Pacquiao vs. De La Hoya: the 'Dream Match' turned nightmare
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Too big. Too strong. Too powerful.
“Even accounting for how bad De La Hoya had looked against Steve Forbes, it was inconceivable to me--and to many others I was conversing with at the time--that at some stage Pacquiao wouldn't get flattened by a left hook. That's not how boxing works of course, just spamming one shot until it lands, but you have to remember that Pacquiao had yet to fight above 135lbs and De La Hoya wasn't that far removed from having destroyed Mayorga and running Floyd close. So for me at least, I watched the whole fight through my fingers, desperately scared of the seemingly inevitable knockout Manny was going to suffer.” — Kyle McLachlan, chief boxing writer for The Fight Site.
Put this into perspective - when a young Manny Pacquiao won his first world title against Chatchai Sasakul at flyweight, Oscar De La Hoya had claimed the welterweight title with a dominant win over the legendary Julio César Chavez just two months prior. To think that their paths would one day cross, and that Pacquiao would be the man to send De La Hoya into retirement, seemed not only implausible but absurd.
Fast forward 10 years, and Pacquiao-De La Hoya was announced in a fight billed as ‘The Dream Match’. A fitting name perhaps, as many predicted Pacquiao’s chances as nothing more than the stuff of fantasy. Even after his stunning blitz through the lower weight classes, Oscar was seen as simply a bridge too far for a then-135lb Pacquiao. Weight classes exist for a reason after all, and as the old adage goes ‘a good big’un beats a good little’un’.
But Pacquiao proved he wasn’t just good, nor just great. He was special.
In hindsight, many will point to De La Hoya’s struggles with making 147lbs as the decisive factor in Pacquiao’s triumph. There’s no question that De La Hoya was a dead man walking at welterweight - something reinforced by the fact that he had to fight Steve Forbes at a catch-weight earlier that year. But that shouldn’t detract from the quality of Pacquiao’s performance itself, a comprehensive masterclass which quickly became a one-sided beat down. Whilst emphasis is placed on Pacquiao’s dazzling speed and volume, not nearly enough attention is given to the technical and tactical nuances that the Filipino buzzsaw showcased in the ring that night.
Let’s start off with how Pacquiao was able to neutralise Oscar’s sharp, assertive jab: a cornerstone of ‘The Golden Boy’s game throughout his career.
One popular misconception that has become an enduring part of the fight’s narrative is that De La Hoya’s vaunted jab went missing because he couldn’t pull the trigger anymore - evidence of him being a shot fighter. But that doesn't do justice to Pacquiao’s own work in making De La Hoya tentative. Pac-Man’s proactive upper body movement & feints neutered Oscar’s own offense, and made him reluctant to throw the jab with any real conviction because of what was coming back.
Case in point: Pacquiao—swaying from side-to-side—threatens punches from different angles as well as presenting a tricky target for De La Hoya’s jab. When Oscar does throw the jab, it’s slow & hesitant because of Pacquiao’s evasive upper-body movement, which makes it far easier for the Filipino to time his opponent with his signature outside-slip left straight. Notice how Pacquiao takes his head off-line as he throws the left, ensuring De La Hoya’s jab sails harmlessly past him.
With the threat established, Pacquiao is able to build on it and dictate the fight by seizing initiative - De La Hoya is constantly reacting to him, guessing his next move & allowing Pac-Man to take control of the fight. Watch here how De La Hoya becomes tentative to throw because of Pacquiao’s upper-body movement.
Anticipation is the cornerstone of an opponent’s defence, but Pacquiao’s feints & staccato rhythm are imperative in throwing De La Hoya’s timing off and rendering him helpless. With the jab taken away, De La Hoya struggles to build any consistent offense.
Pacquiao’s performance is also a great illustration of establishing patterns and then breaking them. Being predictable with attacks can lead to an opponent, especially of De La Hoya’s calibre, anticipating what’s coming and adjusting accordingly. But the variety of Manny’s shot selection prevents De La Hoya from getting a read, and ensures his expectations remain addled. We’ve seen ‘Pac Man’ have success with the outside-slip left straight already, but check out how he mixes things up with a right hook over the top of De La Hoya’s jab just moments later.
Then, after exploding into a combination, Pacquiao leads with a right hook to the body.
Pacquiao‘s diverse combinations not only befuddle Oscar but create further openings by manipulating his guard. First off, let’s start with a classic Manny combo - double jab up top to occupy the guard and obstruct Oscar’s vision, followed by a straight left to the body.
Shortly after Pacquiao adds a right hook to the end of the combination, taking advantage of a crouched De La Hoya’s lowered lead glove.
This time, Pacquiao plays with De La Hoya’s expectations by abandoning the double jab and instead leading with a left straight to the body, followed by a right hand that acts as a cross (notice how Pacquiao uses the momentum of the left hand to load his hip for the ensuing right). De La Hoya lowers his guard in response to the left to the body, which leaves his head exposed.
After Pacquiao leads with the double jab, De La Hoya instinctively begins to lower his guard in anticipation of a straight left to the body - only for Manny to go upstairs instead. In the later stages of the fight you can see Pacquiao’s early body-attack paying dividends as De La Hoya looks to protect the midsection, which allows Pac-Man to focus his attack on the vulnerable head.
Another aspect of Pacquiao’s performance that deserves praise is his movement, which was the best I’ve seen from him in his entire career. Manny’s frenetic footwork isn’t particularly sound from a technical standpoint, but against De La Hoya he showed exceptional ring generalship and bossed the geography of the fight against the bigger man.
Pacquiao’s control of angles - constantly entering range from one angle, and exiting from another - was exceptional in this fight. In the sequence below, take note of how Pacquiao takes the outside angle with his lead foot when throwing the straight left and then swiftly pivots around Oscar, forcing his opponent to turn.
And again. By taking a dominant angle, Pacquiao nullifies the threat of De La Hoya’s own attack by forcing him to reach across when turning, taking away the power from Oscar’s right hand. Perfect boxing - being in a position to hit your opponent, where your opponent can’t hit you.
There is of course a caveat here; a weight-drained, plodding De La Hoya isn’t the most mobile of opponents, and the older man just simply couldn’t keep up with the explosive whirlwind in front of him. That being said, De La Hoya struggled with southpaws taking the outside angle and exiting range even at his peak, when he fought another legendary leftie in Pernell Whitaker.
Make no mistake, Oscar De La Hoya had no business fighting at welterweight by that point of his career. His reactions were gone, his boxing brain always two or three steps behind - but let’s not dismiss what Pacquiao did to blunt Oscar’s ring IQ and render him so helpless. The old champion simply ran into an offensive dynamo that night, and kick started Manny’s meteoric rise to superstardom in what would be the beginning of his imperious peak years.
To conclude, here’s some parting words from our man Kyle McLachlan on the aftermath of the fight:
"As De La Hoya conceded, I knew I was witnessing something special, something that not even the previously excellent career of Pacquiao could have suggested: he was a legend in his own time, and one of those rare things, a pound-for-pound fighter that could potentially chew up anyone who dared step into the ring with him. I didn't even feel stupid for thinking De La Hoya would win, as I had no way of predicting Manny was this good. The winner was due to fight Ricky Hatton, and it didn't seem like much of a prize for Hatton after Manny's performance."
For more analysis on this historic performance, Philippe Pocholle-Marchetti joined me to breakdown and commentate on the entire bout. If you haven’t watched Pacquiao vs. De La Hoya before, hopefully this article has convinced you to check the fight out, enjoy a truly exceptional performance from one of the best boxers I’ve ever seen and admire the skill on display.