Pacman Destroys A Listless De La Hoya

Manny Pacquiao completely dismantled Oscar de la Hoya from the opening bell until the match was halted after eight rounds of boxing in Las Vegas. There really isn't a whole lot to say, because Oscar simply did not show up for this fight. Pacman, the undisputed pound-for-pound champion of the world, landed at will with either hand, although he certainly seemed most comfortable with a simple straight left that the Golden Boy proved incapable of stopping.

While the action in the ring was certainly a surprise, the night as a whole was entirely anti-climactic. The three young stars lined up on the undercard each breezed through their matches leaving a huge gap in the coverage that had to be filled with banter between Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant, and that is never a good thing. As for the main event, it could best be described as, well, kind of sad. Pacquiao sent de la Hoya into retirement with authority, although it's hard to give the world's best (active) fighter too much credit, because his opponent was so awful on this night.

For Pacquiao, the world is his oyster, to be consumed as he sees fit. Manny can pretty much make any fight he wants, and in his choice of weight classes to boot. The ideal scenario for boxing fans (and Manny's bank account) would be for the previous pound-for-pound champion, one Floyd Mayweather Jr. to come out of retirement for what would be a real dream match.

While Oscar's days in the ring are over, he'll remain a fixture in the boxing world thanks to his savvy as a business man. Hopefully now that his own career is coming to an end he and his company will begin to focus on the bevy of talented young fighters on the landscape that have been woefully under-promoted to date instead of relying on the stars of a previous generation to pay the bills.

On a side note, check out Pacman's shoes! Those things are fucking hot, and I'm sure Imelda Marcos approves. A friend of mine, and fellow sneakerhead, has a theory that the man with the better shoes wins every big fight, and for at least one night he was right.