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Arum: Left-handed Pacquiao to pose problems for de la Hoya

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Manny Pacquiao’s fighting stance will pose a “very big problem” for international boxing superstar Oscar de la Hoya when they meet inside the ring in Las Vegas, Nevada come December 6.

Top Rank executive promoter Bob Arum, who used to promote de la Hoya’s fights before the boxer eventually decided to become a matchmaker himself, said the Mexican-American has difficulties in handling southpaws.

“Oscar as I said time and time again, always has problems with left handers. His entire career he’s only fought two southpaws. One was [Hector] Camacho … and [Pernell] Whitaker,” Arum told dzSR Sports Radio during an interview Tuesday.

Arum said though de la Hoya managed to win over the two boxers, the six-division champ had trouble dominating them and to think that he was still at his peak when he fought Camacho and Whitaker.

“So I’m very confident with Manny’s chances…  the way he throws his punches, he’s faster than Oscar, he’s elusive,” said Arum.

The Top Rank head honcho added that he will be providing Pacquaio’s trainer Freddie Roach copies of de la Hoya’s fights against Camacho and Whitaker. This way, he said, they will see de la Hoya’s disadvantages against southpaws.

Mexicans love Manny

Meanwhile, Arum echoed Roach’s claim that Pacquiao is more popular among Mexicans compared to de la Hoya.

“Manny has endeared himself to Mexicans because he’s conducted himself as a gentleman and he fights like a Mexican. Manny has tremendous fans among the Mexicans,” he said.

Roach earlier said that de la Hoya has never been accepted by the true Mexican fans from Mexico. “Mexican-Americans yes, but not Mexicans,” said the hall-of-fame trainer.

“I think to some extend he may have more fans than Oscar does among Mexicans,” said Arum.

The 12-rounder non-title match between Pacquiao and de la Hoya was dubbed as “The Dream Match”. It is slated to take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on December 6.

“It started out as a fantasy, Larry Merchant suggested it and then ESPN ran with it and it was a dream nobody though it would happen and now it‘s a reality. Everybody liked that title,” said Arum.

as of 09/10/2008 12:40 AM