I couldn't agree with yout more. I think Delahoya's last fight showed us that. His hand speed wasn't bad, but he didn't look like he had the legs that belonged on the body of the fighter. Therefore he had trouble keeping up with Pacquiao's movement, he couldn't even get a lock on him. While Pacquiao was flitting in and out like a shadow, Delahoya moved about in a languid manner as if he was moving an invisible wheelbarrow across the ring.
Pacquiao seemed like an acceptable risk at a time for Oscar. It was a winnable fight, or at least a personal test for Delahoya to find out if he could still keep fighting. By conventional wisdom, a good big man should beat a good little man, but perhaps a combination of age and inadequate training was able to turn that wisdom upside down.
It's a good thing that he's retired. Now he can still give us enjoyable fights through his future promotions.