With the Golden Boy set to retire this week no other fighter will now get the instant alchemy fighting one of the most marketable fighters in the history of the sport gave them.
Soon after him, his former opponent and now business partner Bernard Hopkins will probably also announce his retirement adding to the chasm for recognisable names that transcend the sport.
Of course with Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao's bout on May 2 and, presumably, a match-up for the winner against Floyd Mayweather to follow, boxing will have at least two massive nights this year when the attention of the sporting world will be focused on it (Kelly Pavlik-Arthur Abraham may fall into this category also).
It isn't too hard to envisage more big fights in 2010 with Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III and perhaps Mayweather-Miguel Cotto or Shane Mosley and Hatton-Amir Khan all fights that could grab the public's attention - and maybe David Haye-Vitali Klitschko, if he gets past his other brother.
But further into the future how will the fighters unfortunate enough not to have first or second hand Golden touch become big stars?
I'd love to think other names will rise, and am certain there is the talent, but the signs are that the heirs in the PPV club will not be as generous at making other fighters along as De La Hoya was?
The Golden Boy shared his limelight with Ike Quartey, Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley and Hopkins among others before ultimately (and inadvertently) passing the torch to Mayweather and Pacquiao. He could have made very good money taking easier fights but he chose not to and by doing so gave them a VIP boxing pass.
Although B-Hop earned big money fighting Felix Trinidad it was not until after he beat De La Hoya that he could earn big money being the draw himself.
Similarly, Mayweather. 'Money' was not quite 'Loose Change' when he fought De La Hoya as Gatti gave him 'made man' status (though his ability was no secret to the sport’s fans), but this rose exponentially after his Oscar night.
It is just a shame that the others in the PPV club are not quite so generous with the rope ladder. Ironically, this is especially true (though not exclusively) of those fighting under his promotional label.
As an example, Hopkins got $4 million for fighting Felix Trinidad when he wasn't the draw in 2001 but won't give Tomas Adamek more than $500,000 for fighting him now.
Rather than take on board Oscar's appetite for the challenge, they only seek to emulate his ability to make every bout a big-money fight. There is nothing wrong with this, but when it is at the cost of the best fights or keeps out new names who could be the future of the sport then there is a problem.
Boxing does itself a disservice when it sneers at a Chad Dawson or Paul Williams, whose fantastic performance at the weekend should give him VIP status but it won't because Mosley, Mayweather, Hatton, Pavlik and Cotto will keep the bar just out of his 82" reach.
I know UFC is not the perfect model but it does not seem there that fighters themselves can decide whether an opponent is worthy of them - which is surely the wrong way of going about things.