EDITORIAL - Is boxing being killed from the inside?

The fight between Oscar dela Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. last Saturday (Sunday in the Philippines) is the best and latest proof of why boxers need to win by knockout in order to save this great sport from being rejected in favor of the nastier and more cruel mixed martial arts.

Fights that are left to the decision of judges are fast becoming fights that are wide open to manipulation, feeding only the greed of the unscrupulous while shortchanging the loyal fans who continue to patronize the sport despite increasing inavailability of real attractions.

The dela Hoya-Mayweather fight is a virtual shoo-in for fight of the century if its being utterly lacklustre and boring is the sole basis for the dubious distinction. Watching the referee walk circles around the ring trying to figure out what was happening proved more exciting.

The only vindication for the fleeced fans would have been if dela Hoya was declared the winner, as he clearly was. But even such a simple aspiration to be given their money''s worth in accordance with what they saw with their own eyes was still cruelly denied the fans.

There was no way dela Hoya could have lost. He was the clear aggressor in the fight. And while his punches clearly lacked the sting and power that they used to have, they were still the only punches that were thrown in the 12-round fight.

Mayweather was flashing smiles at dela Hoya, not punches, making many wonder if the good looks of his opponent did not stir some strange feeling beneath his chest muscles. The points credited to him in the 10-point must system of scoring were clearly more than he actually threw.

Was the scoring an indication of a set-up for a future rematch, considering that boxing nowadays is more of a business than it is a sport? If so, then who are the people involved? And was this not part of a possible dirty trend in the boxing world?

We overlooked the last two Manny Pacquiao fights because our boy won. But didn''t Erik Morales look too gaunt and pale? And didn''t Jorge Solis look like the tricycle driver Manny said he was? At least Solis didn''t come to RP to drink beer with Manny. That would have been risque.