By Dave Sholler

Oscar De La Hoya is a wealthy man. Having made millions of dollars as a prizefighter, De La Hoya enjoys some of the world’s finest luxuries.

Fancy cars? “The Golden Boy” drives them.

Expensive suits? The California native wears them.

Culinary Delicacies? The former champion eats them.

However, as the suave De La Hoya prepares for his Dec. 6 clash with Filipino sensation Manny Pacquiao, some of his extravagant lifestyle indulgences have taken a hit. While the 35-year-old still dresses in Italian suits and drives flashy cars, he has had to scale back the amount of fine cuisine he normally consumes.

Preparing to fight Pacquiao at 147 pounds - a weight class he has not competed at since defeating Arturo Gatti in 2001 – De La Hoya has had to watch his waistline. It’s the only way the former middleweight can ensure that his dream fight with Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs) goes off without a hitch.

“The weight is no problem,” a confident De La Hoya said on Monday’s conference call with reporters. “I feel strong. I do have to admit that in the first couple of days that I did make the weight or I tried making weight, I did feel a little lightheaded and weak. But now that I have gotten used to it and now that weeks have passed by, I feel strong and fast and very comfortable with welterweight. And I'm even thinking of going back down to 140 after this fight, so we'll see.”

The fact that De La Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs) is considering a campaign at junior welterweight is surprising, especially given his recent history. In his fight against Steve Forbes in May, De La Hoya struggled mightily to make the contracted 150-pound limit and questions surfaced regarding his training habits. Now training under the tutelage of renowned coach Nacho Beristain, De La Hoya believes his focus can shift from making weight to perfecting his game plan.

“It's actually great training with Nacho Beristain,” De La Hoya said from his camp in Big Bear, CA. “It's once again ignited that fire in my belly, which hasn't burned in many years. So I'm ready to go. I've been weighing 145 pounds now for the last three weeks.”

With his weight in check, De La Hoya is preparing for Pacquiao’s blazing speed and footwork. Pacquiao, who began his professional career at 106 pounds, last fought at lightweight (135 pounds) in June. While many wonder how the five-division champion’s skills will translate at welterweight, De La Hoya is not one of them.

“From the looks of Manny and who he has behind him, they're doing the right thing,” De La Hoya said of his Freddie Roach-trained opponent. “They're gaining the weight properly. He's looking fast. He's looking strong.  I think it's going to be an advantage for Manny to come up in weight. I think he's going to be the same Manny as we saw in the lower weight class.

“When you put on the weight, you can take the punch,” De La Hoya continued. “I think the fact that he can take the hard punch, the fact that he has that will to win, he's going to come at me with everything. And it's not going to be easy.”

In the end, De La Hoya believes the sacrifices he has made in training camp will pay off. Once considering retirement, the rejuvenated fighter hopes to prove on December 6 that he can still be a force at welterweight.

“It's very important for us since I haven't made 147 since I fought Arturo Gatti,” De La Hoya said. “I just want to make sure that I feel comfortable, that I feel strong, that I feel full of energy. I want to make my body adapt to this weight class.”

STIFF JABS

-Welterweight champion Antonio Margarito formally turned down Shane Mosley’s offer to fight on January 24. Margarito reportedly thought the reward (said to be a $2 million purse) wasn’t worth the risk. He is said to be weighing his options, but ultimately would like to fight Miguel Cotto next summer. As for Mosley, he may get WBC champ Andre Berto early next year. I like the Mosley-Berto bout. It could be a good way for Shane to prove that he’s still got game and for Berto to show that he is among the sport’s best young fighters.

-Jermain Taylor looked superb against Jeff Lacy last weekend. While he did face a worn Lacy, Taylor showed that he can still be effective using the jab. His next fight may come against Mikkel Kessler (an awesome matchup) or Carl Froch (a decent bout). Call me crazy, but I am among the few who wouldn’t mind seeing Taylor-Bernard Hopkins III at 170 pounds.

-I’ll spend this Saturday night watching Ricky Hatton battle Paulie Malignaggi. The pick? I like the slippery, feather-punching New Yorker to outbox the Brit. Don’t think Paul hasn’t been watching Hatton’s bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. for tips.

Dave Sholler is a featured columnist for newspapers across the United States. Reach him at shollerholla4@hotmail.com.