Yes, more about the fight of the century.

While doing research on fights I covered at the MGM Grand, I realized I had, in fact, seen Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight there, against Oscar De La Hoya. On May 5, 2007.

I am going to paste the column I wrote, on the night of May X that year, down below. And I will put Manny Pacquiao‘s name next to that of De La Hoya — to emphasize how Mayweather has been counting on the other guy to carry the fight for pretty much his whole career.

Which is an interesting tactic — which I appreciated more back then, when Mayweather was an anomaly in a big-hitting era. (Oscar had just fought Bernard Hopkins and Ricardo Mayorga, and his career would end two fights later with Pacquiao.)

Now, Mayweather’s passive-aggressive style is killing a sport dying for some free-swinging action.

So, the comment from May 5, 2007.

Remember, I am replacing all references to “Oscar De La Hoya” with “Manny Pacquiao”.

LAS VEGAS — “Pretty Boy” and “Golden Boy” Pac-Man might not have saved boxing.

It will take more than two fighters and more than 12 highly anticipated rounds to manage that.

But they gave it a shot in the arm. And the face.

And the gut.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya Manny Pacquaio demonstrated the hearts and smarts that make boxing the Sweet Science.

De La Hoya Pacquaio fought with fury and near-desperation that should have sated any action-hungry boxing fan.

Mayweather responded with clinical precision and cool intelligence that should have awed the most jaded boxing critic.

Nobody went down in a heap. Nobody spurted fountains of blood. But that was what made it a sterling exhibition of a real sport. As opposed to the clumsy back-alley-brawl mayhem of the various and sundry “ultimate fighting” organizations cutting into boxing’s popularity.

Mayweather won a split decision, but it should have been unanimous. He was never in trouble, and he seemed able to sting De La Hoya Pacquiao whenever he needed.

De La Hoya Pacquiao threw 587 429 punches to Mayweather’s 481 435 but Mayweather wasn’t wasting ammunition; he landed 207 148 punches to De La Hoya’s Pacquaio’s 122 81.

He popped De La Hoya Pacquiao with almost surgical precision. A clean jab here, an unblocked hook there. Sheer economy of action. No wasted motion. And extremely impressive.

Neither man seriously hurt the other. Which is also what boxing is supposed to be about: Self-defense, well-executed.

De La Hoya Pacquaio was bigger, appeared stronger, was the crowd favorite and had been in more big fights.

Mayweather was faster, had much the quicker hands and was four years younger.

De La Hoya Pacquiao stalked the smaller man throughout. But Mayweather made him pay by parrying his advances with on-target punches.

As he fell behind (on at least two cards, anyway), De La Hoya Pacquaio tried to press Mayweather into the ropes and flail him with blows, hoping against hope he would land one that told.

He never did. And Mayweather’s claim to “best pound-for-pound” boxer on the planet goes unchallenged and his record continues unblemished, now 38-0.

“I stayed on the outside all night, boxed, made him miss shots,” Mayweather said moments after the fight. “That’s what you call a masterpiece of boxing.”

“Pretty Boy” isn’t known for modesty but he wasn’t far wrong. He came in determined to show his mastery of the subtleties of a complex sport, and he did just that.

What he didn’t do was knock out or even knock down De La Hoya Pacquiao.

At least one judge, Tom Kaczmarek, didn’t think Mayweather did enough to win, scoring the fight 115-113 for De La Hoya.

Oscar Manny, now 38-5 57-6-2 agreed with the minority position.

“I felt I won,” he said. “I felt I landed the harder and crisper punches. You gotta beat the champion decisively.”

De La Hoya’s Pacquiao’s World Boxing Council superwelterweight title was at stake, but both men are champions many times over, at a variety of weights. So De La Hoya’s Pacquiao’s claims that “the champ” needs to be beaten badly to lose his title didn’t really carry the weight it might usually.

Judges Chuck Giampa and Jerry Roth had it 116-112 and 115-113, respectively, for Mayweather.

And that seemed about right.

De La Hoya Pacquiao complained that he had to carry the fight, and there was some truth to that. Against skilled opponents, Mayweather is a counter-puncher, a counter-attacker. And that is what he did against the increasingly frustrated De La Hoya Pacquiao.

“If I didn’t press the fight,” Golden Boy Pac-Man said, “there’d be no fight.”

Ultimately, both fighters suggested they “put on a show,” and that they did. The biggest boxing match in years draw a noisy capacity crowd studded with stars and drew a pay-per-view audience likely to surpass $500 million in revenue.

For one night, boxing was back on center stage, looking quite lively, and two accomplished fighters did it proud.

So proud, in fact, and so close in the eyes of many … that they may have a chance to “save boxing” again.

Mayweather and De La Hoya Pacquiao in a rematch, anyone?

And that is where the piece ended, seven years ago.

Mayweather went on to bob and weave and not hurt much of anyone. And it became increasingly tedious. In his past 10 fights, he has two knockouts, and none since 2011.

He says he will retire after his sixth and last Showtime fight, in September.

Boxing might be better for it.