During these dismal economic times, perhaps the sweet science can relieve a little stress. "Picture some person you hate," says boxing champ Oscar De La Hoya. "Put their face on that bag and just punch at it. Let go of those frustrations." Feel free, by the way, to imagine punching your stock portfolio or some doughy-faced financier.
To glean more boxing insights, TIME visited De La Hoya--who, at 35, is still the most popular fighter in the world--in Big Bear Lake, Calif., where he was preparing for his Dec. 6 pay-per-view bout with Manny Pacquiao, the top-ranked pound-for-pound boxer on the...