De La Hoya, Pacquiao, and the Staples Statue Jinx

Thousands turned up for the so-called "Dream Match" between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Dec. 6, 2008. It was supposed to be a battle between two celebrated fighters, a clash of the Titans, a party of pride and pugilism to be proud of.

Sadly for those who followed the Golden Boy's legacy, it was anything but that.

And there was another point of discussion as the pundits traded the gift of gab in the days leading to the fight. Earlier in the week leading up to it, a statue of Oscar was unveiled next to the impressions of Wayne Gretzky and Magic Johnson at the staples Center, a place where in his only appearance there...he lost.

It's particular humbling for the "Bill Gates of Boxing" by Jim Lampley of HBO that the epitome of Filipino fighters has downed a man who has been immortalized too soon, a man who admits his mortality. The statue may not have been a distraction, but it might well have jinxed a night that would not be his own.

The Pac-Man's hand speed and elusivity exposed that the Golden Boy's days in the ring are numbered. For a southpaw whose effort made Larry Merchant grin with glee in spite of his guiltiness, a page has turned in the long history of prize fighting.

No one should be surprised if this is his Oscar De La Hoya's last fight, and he does decide to hang up the gloves for good. Many people should have seen this coming faster than Manny's trademark left jab.

With the one-sided score through eight rounds, the talk of Oscar even bothering to face Pacquiao in the first place may be second-guessed in the postmortems of the nightmare on the Strip.

Perhaps the statue itself may have been a fiercer match for Manny, we may never know. One thing is for certain: Never enshrine a statue of a celebrated athlete still competing. It's a lesson learned, and the jinx that ensued was a blessing for Pacquiao.

Take note, Philippines, when your immortalize your franchise fighter in the future.