Manny Pacquiao's trainer challenges taping of Oscar De La Hoya's hands

Reporting from Las Vegas — A dispute over how Oscar De La Hoya wraps his hands for a fight grew contentious Friday before the Nevada State Athletic Commission said his taping method can effectively remain status quo.

De La Hoya's tape man, Joe Chavez, uses two-inch-wide brown medical tape around his fighter's hands and then rolls up the tape between the fingers to help cushion what the De La Hoya camp describes as sensitive hands.

But Freddie Roach, who trains De La Hoya's opponent, Manny Pacquiao, and who trained De La Hoya last year, objected to the use of the brown tape as too thick. Roach also complained the rolled-up portion leaves a ridge atop De La Hoya's fingers that could cut Pacquiao's face. The boxers had already agreed to use lighter eight-ounce gloves in this bout.

"The tape between the fingers becomes like a piece of rope, and that can cause a cut for sure," Roach said. "Oscar's people were saying he's got away with it 20 times here and I said, 'Oscar's a prima donna, but he's not going to get away with it now.' Rules are rules."

With athletic commission Executive Officer Keith Kizer presiding over an impromptu meeting at the MGM Grand, chief inspector Tony Lazo and his assistant Alex Ybarra determined De La Hoya's brown tape was allowed, but they also ruled that Chavez has to cut the tape in half to one inch when he rolls it up between the fingers.

"Tapegate," De La Hoya's business partner Richard Schaefer cracked before the ruling was made. Roach had said, "Oscar wraps illegally, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to win."

Kizer told Lazo to ensure the between-finger tape doesn't protrude at Saturday's pre-fight taping, which Roach can supervise. "If it looks like a ridge, re-do it," Kizer instructed Chavez.

Later, Chavez assured his method "was not meant to hit harder, but to protect the hand."

And with that episode over, Roach coyly nodded to the suggestion that his protest would irritate De La Hoya.

"That's what I'm here for," Roach said.

Lighter weights

Pacquiao's ability to easily make the 147-pound weight limit for tonight's fight means he can make a long visit to the dining room; when he weighed in Friday afternoon the scale measured 142 pounds.