By Hermie Rivera

With the lesser lights out of the running in the Manny Pacquiao derby, the Philippines’ ring icon makes a decisive move to cement his future by jumping over two weight divisions to take on Oscar de la Hoya in a welterweight brawl.

A contract could be signed in Las Vegas or Los Angeles where Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer are to finalize details of a once-belittled fantasy clash of ring hotshots.

The December 6 blockbuster will test Pacquiao’s toughness as well as de la Hoya’s resolve to win a huge one at a time he is ending his lifelong romance with the Sweet Science.

Now, the question is whether Oscar can make 147 pounds. or if Manny can go up with his power and speed intact?

Their handlers are emphatic Oscar can lose weight while Manny can meet the required limit.

Something intrigues me though and that is the haste with which the promoters are fast-tracking the Pinoy marvel to complete a three-fight 2008 calendar with de la Hoya’s adios fight rather than working out a deal for a mega-sized tab with the colorful Ricky Hatton.

Now, can somone explain the imposition of a matchup that smacks of outright edge in height, weight and heft for Oscar? A veteran who’s gifted as a slugging boxer.

Manny will have to outdo his past ring “spectaculars” to survive a bigger walloper in the Golden Boy.

Not that he’ll fail. It’s such a large leap from 135 to 147 lbs. Not at this time. Why not go after Hatton first. A less risky move I say than a precipate vault into the welterweight podium?

Sure, his handlers are insisting the Pacman can beat the lone six-division ruler with an Olympic gold medal to boot.

But are we talking here of a pile of greens the certified warriors are likely to rake in? More money for Pacquiao? Not really since he has a lot stashed away already.

For Oscar? Nah. The ultra- rich East Los Angeleno has now earned a bundle which he can’t dispose of in his lifetime.

In today’s declining market of the once-lucrative sport, Manny Pacquiao is playing by his own rules at a time of his choosing.

So far, he’s had his way with the various ‘greats’ in the light flyweight division where he started, up to his current lightweight throne.

But can Manny bulldoze his way and beat a favorite in Oscar? Can a fattened but sweet-punchin’ lightweight defy the odds and trounce the Golden Oscar? Your call.

One thing is clear as day bells The loser will get the brunt of a harsh retribution but richer by 20 million U.S. dollars not to mention the monstrous pay per view orders.

by Mike Marley

Whatever Manny Pacquiao wants Manny Pacquiao gets right?

You would figure that to be the case now that nearly all of the Everlast Einsteins have accepted and annointed Pinoy idol
Megamanny as either the Philippine most entertaining fighter or, in Manny’s case as having achieved both of those exalted positions.

But a cadre of Pacman insiders including Boxingconfidential super-snooper Hermie Rivera are pounding the Pacman drums and the
message is that there is a communication gap between Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum.

While the Top Rank top honcho said he wants what is best for Manny and ergo what’s best for his promotional outfit, there is real
chasm in what’s in Uncle Bob’s Harvard Law School trained mind and the mental landscape as viewed by Pacquiao.

“Bob is trying to ram Edwin Valero or Humberto Soto or maybe both of them down Manny’s throat,” Rivera said. This is odd what
with the David Diaz fight being a PPV fiasco with less than 200,000 buys. Manny and some of his closest advisers blame the
turgid PPV TV numbers on the fact that Diaz was a little-known guy that no one could conceive of beating Manny.

In fact as it turned out, it was a brutal mismatch in which Manny shined. But no one dare label that boxing butchery competitive.”

So where does Manny’s personal and pugilistic agenda take a turn away from Arum?

Another Pacquaio insider tells Boxingconfidential that outside of boxing and his family aspirations, Pacman’s biggest dream now is
to run for and get elected as governor of a newly-created state in the Philippines which is located near his hometown of General Santos city.

This election is not until 2010. But Pacquiao wants to spend a lot of time and money seeding his second electoral try next year.

“Maybe Bob does not get this part,”the Pacman confidante said, “and maybe Bob’s Pacquiao pipeline the Canadian Michael Koncz does not either. Winning this gubernatorial election is paramount on Manny’s mind. With this goal in mind, Manny does not want to fight Valero and then maybe Soto and make relative peanuts.

“What Manny wants is to fight the megafight with popular Ricky Hatton. Arum has explained to him that it can’t happen now because Hatton is fighting Paulie Malignaggi in November. Arum said a step-aside fee cannot be negotiated but Paulie’s promoter Lou DiBella said he has an open mind and open ears.

“Even if Manny accepts Arum’s story, he is still balking at what he percieves as a mismatch and a bout in which the American
public knows so little about Valero.

Manny thinks Edwins windmill punching might provide some cool air to ringsiders but little else.

Manny thinks he can beat Valero perhaps even with more ease than when he thumped poor Diaz.

Manny thinks with his nimble foot and improved defense, Edwin could not hit him in the ass with a bag of rice.

As for Soto goes, he is no Mexican legend and he got beat by Joan Guzman.

So what does he bring to the table but toughness?”

This camp follower said that Pacman told Arum he wants to fight Hatton by February or March at the latest.

The source said Megamanny sees a megapurse of perhaps $15 million in that bout which is about double of what he can earn against Soto and Valero.

Whatever Manny wants, Manny gets?

No one said there is dissension in the air. It’s more along the lines of “Cool Hand Luke” and “a failure to communicate.”

Stay tuned as The Pacman turns.