LAS VEGAS – They were the longest 30 seconds of Oscar dela Hoya?s life.
And they came during the break following the eighth round of his lopsided loss to Manny Pacquiao in their Las Vegas showdown. In that very short span the decision to end the ongoing massacre at MGM was made.
Dela Hoya had taken a terrible beating from Pacquiao in all previous rounds, and his face told the whole story.
?If you continue to take the punches I?m going to stop the fight,? referee Tony Weeks told the Dela Hoya corner.
If it were any lesser fight, the referee could have stopped the fight right in the seventh round.
At the same time, the ring physician was right in front of the Golden Boy, repeatedly asking him the same question.
?Any headache? Do you have a headache?? Dela Hoya was asked, but he wouldn?t answer.
It seemed that the only man he wanted to listen to was his trainer, Nacho Beristain.
?There?s no reason to continue. He?s so fast for you,? the trainer said, or something to that effect, right in front of Dela Hoya?s battered face.
?Are you okay with that? Are you okay with that? You want one more round or is that it?? Beristain asked.
He was making sure that his boxer, who?s been stopped only once in 44 previous fights, understood what was being offered before him.
Dela Hoya was being given a choice: whether he wanted to go out on his feet, on his knees or on his stool.
Dela Hoya agreed that it was all over. A little nod was all it took.
?Okay! That?s it, we?re stopping this fight,? Dela Hoya?s corner was heard, and almost simultaneously they signaled the end of the fight.
Dela Hoya got up his stool and took a few steps across the ring to congratulate Pacquiao. They hugged, and whispered words to each other?s ears.
Earlier in the fight, during a break, Beristain kept on egging Dela Hoya to put up a fight.
?You?re not throwing anything. Your best defense is your punch. He?s just faster than you, that?s all,? Beristain said.
Still, the completely overwhelmed Dela Hoya would not respond.
After the end of the seventh round, Beristain knew that it was just a matter of time.
?If you don?t throw any punches we will be finishing this fight,? he said.
And not long after, they did.
