Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao made weight with room to spare on Friday in Las Vegas for their highly anticipated megafight.
De La Hoya weighed 145 pounds, two under the contractual limit for the bout. Pacquiao weighed 142.
Weight has been a hot topic surrounding Saturday's 12-round fight at the MGM Grand Arena as it being fought at a catchweight.
Pacquaio, 29, has spent most of the past five years weighing in for 126 or 130 pounds, although through rehydration he has usually weighed 10 or more pounds heavier by the time the fight begins.
He fought for the first time at 135 pounds in June, battering usually durable David Diaz over nine rounds.
There have been questions as to whether De La Hoya, 35, will be too dried out to perform effectively. He was last forced to make 147 in 2001 when he stopped Montreal-born Arturo Gatti.
The Mexican-American came in the lightest he's been since 1997.
Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 knockouts) is guaranteed $11 million US for the fight.
De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy company is co-promoting the fight with Bob Arum's Top Rank, will make at least $15 million and possibly higher due to a percentage of pay-per-view buys.
Pacquiao reportedly agreed to join De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions fighting stable in 2006 but had a change of heart and re-upped with Arum.
As well, Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach worked with De La Hoya last year for his unsuccessful challenge against Floyd Mayweather.
Roach insists the size won't be an issue due to De La Hoya's diminishing reflexes and the speed and peak abilities of the Filipino icon.
De La Hoya has countered by hiring trainer Nacho Beristain. Juan Manuel Marquez, trained by Beristain, has battled Pacquiao to essentially even terms over two highly regarded bouts.
Montreal's Pascal ready to go
Jean Pascal of Montreal weighed in under the limit on Friday for his bout in Nottingham, England with Briton Carl Froch.
The two undefeated fighters will be battling on Saturday for the vacant World Boxing Council super-middleweight title, which was relinquished by Joe Calzaghe when he moved up to light heavyweight.
Pascal weighed just under the 168-pound limit, with Froch about a pound lighter.
Pascal, 26, is looking to recapture some of the flair that saw him beat fellow Canadian Kingsley Ikeke over 15 months ago.
The talented boxer has struggled at times in recent bouts, leading his braintrust away from a fight with powerpuncher Edison Miranda that had been planned. Pascal last fought in January, winning a 10-round decision over Omar Pittman.
Pascal (21-0, 13 knockouts) said his right shoulder has been a reason for the less-than-optimal displays of late.
"The shoulder is 100 per cent," Pascal said.
Froch (23-0, 19 knockouts) has stopped his last seven opponents. The 31-year-old carries his hands low, using his reflexes to overcome the stylistic flaw.
His stoppages have predominantly come from an accumulation of punishment, as opposed to single powerful shots.
Despite Calzaghe leaving, the division is heating up. The winner will able to call out the likes of Jermain Taylor, Mikkel Kessler and Montreal's Lucian Bute, who holds the World Boxing Association title.
Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3558298
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