By Graham Shaw Last updated: 7th December 2008
Pacquiao: Astonishing win
Manny Pacquiao produced an astonishing display to stop Oscar De La Hoya after eight rounds of their superfight in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
The reigning pound-for-pound king disproved the old adage that size matters by moving up three weight divisions in just eight months to hand out a sustained beating to the faded 'Golden Boy'.
In March this year Pacquiao was plying his trade at super-featherweight, while De La Hoya was at light-middle.
Here they met at welterweight, and Oscar was expected to hold all the aces in terms of size and reach.
Speed
But once the hype was over and they finally got in the ring, it was speed that mattered as the Filipino icon first befuddled De La Hoya, and then battered him.
Pacquiao started the bout by boxing cleverly from the outside, and even in the early going he just couldn't miss with his straight left lead through the De La Hoya guard.
Oscar meanwhile, who came in at his lightest weight in 11 years (145lbs), appeared tense and sluggish, struggling to get his punches off with any speed or power.
He had trouble landing anything as Pacquiao continued his smash-and-grab raid by hitting and moving with bewildering speed.
By the halfway stage De La Hoya's left eye was starting to swell, and Pacquaio was pitching a virtual shutout on the scorecards.
In the seventh it was time for Manny to move in for the kill and, with De La Hoya seemingly powerless to get off the ropes, the Filipino icon scored at will with sustained attacks.
De La Hoya signalled that he wanted to go on despite his struggles, and did keep Pacquiao at bay for the first two minutes of round eight.
Stopped
But in the dying seconds of the round he was back on the ropes a broken man as Pacquiao handed out more punishment.
With his eye virtually shut, Oscar was told by referee Tony Weeks between rounds that if he kept eating punches the fight would be stopped.
More punishment wasn't necessary though, as De La Hoya's corner pulled him out before the ninth could get under way.
For Pacquiao it brought to a close one of the most brilliant performances in ring history. And next up could be a showdown with Ricky Hatton.
For De La Hoya meanwhile, it surely signalled the end of a golden age.
Las Vegas, Nevada hosted the De La Hoya-Pacquiao match
Filipino WBC Lightweight Champion, Emmanuel "The Pacman" Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) stopped American boxer and promoter Oscar "Golden Boy" De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) after eight rounds of the "The Dream Match" in MGM Grand Garden Arena, at Las Vegas, Nevada on December 6, 2008. De La Hoya's corner threw in the towel before the start of the 9th round of the 12-round, non-title fight at the 147-pound welterweight limit. It was officially a technical knockout.

"Pacman" dominated the fight, from the opening bell, landing his straight left hand to the American's face, and later opens up with combinations in the seventh and eighth rounds. Two of the three judges scored all eight rounds for him, while a third gives De La Hoya the first round. Finally, Pacman gives De La Hoya a beating and closes his left eye in the eighth round. Pacquiao said, "You're still my idol." De La Hoya replied, "No, you're my idol." 

The camp of Manny Pacquiao has previously claimed that "Golden Boy" had weaknesses the Filipino boxer would exploit. Trainer Freddie Roach accurately foretold the outcome when he earlier said, "I'm not saying we're not going to knock him out. If it happens, fine. We'll take it. What we're going to do is break him down round by round. We're working on staying away from the jab and the left hook. The hook is a power shot. But Oscar makes a mistake with his jab. I'm not saying what it is, but I've seen it."

Meanwhile, sportinglife.com reported that Pacquiao "confirmed he's up for a showdown with Ricky "Hitman" Hatton, telling Sky Box Office: "My job is to fight in the ring, that's the promoter's job. I can fight any time, anywhere. I can go to England to fight Hatton, no problem." Hatton replies: "Manny's proved again that he's pound-for-pound the number one in the sport and I still might get my dream of becoming the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world."

Pacquiao stands to earn nearly US$15 million, which also includes his share of the pay-per-view earnings while De La Hoya is guaranteed $20 million for the fight.