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 adoring fans because he had trouble holding a pen.
“My hands are swollen and they really hurt,” Pacquiao said.
Small wonder, considering Pacquiao had just spent 12 rounds bouncing those hands off Margarito’s head. He hit Margarito from almost every angle and with stunning accuracy, closing both of Margarito’s eyes and bloodying his face while dominating every round of their 150-pound bout.
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.
He was in charge the entire way, battering Margarito so badly that Pacquiao was pleading with the referee to stop the fight in the 11th round so his opponent wouldn’t have to take any more punishment.
“I told the referee, ‘Look at his eyes, look at his cuts,’ ” Pacquiao said. “I did not want to damage him permanently. That’s not what boxing is about.”
No sooner had the judges handed in their tallies, though, than Pacquiao was answering questions about the one fighter he has yet to beat. Mayweather may be the only credible opponent left for Pacquiao, though promoter Bob Arum talked after the fight about a possible bout with Shane Mosley or a third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez.
But the congressman made it clear he was tired of the politics of boxing when it comes to the one fight that matters most.
“I don’t want to talk about Floyd Mayweather,” Pacquiao said. “If there’s a decision I’ll take it to Bob Arum.”
If Mayweather spent $65 to watch the pay-per-view event, he may be even more reluctant to fight Pacquiao than before.
Margarito paid a terrible price as Pacquiao carved up his face and had him fighting bloodied and nearly blind in the late rounds.
“There was no way I was going to quit,” he said. “I’m a Mexican, we fight until the end.”
That end finally came when the bell sounded to mercifully close the 12th round, though the outcome was evident since the middle rounds.
