The Thrilla from Manila, Manny Pacquiao, is set to take on boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya this evening in the highly anticipated “Dream Match” that will save boxing, pitting Pacman, the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, against “The Golden Boy” De La Hoya, who has had his fair share of accomplishments during a long, venerated career in the ring.
Even with the support of an entire nation behind him, the Philippines favorite son faces a daunting task – bulk up to a weight class far past his natural weight, and defeat a much taller, bigger, and experienced opponent in De La Hoya; a fighter who didn’t earn the distinction of being boxing’s Golden Boy overnight. De La Hoya enters the ring tonight as the clear-cut favorite in the matchup, with his larger frame giving him an obvious size and reach advantage over the much smaller Pacquiao.
Despite playing the underdog role, Pacman has been hard at work, training in the mountains, killing grizzly bears and chopping down trees a la Rocky IV style. Meanwhile, De La Hoya has been training hard as well, albeit through a much different approach...
