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Pacquiao did some light workout, doing the mitts with famed American trainer Freddie Roach and hitting the speed bag. He also did some shadow boxing and was talking to everyone while he did his routine, a typical Pacquiao manner whenever he is inside the gym for practice.

FACING a much taller, a lot bigger, and the best fighter to date in his next ring assignment, Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao finally hit the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon and started training for his much-awaited December 6 encounter with Oscar de la Hoya at the fabulous MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 29-year-old Pacquiao was initially scheduled to start training a day before, but this was cancelled because he had to meet first with promoter Bob Arum and that the boxer was not feeling well Tuesday.

Also supervising Pacquiao's training regimen aside from Roach are Buboy Fernandez, Nonoy Neri, Roger Fernandez, and Eric Brown.

Roach reportedly hired big sparring partners--two light middleweights and one welterweight--to prepare Pacquiao for De La Hoya, who started his own training for the fight a month ago.

Hired as sparring partners were 154-pounder Yuri Foreman and Arron Robinson and 147-pounder Rashad Holloway of Raleigh, North Carolina. Roach said all of them have "powerful left hooks."

Pacquiao, the punching machine from General Santos City, will be the heavy underdog in the 12-round battle at 147 pounds against De La Hoya, called the "Golden Boy" and boxing's hottest commodity.

De La Hoya, an Olympic gold medalist, holds an awesome advantage in size and he will be entering the ring looking down on his opponent ready to throw his most dangerous weapon--the left hook--which victimized many tough opponents in the past, notable of whom were Fernando Vargas and Ike Quartey.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao has appealed to his fans, especially those contracted with cough and colds, not to pay him a visit during his training.

Pacquiao said he would like to be in great shape the moment he climbs the ring against De La Hoya and does not want to get sick along the way.

Last Tuesday, Sept, 16, Pacquiao failed to show up at the Wild Card Gym after suffering from minor colds

Nobody thought it would come down to a fight between Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar de la Hoya.

That’s why finalizing the match has been nothing short of a—well, dream.

Top Rank Inc. promoter Bob Arum disclosed in a radio interview Tuesday that the Pacquiao-de la Hoya megabuck meeting on December 6 will be called “The Dream Match".

“It started out as a fantasy," the legendary promoter told boxing-radio personality Dennis Principe.

“Larry Merchant suggested it and then ESPN ran with it and it was a dream nobody thought would happen. Now it‘s a reality. Everybody liked that title."

Some of the titles to previous Pacquiao cards include: “Lethal Combination" vs. David Diaz, “Unfinished Business" vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, “Will to Win" vs. Marco Antonio Barrera and “Blaze of Glory" vs. Jorge Solis.

Meanwhile, Arum confirmed that Freddie Roach has in his hands videotapes of de la Hoya’s fights versus Pernell Whitaker and Hector Camacho, two bouts where de la Hoya struggled, Arum said.

De la Hoya won both fights—the only two ones versus left-handers in his career—via unanimous decision.

“I’ve always believed and Freddie does so to that that our guy Manny has a helluva chance to beat Oscar and he will beat Oscar. [Manny] is awkward the way he throws his punches. He’s faster than Oscar and he’s elusive," Arum said.

According to Arum, de la Hoya has begun looking for a trainer to replace Floyd Mayweather Sr., his first choice. Mayweather flew to England to train Ricky Hatton.