Pacquiao wins, retains WBC title; Barrera off to retirement

Manny Pacquiao kept his WBC International super featherweight title via unanimous decision against Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila) at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The judges scored the fight this way: Jerry Roth, 118-109; Glenn Trowbridge 118-109; and Tom Schreck 115-112. Barrera, now 33, had announced that this would be his last fight before he retired. The boxers fought the 12-round bout in two speeds – fast and jab-probing in the first six rounds, slow and hard-punching in the next six rounds. Barrera sneaked in several telling jabs throughout the first six rounds, but in the sixth it was Pacquiao who took charge. But the challenger kept backing off whenever Pacquiao tried to lunge at him, to the champ's obvious frustration. By the 10th round, however, Pacquiao landed enough punches on Barrera's face to open a bleeding gash under the Mexican's right eye. From this point, Pacquiao went after the obvious target. In the 11th round, when the cut was big enough to bother Barrera, towards the end of the round, Pacquiao threw a punch in the face that almost toppled Barrera, who however recovered. As they were getting out of a clinch, Barrera threw a right hook into Pacquiao's face, as the unguarded champ was about to turn away. Referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight for a while to give Pacquiao some time to recover from the sneak attack, while he gave Barrera a one-point deduction. The last round had Pacquiao trying to lunge at a retreating Barrera, until the bell sounded the end of the bout – and his opponent's career. Shortly before this rematch, both fighters weighed in at 130 pounds, but both were heavier by the time they climbed into the ring - Pacquiao at 144 pounds and Barrera at 138 pounds. Among the fellow pugilists who went to see the fight were Oscar de la Hoya and Sugar Ray Leonard. Judging the fight are Jerry Roth, Glenn Trowbridge, Tom Schreck. The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas was like an almost empty warehouse in the early undercard matches of "Will to Win." But by 8:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. in Manila) had filled up with boxing spectators, chanting the names of either Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines or Marco Antonio Barrera. Three national anthems were sung - the Mexican, the Filipino, and the American - as the opponents wait tensely in their locker rooms. Inez Zak sang the "Himno Nacional Mexicano," Kyla the "Lupang Hinirang," and Cynthia Minx "The Star-Spangled Banner." Vice President Noli de Castro was among the government officials who watched the rematch. Also present were Pacquiao's long-time supporters Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, and Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan. - GMANews.TV