion in the country even in the world today. With the retirement of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao is elevated as the best pound for pound boxer in the world today. Commencing this feat is Manny's triumph in the championship match against David Diaz on June 28, 2008 in Las Vegas. Manny's win via TKO in the ninth round made the win more than convincing for the Filipino pugilist.

With this win, Manny has become a four-time world boxing champion in four different divisions. He is a former WBC Flyweight Champion, IBF Super bantamweight, WBC Super featherweight, and now a WBC Lightweight champion. A feat only the likes of Thomas Hearns, Ray Charles Leonard, Roberto Durán, Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya, Leo Gamez, Roy Jones Jr., and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. have achieved.

Pacquiao's professional boxing career started when he was 16. His fights were aired over Vintage Sports. His big break came when he stepped into a fight against Ledwaba as a late replacement in June 2001. Nevertheless, he won the fight by a technical knockout. This opened doors for him to bigger matches against Barrera, Morales, and Marquez. Three of the most respected and dreaded boxers of his time. His win against Marquez made him a three- time champion. His triumph over Diaz justified his title as the world's best pound for pound boxer.

Truly, Manny Pacquiao is the best Filipino boxer who has ever graced the boxing ring. He has surpassed the achievements of Flash Elorde or any other Filipino in the boxing world. The elusive feat of being a quadruple champion gave in to his exceptional boxing skills and speed. No one can question it.

Pacquiao, a native of the Philippines, was successful in what critics tabbed as his “Drive for Five” which meant if he were to win the title-which he did-he would hold five different world titles at the same time.

On the other hand, although Diaz was the champion, he had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Most people already rate him as a second-tier fighter and this fight didn't do much to change that reputation. If he were to have win this fight, he would have made a name for himself and would have made a huge amount of money in the process.

Alas, Pacquiao prevailed in 9 rounds. The look on the two fighters faces after the match said it all, Manny's was as if he hadn't been through nine rounds as there were virtually no marks left on his face, while David Diaz was a mess with his eyes swollen and cuts all over, it was clear that Manny was the better fighter.

What's next for Pacquiao? Nothing is certain, except that he will not go up to the 147lbs division.