December 6th

Oscar De La Hoya has finally selected his next (but not necessarily final) opponent and - to no one’s surprise - it’s Manny Pacquiao. The fight is scheduled for December 6 in Las Vegas and on HBO pay-per-view. Negotiations took a while before the two sides finally agreed on what is most likely a 65/35 split in favor of the Golden Boy.

De La Hoya and Pacquiao will be coming from opposite directions to meet at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. De La Hoya has not weighed in below 150 pounds since 2001. Pacquiao began his career in 1995 at 106 pounds and moved up to 135 for the first time in his most recent bout.

De La Hoya reportedly considered other fighters but Floyd Mayweather retired. Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto are coming off losses. There’s no way Oscar wanted any part of either Antonio Margarito or Paul Williams — too much risk without sufficient reward. Sergio Mora and Ricky Hatton were viewed as lower risk options but also significantly lower reward. Targeting Pacquiao is classic De La Hoya: Pacquiao represents the most intriguing opponent available … and the biggest possible payday - by far.