The latest fight reminds me of one of Pacquiao’s fights from a few years ago. Even though he’s way past his prime, the man can still kick an ass like nobody’s business. I would rather get my faced ripped off by a rabid racoon than fight Manny Pacquiao. He’s not the scariest looking guy, but in a heartbeat he can rearrange your face to look like one of Picasso’s drunken nightmares. He’s a beast. His beastliness wasn’t really reflected in last night’s fight, but that doesn’t make Pacquiao any less terrifying.

This has probably faded from everyone’s memory, but Pacquiao had a rather significant fight in 2009 that no one ever talks about. He was fighting a British fellow named Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and it was supposed to be the mother of all fights. Of course, nothing ever turns out the way you think it will, and Hatton goes down hard in the middle of the fourth round. He’s out cold. He’s out so cold that they have to bring out a stretcher to carry him off.

About halfway to the locker room, Hatton bolts upright and starts throwing punches like he’s still in the fight. After three or four people restrain him, his manager comes over and explains that he lost the fight so spectacularly that they had to cart him off.

Naturally, Hatton starts getting really upset, but his manager pats him on the back and says, “Look, kiddo. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You’re in much better shape than Pacquiao right now.”

Hatton lays back down on the stretcher and says, “Why, what happened to Manny? He won the match, right? Did I hit him on the way down?”

His manager leans in close and whispers, “Nah, kid, you never touched him, but he’s a total wreck right now. Absolutely inconsolable. He thinks he killed you.”