Isa lamang kina Filipino Manny Pacquiao at Americans Vernon Forrest at Sergio Mora ang pipiliin ni world six-division champion Oscar Dela Hoya para sa kanyang magsisilbing huling laban bilang isang professional fighter.
“It would be very difficult,” wika ni Dela Hoya sa inaasahang paghahayag niya ng kanyang makakalaban sa Disyembre 6 sa MGM Grand sa Las Vegas, Nevada. “I want something done by next week.”
Sa tatlo, ang 29-anyos na si Pacquiao ang inaasahang pipiliin ng 35-anyos na si Dela Hoya, pangulo ng kanyang Golden Boy Promotions.
Matatandaang umatras na si Pacquiao, ang bagong World Boxing Council (WBC) light-weight titlist, matapos ipilit ni Dela Hoya ang 70-30 revenue split sa kanilang non-title welter-weight fight kahit na pinaboran ni American trainer Freddie Roach ang nasabing hatian sa kikitain sa Pay-Per-View.
Gusto ni Pacquiao, ang unang Asian boxer na naging world four-division ruler, na gawing 60-40 ang revenue split kung saan may $10 milyon ang kanyang magiging guaranteed purse bukod pa sa porsiyento sa PPV buys.
“I want a big fight. I want to go out with a big bang. I want to make it an event. I want to make it a worldwide event because I want to show the boxing world and I want to show everybody around the world that boxing is alive and well. I want them to say, ‘Look at this big event December 6,” sabi ni Dela Hoya.
Sa world light middleweight fight nina Dela Hoya at Floyd Mayweather, Jr. noong Mayo ng 2007 kung saan nanalo ang huli, humakot ng 2.4 million PPV buys ang naturang laban kung saan nakakuha si “Golden Boy” ng halos $58 milyon at $22 milyon naman si Mayweather.
“The 70-30 split is in my mind a fair split because of Oscar’s popularity,” ani Roach. “Manny has popularity also, but I just feel that at 70-30 the fight is so big. It is not just what the win will do for Manny Pacquiao, it is what the win will do for his career. There will be nothing but mega fights from that point on.”
Sa kanyang pag-agaw sa suot na WBC lightweight belt ni David Diaz noong Hunyo 28, pumatak lamang sa 200,000 PPV buys ang nasabing laban ni Pacquiao para sa kanyang kinitang $6 milyon. (Russell Cadayona)