By Hermie Rivera

Photo by Miguel Salazar, MP promotions

Las Vegas, Nevada — It was a fight nobody took seriously when first broached by sports chronicler Larry Merchant.

Fight nuts derided it as a mismatch but others were supportive of Oscar de la Hoya’s move to have  Manny Pacquiao as his fightdate at the MGM Grand.

The match-up has since morphed into a viable thriller with the planet’s hot draws in a slugfest that will be long remembered.

Pacquiao checks in  Saturday equipped with his tools that leveled the likes of Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, David Diaz—not to mention Juan Manuel Marquez and other Mexican stars who got clobbered by the power-punching Filipino idol.

De la Hoya is aching to knock out Pacquiao. Oscar says he will not settle for anything less than a KO of his smaller rival.

So we’re back for the big vs small theory?

Roy Jones’ raid of the heavyweight ranks netted him John Ruiz’s crown. But Big John got beat when Dalai Lama acolytes he hired, flopped as sparring mates.

From where I sit, Manny’s raw courage encased in a heart as huge as the combined-tickers of Marines hunting Bin Laden  should do Oscar in.

Al Bernstein is looking at a Pacquiao victory “provided he eludes Hoya’s early assaults.”

“Manny should play it cool for at least seven rounds and catch Oscar for a W in the late rounds ”opined the expert.

As we near the climactic resolution of the war at the Grand, posted odds continue to fluctuate with the Pinoy  hero closing in on the Golden Boy’s once-imposing betting edge.

It will continue to slide with the entry of pro-Pacquiao bets expected to roll in before the betting cages close.

Factor in Pacquiao’s awesome gym consistency and Oscar’s headaches will multiply threefold.

Oscar is  sticking to a fifth round  stoppage of Pacquiao.

The Pacman has characteristically refused to say when a KO would come. But he’s certain he’s erect when the smoke of battle clears.