The Neutral Corner

HBO's award-winning series, 24/7, is back for the buildup to the Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao fight on December 6, on HBO PPV. Here's our take:

Best Oscar De La Hoya quote: "This is what we go through for one night, one night of fighting," after receiving accupuncture and electric stimulation at the same time.

Best Manny Pacquiao quote: "If you train hard, the fight is easy."

Best Jinkee Pacquiao quote: "I should accept the fact that he is public property."

Best supporting cast: This is a tough one. Clearly, the best supporting cast member is Freddie Roach. But he falls somewhere slightly below headlining star and above supporting actor. So let's go with Daniel Zaragoza. It was great to see "The Mouse" in the ring working the pads with Oscar. The former two-division champion and hall-of-famer was the first champion ever trained by Oscar's current trainer, Nacho Beristain.

Contrasts: The eclectic Wild Card Gym and the spotless training camp at Big Bear. The locales are as different as the fighters.

Best workout scene: Take your pick, Manny being hit with a stick or Manny destroying the medicine ball.

People's champion: It's what they call Pac Man in the Philippines. And it's true. He's adored by his fans, from the medical clinics he provides in the Philipines, to the local fans he greets at the gym, to the 12-man entourage that follows his every move, Manny is truly a man of the people.

Freddie: Having worked with Oscar for the Mayweather fight, Freddie Roach will be a compelling storyline throughout the series. He said in this episode, "There's a reason why he [Oscar] lost control of that fight [Mayweather] and I know the reason." When referring to the fight, he did say, "We'll fight as hard as we can." Wrong. Only Manny will do the fighting. I like the sentiment though. He's there for his fighter. Here's the problem we've encountered with some trainers. They say, "We won," but when it goes bad, it's "He lost." That already seems the case with Roach and Oscar.

Pass the Nachos: A lot is being made of Roach's familiarity with Oscar by virtue of training him for the Mayweather fight. As well it should. Be don't discount the fact that Nacho trained Juan Manuel Marquez for two really close fights against Pacquiao.

This could be telling: Did you notice the shiner beneath Oscar's right eye?

The scenic view: Once again, great shots of Big Bear at dawn and the Philippines.

For a look at all of the Neutral Corner's coverage of the De La Hoya-Pacquiao fight, click here.

The next episode of 24/7 De La Hoya-Pacquiao airs Sunday at 8:30 p.m.

-- CASSIDY