Dominantwin cements Pacquiao as boxing's best

ARLINGTON, Texas - Manny Pacquiao was more concerned with the set list for his upcoming concert than he was with Floyd Mayweather Jr. The fight every boxing fan wants to see may never happen, but Pacquiao had a firm date to sing at Lake Tahoe before heading home and taking up his more formal duties as a congressman in the Philippines.

All was well early Sunday after Pacquiao cemented his claim as boxing's best by giving Antonio Margarito such a brutal beating that he went to the hospital.

About the only problem was that Pacquiao couldn't sign autographs for fans because he had trouble holding a pen.

Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs, 1 NC) remained in the hospital Sunday and promoter Bob Arum said the boxer has a broken right eye socket and will have surgery Tuesday in Texas.

Small wonder, considering Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) spent 12 rounds bouncing those hands off Margarito's head. He hit Margarito from almost every angle and with stunning accuracy, closing both his eyes and bloodying his face while dominating their 150-pound showdown. "My hands are swollen and they really hurt," Pacquiao said.

It was a virtuoso performance, though not terribly surprising since boxing fans have come to expect that from the little superstar.

Size never mattered on a night when speed ruled and the crowd of 41,734 at Cowboys Stadium roared at every combination.

Pacquiao's mother got so caught up in the excitement that she briefly fainted as the fight ended.

Most everyone else stayed upright, watching in delight as Pacquiao finished off a night's work by kneeling down in a neutral corner and saying a prayer of thanks.

The lopsided win gave Pacquiao his eighth title in as many weight classes in a remarkable career that began with him fighting at 107 pounds as a teenager in the Philippines.