CEBU CITY (2nd Update, 1:17 p.m.) — Filipino national boxing hero Manny Pacquiao proved to be more lethal than defending WBC lightweight champion David Diaz when he made history Saturday night (Sunday noon RP time) by winning his fourth division title with a ninth-round knockout victory at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

After landing a right on the face of Diaz, Pacquiao connected a quick left from out of nowhere to the jaw of the Mexican-American, who kissed the canvas 36 seconds into the ninth stage. (more…)

Round 9 - Diaz falls, Pacquiao wins

Round 8 - Pacquiao unloaded soft shots and followed up with strong punches to the head and body of Diaz, who obviously is a sturdy lightweight.

Round 7 - Pacquiao continued his domination of the fight by connecting punches to head of Diaz.

Round 6 - Diaz again tried to pressure Pacquiao in the sixth round only to receive more punishment.

Round 5 - Pacquiao threw jabs at Diaz and continued his relentless attack. Diaz’s cut over his right eye got bigger.

Round 4 - The two southpaws exchanged blows but Pacquiao kept pouncing on Diaz with a flurry of left and right punches.

Round 3 -   Diaz started Round 3 with a combination, but Pacquiao returned the favor. Manny continued to land power shots on Diaz, who stood his ground throughout.

Round 2 - Pacquiao landed several punches on the body and head of Diaz, who eventually suffered a cut on the nose. Round 2 was entirely Pacquiao’s.

Round 1 - Pacquiao threw the first punch and traded punches with Diaz, who tried to put the pressure on the Pacman. Manny occasionally unleashed his one-two combination and dictated the tempo.

Francisco Lorenzo of the Dominican Republic won the interim WBC super featherweight title after Mexican Humberto Soto was disqualified by referee Joe Cortez.

Soto punished Lorenzo right from the start and downed Lorenzo twice in the fourth round, but, according to the referee, the fighter from Tijuana, in the second knockdown, continued to hit Lorenzo when the latter was already going down.

Cortez and other ring officials spent several minutes consulting each other before disqualifying Soto.

The controversial win improved Lorenzo’s record to 33-4, while the loss dropped Soto to 43-7-2.

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LAS VEGAS - David Diaz realizes he might just be a small hurdle on Manny Pacquiao’s road to history. He’s still determined to make that trip as rocky as possible Saturday night (Sunday morning RP time).

Diaz, the unlikely World Boxing Council lightweight champion from humble Chicago roots, is among the biggest admirers of Pacquiao’s evolution from a strawweight into a three-division champion who’s attempting to move up for a historic fourth belt at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Pacquiao is a heavy favorite among most educated observers, who can’t imagine Diaz standing up to Pacquiao’s unparalleled combination of speed and power. (more…)