Plan of Roach worked

Victorious Manny Pacquiao was able to get rights through the defenses of Oscar De La Hoya (left) Saturday night. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS - Trainer Freddie Roach was feeling on top of the world Saturday night after his fighter, Manny Pacquiao, embarrassed Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with an eighth-round TKO.

Roach was fired by De La Hoya after his split-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather on May 5, 2007, so this was the trainer's chance for revenge.

With Pacquiao executing the plan to perfection, De La Hoya, weakened by having to drop down to the 147-pound weight class, had his left hand taken away, which was an emphasis of Roach throughout Pacquiao's preparation. When it was over, De La Hoya (39-6) headed to the hospital, his body battered, his left eye swollen, his nose cut up.

Roach had predicted a ninth-round knockout, but De La Hoya's corner felt there was no chance the domination of Pacquiao (48-3-2) would end, so he didn't come out after the eighth.

Roach said de La Hoya should retire, so he could leave the brutal sport with his health.

Roach knows of what he speaks, because as a lightweight trained by the legendary Eddie Futch, "Eddie told me I should retire five fights before I did," he said. "I lost four of those fights.

"I have compassion for Oscar because I think he's a good guy with a nice family and he's got so many other things he can do with his life. Retiring is the hardest thing to do, but look at me now. I have Parkinson's disease. I would never want Oscar to go through what I've been through."

De La Hoya chose his words carefully when asked if this was it but stopped short of saying he was done. Yet when he met Roach in the ring after the fight, Roach said De La Hoya told him, "No hard feelings, Freddie. You were right, I just don't have it anymore."

Roach said even if the two patched things up and De La Hoya urged Roach to train him again, Roach would say no.

"I would sit down with him and tell him no," said Roach, a Dedham, Mass., native. "I would tell him that he doesn't have it anymore.

"This is such an addictive sport, because you put so much into it. When it's over, it's awfully tough on people. I saw Mike [Tyson, another fighter Roach trained] here, and I said, 'What are you up to Mike?' and he kept saying, 'Nothing. Nothing.' So many fighters are lost after it's over.

"I was lucky enough that Eddie Futch took me under his wing and I was able to become a trainer and stay in the game because I have no other skills. I only know boxing. But I think Oscar will be just fine after boxing. He's got so many skills."

Roach will return to his Wildcard Gym in Hollywood today, business as usual. He will go back content, knowing he got his revenge and that history may show that Pacquiao, trained by Roach, ended De La Hoya's great career.