Golden Boy and the PacMan

Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar De La Hoya.

This is one of those fantasy match-ups that fans bicker over because there's no way it would ever take place. Pacquiao is a lightweight (135 lb.) who started his career at 108 pounds. De La Hoya began his pro career at 130, but found most of his success around 147 pounds.

Both are elite fighters. De La Hoya was regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in his heyday. Pacquiao is arguably the best today.

But a match-up between these two would be preposterous, right?

The big rumor in world of boxing is that Oscar is in negotiations to fight the "Thrilla from Manila" at 147 pounds sometime in December.

Holy crap.

Now basic reasoning says this would be a ridiculous mismatch. De La Hoya is 5'10-1/2" — that gives him a considerable size advantage to Pacquiao's 5'6-1/2" frame. Oscar hits harder than anyone Pacquiao has ever faced. Even though he's 35, his double left hook still packs a big wallop.

But what isn't being considered is that De La Hoya is moving down in weight — something that's much more difficult than packing it on. In an ESPN story about the fight, an expert said that Oscar may lose the wrong kind of weight trying to go down.

Plus, he hasn't been down to 147 in more than seven years.

And in his last fight, Pacquiao came to the ring weighing 146 after weighing in at 135 the day before.

I'm looking at this like the De La Hoya/Mayweather fight. It was at 154 pounds, but Mayweather came in at 150 and won the fight.

(Though I feel that Mayweather didn't do enough to win the title from De La Hoya, but that's beside the point)

But what's different from the DLH/Mayweather fight is that this one should have more action. Pacquiao doesn't shy away from trading with his opponents and neither does Oscar.