Boxing
Manny Pacquiao will go down as the greatest ever, says Oscar De La Hoya
Subscribe to DAZN now
One of the biggest wins of Manny Pacquiao’s illustrious career occurred in December 2008 when the Filipino sensation destroyed Oscar De La Hoya in eight one-sided rounds. That result catapulted Pacquiao to a mainstream audience and it also ended “The Golden Boy’s” time as a top-level fighter.
In 2021, with De La Hoya set to make a comeback against former UFC champion, Vitor Belfort, on September 11th, the Californian fighter has heaped huge praise on his former rival. Pacquiao was defeated last weekend by Yordenis Ugas and speculation is spreading that he’s about to call it a day. De La Hoya believes Pacquiao’s will go down as boxing’s finest ever fighter.
“I think [Ugas] fought a disciplined fight,” said De La Hoya when speaking to the media during a workout ahead of next month’s fight. “The times that he wasn't disciplined, Manny Pacquiao would just eat him alive with his combinations. I thought Manny Pacquiao looked good, just Ugas didn't make him look good.
“He went 12 hard rounds with a younger guy. That's the problem with us fighters. We go for the younger guy. It happened with me and Manny Pacquiao when he kicked my a—. It's not necessarily that when I was at my peak and fought Manny he wasn't the better guy. He was the younger guy with more energy, you know what I'm saying?
“Pacquiao is a legend. He's the best. He'll probably go down as the greatest fighter we've seen, ever,” added De La Hoya. “It was a privilege watching his fight [versus Ugas]. It's probably the end of an era. We enjoyed a great ride, and we wish him all the best.”
