The Pacquiao radar is now pointing to a possible fight against Mexican orthodox slugger Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (44-7-2, 28 KOs). For some reason, the match against Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin “El Inca” Valero (24-0-0, 24 KOs) has been scrapped. Whether it was due to medical reasons, we don’t know for a fact.
Most of the die-hard boxing fans, however, don’t really care about a fight against Humberto Soto—and Edwin Valero for that matter. Manny already accomplished a stepping-stone fight against David Diaz and an acid test should be his next match. For all the prefight hype on Diaz, the expectations played out the way most boxing experts predicted it to be. The class of Pacquiao as an elite fighter was magnificently displayed in that fight.
The boxing fanatics have enough of these fighters who can’t enhance the resume and legacy of the Pacman. Humberto Sotto and Edwin Valero can’t raise the status of Manny Pacquiao. Even if he beats them in a convincing fashion, boxing critics will simply dismiss it as a foregone conclusion.
Not to belittle the capabilities of the Mexican and Venezuelan sluggers; they are very capable fighters, but they are just not the type of fighters who can raise the Filipino idol to the pantheon of boxing greats.
Anyway, there are fighters in the horizon who can elevate Pacquiao to the illustrious elite of boxing. Who are these fighters? Well, let’s name them—Nate “The Galaxxy Warrior” Campbell, Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, and Oscar “The Golden Boy” de la Hoya.
Let’s analyze Manny’s chances in a probable fight against these top fighters.
Nate Campbell (32-5-1, 25 KOs): WBA, IBF, and WBO Lightweight Champion
If this fight happens, it should be categorized as a MUST-SEE fight. Nate proved in his battle against Juan Diaz that he is capable of outslugging the slugger. He is known to rise to the occasion when facing very tough opposition.
It should be interesting to see if the slugging style he successfully used against Diaz will still be effective against the quickness and power of Pacquiao. My bet is that it won’t. If Nate comes charging in with short crosses and uppercuts, Manny will counter with lightning-quick right hooks and left crosses. The Galaxxy Warrior will be frustrated all night long and will be constantly peppered with three- and four-punch combinations.
Unlike David Diaz, who’s got an iron chin, Campbell won’t be able to hold on longer from a non-stop barrage and will go down in round five.
The Galaxxy Warrior will realize that Manny Pacquiao is a totally different beast from Juan Diaz—speed and power will be the determining factor in this fight, and Nate will finally know the true meaning of ELITE FIGHTER.
Ricky Hatton (44-1-0, 31 KOs): 2005 Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year
Ever since Pacquiao mauled Marco Antonio Barrera in their first fight, he’s always been favored as the overwhelming favorite by the odds-makers—but not against Ricky Hatton. The favorite son of Lancashire, United Kingdom, will figure to be the betting odds favorite in this fight.
The Hitman is a strong slugger who loves to wear down opponents. He’s a good body puncher as evidenced by his one punch KO of Jose Luis Castillo. Manny should be especially wary of his clinch-and-punch tactics.
The Filipino’s clear-cut advantage over the British slugger is in the hand speed department. Floyd Mayweather exposed the Hitman’s weakness of being incapable of adjusting against a much quicker opponent. This edge must be used by Pacman in every way possible, both in offense and defense. The tactics he used against David Diaz may still apply against Ricky Hatton.
Although Ricky has beaten top names in his career, I feel he is widely overrated. He should be knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in a very one-sided beat down. My prediction is a KO in round ten.
Oscar de la Hoya (39-5-0, 30 KOs): Former World Champion in Six Weight Divisions
I, personally, don’t recommend this fight for Manny. The Golden Boy is just way too big and way too strong against a fighter who started his pro career at 106 pounds.
But what the heck; Oscar is so past his prime that Manny may have an outside chance of squeaking a win over the much bigger boxer.
The Mexican American is definitely not in his prime years anymore; but, I believe, he’s still got the hand speed and power to hang against top-level competition. This should prove to be very exciting once the fight starts to get rough.
The Filipino fighter should be very game (duwa-duwa lang) against the best of what the Golden Boy has got to offer. If he is able to outpace Oscar in the first six to seven rounds, he should tire him out in the later rounds and make a concentrated effort for a possible knockout.
Endurance is the determining factor in this fight. Oscar doesn’t have that—Manny does. Guess who wins . . .
If Manny Pacquiao is aiming for boxing legacy, he should go after these fighters and earn mega-bucks in the process. All these fights have the fans salivating.
