LAS VEGAS—No, he did not effectively slam the door of the Hall of Fame on his career with that tragic foldup.

But a full day after the busted loser was released from the hospital, not a few disappointed fans were wondering if it was indeed Oscar De La Hoya who fought Philippine pride Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand.

The Golden Boy hardly resembled his famous, fabulous self.

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There were a few guesses on the real identity of the loser.

But don’t ask Bernard Hopkins, who had been bragging that Oscar would be taking Pacquiao to school in that match.

The 43-year-old prizefight phenom would most likely miss the mark again.

Anyway, the prize goes to this fellow who said it must’ve been the fumbling grandfather of De La Hoya’s neighbor who substituted for the Golden Boy Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila).

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The loser was not even a ghost of De La Hoya’s old self?

Maybe not yet.

But Oscar did not only fail to pull the trigger, as Roach had predicted.

Oscar, in fact, showed up for the showdown with an empty holster.

He kept firing blanks inside the ring Saturday night.

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No need to confirm with Pacquiao how Oscar’s punches have lost the dreaded zap.

Oscar putting on a young mask—and making people believe he has become a young welterweight again—effectively provided the main ingredient for that major prizefight disaster.

De La Hoya, no thanks to his endless bluffs, turned the Dream Match into a nightmare.

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OK, this could be a little exaggerated.

But didn’t De La Hoya also succeed in taking professional boxing into the hospital with him?

It’s like this. There was a screaming approval of Pacquiao’s unprecedented heroics following the demolition of the faded, shaky De La Hoya.

As a result, there was a sea of thrilled humanity out there at the MGM Grand on Saturday.

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However, it could not be denied that a good part of the massive attendance also grieved over the outcome of the Dream Match.

No, the highly hyped affair did not only turn into a hideous mismatch.

De La Hoya was completely unmasked by Pacquiao and, as a result, professional boxing, also suffered a knockout.

The strains of crying disappointment would not drown in the excitement.

There were those who cried that they had been robbed.

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The promoters, headed by the Golden Boy outfit, had promised a classic thriller, but instead provided a parody of a blockbuster.

Professional boxing had itself gotten a terrible beating, no thanks to Grandpa De La Hoya.

But the grieving should be only short-lived.

Yes, boxing, like Oscar De La Hoya, is recuperating.

Oscar will take very long to get over this mess.

But professional boxing will instantly get back from the floor, thanks to the pure, honest presence of Pacquiao, undisputed pound-for-pound king.