Because of Miguel Cotto’s loss, the Philippines gets to annex San Juan. (Photos by Erik Kabik | Retna)

Manny Pacquiao stepped up to 145 and just kept on doin’ what he does — capturing belts. Pac-Man took charge of his seventh title when he stopped Miguel Cotto in Round 12 Saturday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena, with Cotto looking like Carrie on prom night before it was through.

Now the question is: Will Pacquiao fight Floyd Mayweather, Jr.? According to the AP, the crowd was chanting for Mayweather and trainer Freddie Roach wanted to see Money get in the ring.

In the meantime, Pacquiao had bigger things to worry about — he was doing a concert that night at Mandalay Bay. We’d like to see Chad Kroeger knock out a show after taking a 12-round beating. Actually, we’d just like to see Chad Kroeger take a 12-round beating.

By Jason Scavone

Every pic here, drummer Frank Beard looks like he’s sleeping. (Photos by Erik Kabik | Retna)

Some truths are immutable. Lady Gaga will always hate pants. The Jonas Brothers will be virgins forever. And ZZ Top will always look and sound exactly like ZZ Top, just like this weekend at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Somewhere in Billy Gibbons’ attic, there’s a picture of ZZ Top that ages and changes their sounds to reflect contemporary trends (painted immediately after 1983’s Eliminator) while the band itself runs around playing “La Grange” with beards unaltered by the ravages of time. But, imagine how much different things could have worked out if Dave Glaser stayed in the band.

By Jason Scavone

“Mark, you’d be perfect for Wolf 2” (Photo by Erik Kabik | Retna)

Jack Nicholson was in the crowd to see Pacquaio’s second-round TKO over Ricky Hatton last night, spotted with Mark Wahlberg. Why wasn’t Alec Baldwin invited to go and bust Wahlberg’s balls all night? Also seen were Russell Brand, Jay Z, Diddy, Robert Shapiro, Wolfgang Puck and Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon.

By Jason Scavone

Wait, that wouldn’t happen with real hair. Something seems amiss … (Photo by Denise Truscello)

We’re a little surprised that anyone in Britney’s camp of brand managers and life counselors ever let the tour be named the self-consciously-winking “Circus,” but good on them for letting it go. Just one thing, though. In the circus, don’t the clowns leave their wigs on?

The concert is tomorrow night at 8 p.m. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with the Pussycat Dolls. LAX at Luxor is giving away a pair of tickets to the winners of a girl-on-girl kissing contest. The official Circus afterparty is at Prive inside Planet Hollywood Resort, but Britney won’t be there. The Pussycat Dolls are having their own afterparty at Pure inside Caesars Palace. We’re going to go ahead and assume Britney isn’t going to be at that one either, unless Senor Gazoo, the little alien that only she can see who hangs out with her after all her shows, wanders off into Pure and Britney has to go chasing after him because the last time she let Senor Gazoo do his own thing for a night she woke up married to K-Fed.

By Jason Scavone

Oscar was no stranger to getting popped in the mush Saturday. (Photos by Erik Kabik | Retna)

Manny Pacquaio put on a clinic against Oscar de la Hoya Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, stopping the Golden Boy in the eighth round. The Filipino stepped up in weight, but the five years he had on de la Hoya made all the difference as the beating was so bad, fight journos are insisting the match should stand as de la Hoya’s last. Hopefully he at least won’t take the embarrassing Evander Holyfield route and stage a sketchy fight in Switzerland eight years after his prime when he looks like he’s one good punch away from shooting his medulla oblongata out his ear.

Russell Crowe and Eva Longoria-Parker were among the celebs to turn out for the fight. Others included attorney Robert Shapiro, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, Usher, Marc Anthony, Mario Lopez, George Maloof and Mike Tyson. Ricky Hatton was also there, perhaps doing a little advance scouting. Pacquaio could end up being Hatton’s next opponent.

By Jason Scavone