Oscar dela Hoya is dead serious and confident making weight and has in fact started training in Puerto Rico with still three months left before his showdown with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.
According to www.insidesports.ph, a brand-new, on-line sports page based in Manila, Dela Hoya has “started running and doing light exercises” for the Dec. 6 fight set at the MGM Grand.
Eric Gomez, a childhood friend of Dela Hoya’s and vice president of Golden Boy Promotions, said in a report that 35-year-old superstar will move to the Big Bear training camp in October.
Big Bear is a mountain resort northeast of Los Angeles and is a favorite camp for big-name fighters. It is at least 7,000 feet above sea level.
Gomez said Dela Hoya will move to Big Bear in October. He used to own a property there but decided to sell it, and is now reportedly owned by ultimate fighting star Tito Ortiz.
The report said Dela Hoya weighed 153 pounds last week in Los Angeles when he was with Gomez.
“Without even boxing,” the Golden Boy executive said. “That’s his natural weight. He won’t have a problem making the weight. He’ll be fine.”
Pacquiao is in Gen. Santos City, just sweating it out on the driving range and in the golf course before he leaves for the US on or before Sept. 15 to start training in Los Angeles.
The weight limit for the Pacquiao fight is pegged at 147 pounds and some quarters believe that Dela Hoya will find it difficult making weight after weighing in at 150 pounds in his last two fights.
A special clause was even included in the fight contract that Dela Hoya will be fined $3 million for every pound or fraction in excess of 147 pounds.
Gomez said Dela Hoya just laughed it off, saying they can even “make it $5 million it doesn’t matter. He is going to make the weight.”
Pacquiao’s legal counsel, Franklin Gacal, is taking it seriously.
“Did he say $5 million? If he’s serious then we can put it in writing. If he asks us, we can re-write the contract, have it counter-signed by Manny and myself, then Oscar can sign it, too,” Gacal said.
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