Bodog Beat

Bigger isn’t necessarily better. (AP Images)

Manny Pacquiao is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, according to The Ring magazine. His opponent on Saturday, Oscar De La Hoya, is ranked No. 3 among the junior middleweights behind Vernon Forrest and Verno Phillips – neither of whom is in the Top 10 on the pound-for-pound list.

And yet De La Hoya is the –190 favorite for Saturday’s big-money matchup at the MGM Grand. Pacquiao is the +150 underdog. The over/under on rounds is 9.5, and while the over is –185, this is a 12-round fight. The tale of the tape reveals why a De La Hoya knockout is anticipated:

• De La Hoya: 5-foot-10, 73” reach
• Pacquiao: 5-foot-6, 67” reach

This is a welterweight bout, maximum 147 pounds. De La Hoya fought at this weight between 1997 and 2001; Pacquiao’s heaviest weigh-in was this past June at 134.5 pounds. It’s clobberin’ time again.