Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao triumphs over Antonio Margarito in title fight

Manny Pacquiao has again proven his mantle in boxing as he emerged victorious in a match against Antonio Margarito of Mexico this Saturday, November 14. He now has the super welterweight championship belt – making him an eight-division world champion.

Despite being 17 pounds lighter than Margarito, Pacquiao dominated the fight showing that size does not matter as much as quickness and speed. The monumental fight has the 41,734 crowd in attendance at Cowboys Stadium roaring to their feet as the fight went more exciting after each round.

Pacquiao (59-3, 39 KOs) put on a boxing clinic, dictating the course of the fight from start to finish, landing combinations at will as Margarito could barely protect his face. By the end of the fight, Margarito's face was bloody and swollen. But he lasted till the twelfth round.

"I was looking for a chance to stop the fight in the 10th round," said Pacquiao. "But Margarito kept fighting back."

Pacquiao said he asked the referee to stop the fight in the 11th round. "My opponent looked bad, I wanted him to stop it," Pacquiao said. "I said, 'look at his face. ' I didn't want to damage him permanently. That's not what boxing's all about."

Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs) said he kept on fighting because "I'm a Mexican and there's no way I was going to quit. I fight until the end."

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, said he thought Pacquiao won all 12 rounds. "I wished we'd knocked him out, but he's a very tough guy," Roach said.

Pacquiao won all 12 rounds on one judge's scorecard, 11 of 12 on another and 10 of 12 on the third card. He threw 1,069 punches and landed 474 (44%), good for eighth all time in title fights. Margarito on the other hand connected on 229 of 817 (28%).

Pacquiao's edge in power punches was hard to triumph over. He landed 411 of 713 (58%), while Margarito hit on 135 of 312 (43%).

Pacquiao said Margarito hurt him a few times when he was up against the ropes in the middle and later rounds. "He hurt me in the body and in the face," Pacquiao said. "He's tougher than I thought.

"It was a hard fight. I did my best to win that fight. I can't believe I beat someone that strong and big."

Margarito gave Pacquiao his props afterwards. "He's the best fighter in the world," Margarito said of the Filipino champion and congressman. "He's just too fast. It's hard to land a punch on that guy."

Pacquiao is the first boxer in history to win ten world titles in eight different weight divisions.