ARLINGTON, Texas – Manny Pacquiao was once again masterful, beating Antonio Margarito so frightfully that Margarito’s face looked as it had been pounded repeatedly by a club.
Pacquiao won a unanimous one-sided decision in a blowout from the opening seconds of the fight to capture the World Boxing Council super welterweight title before 41,734 in-awe fans at Cowboys Stadium.
Pacquiao’s title belt, coming against an opponent who had a 17-pound weight advantage when the bell rang, 165-148, was the eighth in his illustrious career. Pacquiao has won world titles at 112, 122, 126, 130, 135, 140, 147 and now 154 pounds.
Judges Jurgen Langos had it 120-109, Glen Crocker had it 118-110 and Oren Schellenberger had it 119-109 for Pacquiao. Yahoo! Sports scored it 120-107 for Pacquiao, giving Pacquiao a 10-8 edge in the 10th round when he dominated tremendously.
Margarito, fighting for the first time in the U.S. since Jan. 24, 2009, when he was caught with an illegal knuckle pad in his gloves before a loss to Shane Mosley, was never in the fight. Pacquiao’s speed was blinding and was the difference in the fight.
Pacquiao was hurt when Margarito landed a combination to the ribs, but he spun off the ropes and landed a three-punch combination to the head. Margarito’s right eye was swollen grotesquely, beginning in the fourth. By the 10th round, the left eye was a slit, too.
Pacquiao was looking at referee Laurence Cole late in the fight, asking him to stop it. Pacquiao said he eased off in the 12th round. “I did my best,” Pacquiao said. “He’s strong. He’s a very tough fighter. I can’t believe [he took those punches].”
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, added, “We didn’t lose a round. I wish they had stopped the fight. They probably ruined his career by not stopping the fight.”
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