Last chance for Smashing Pumpkins, Oscar De La Hoya tickets

The Smashing Pumpkins‘s 20th anniversary tour is just one of the live events ending its ticket sales during the week ending December 8 as compiled by TicketNews.

The rock group, which rose to fame in the mid-1990s with hit albums such as “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” will perform the final show of the limited run on December 8 at the Auditorium Theatre in the band’s hometown of Chicago, IL. The second of a two-night set, the show was originally postponed from November 22 when lead singer Billy Corgan suffered from strained vocal chords.

Boxing fans have a last chance to grab tickets for Oscar De La Hoya‘s bout with Manny Pacquiao on December 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Sports commentators have been speculating that a loss by De La Hoya could signal his retirement in 2009, a decision that the fighter would make over the holidays. The winner of Saturday’s fight will most likely go on to fight Ricky Hatton, who was victorious in his bout against Paulie Malignaggi on November 22.

Also closing this week is the Canadian tour of pop musician James Blunt. The singer-songwriter performs tonight (December 2) at the Metro Centre in Halifax, NS, and wraps his tour tomorrow (December 3) at Harbour Station in St. John, NB, after performing more than 10 shows across the provinces. Country sensation Tim McGraw is also wrapping the final leg of his 2008 tour on December 5 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, while classical vocalist Michael Bublé closes out his late 2008 trek on the same day with a performance at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY.

This week’s other big sports news is the SEC Championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Florida Gators. The No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide heads off against the No. 2-ranked Gators in the December 6 conference showdown at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA. Alabama last appeared in 1999 championship, when they won 34-7 over Florida. The Gators last played in the 2006 championship, topping Arkansas, 38-28.

“Last Chance” information is compiled at the beginning of the week, based on touring acts whose current itineraries are closing over the course of that week. The availability of tickets for Last Chance events depends on primary and secondary seller inventory, and may vary as tickets are sold in the days leading up to each event.

THIS WEEK’S LAST CHANCE EVENTS