Call him Manny Pacquiao, world champion.

The Filipino hero scored a third-round knock down and came up with a late assault to dethrone Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico and claim the World Boxing Council super featherweight title in Las Vegas, Nevada Saturday night (Sunday morning in the Philippines).

Close to four years after their controversial draw at the same Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Pacquiao, 29, won by the slimmest of margins, his knock down paving the way for a split decision to his favor.

Judge Duane Ford gave Pacquiao a 115-112 edge, while Jerry Roth saw Marquez winning, 115-112. Tom Miller broke the tie, scoring it 114-113 for the Filipino, who registered the fight’s lone 10-8 round for decking Marquez with a powerful left hook to the jaw.

"I did my best. I'm happy because I won," said Pacquiao, who became the country’s fifth legitimate holder of a world boxing title, after Florante Condes and Nonito Donaire Jr. and Negrenses Gerry Peñalosa and Donnie Nietes.

"Marquez is a really hard opponent. I expected the fight was going to be hard. He moved fast. He had head movement and more counter-punches," added Pacquiao, who earned close to $5 million for the fight, including pay-per-view buys.

Underscoring his tag as one of boxing’s premiere performers, Pacquiao found his second wind in the later rounds, despite suffering a nasty cut under his right eye.

The cut, aggravated by Marquez’s solid shots, needed 18 stitches to close, internet reports said.

The win, which improved Pacquiao's record to 46 wins with three losses and two draws, made him the first Asian to win three titles in three different divisions. Pacquiao had also won the three titles in the flyweight division and the three championships in the super-bantamweight category.

Pacquiao got off to a cautious start and yielded the opening two rounds to Marquez, who fought from a distance and picked his spots well. A right straight snapped Pacquiao’s head back, typifying Marquez’s domination of the opening rounds.

The Filipino’s first heavy shot that found the mark came early of Round 2 when he staggered Marquez with a left hook. By then, however, Marquez had set the tempo, hitting Pacquiao on the counter with crisp combinations to the head.

It wasn’t until the third round that Pacquiao finally got going. After engaging Marquez in a furious exchange, Pacquiao timed his pet left hook to send Marquez flat on his back. Marquez beat the count but he was so dumbfounded that he appeared headed to Pacquiao’s corner as the bell sounded.

Pacquiao remained relentless in round four but Marquez stood his ground. With a heavy flurry late in the round, Pacquiao appeared to have taken round four, although he was unable to totally ride on the momentum of his knock down and even got cut by a late hit from Marquez.

"I thought at that point I was in control of the fight," Pacquiao said. "But when he cut my eye in the fourth round, he made it more difficult for me, and I couldn't take control of the fight. ...

Marquez regrouped in round five and round six, showing little signs of the knockout blow he received a few minutes earlier. Pacquiao couldn’t cut off Marquez’s ring movement. Instead, the Mexican hurt Pacquiao with precise punches.

Both fighters occasionally clashed heads and in round seven, Marquez was accidentally cut by an accidental head-butt.

It was also in the same round that blood profusely dripped from Pacquiao’s abrasion, but unlike Marquez’s, it was caused by punches from the Mexican.

With his back against the wall, Pacquiao’s corner knew the Filipino needed to conjure something special in the remaining four rounds to stand a chance.

Showing the courage and heart he was known for, Pacquiao came alive, hurting Marquez several times with combinations and his patented left hook.

A more aggressive Pacquiao used the right jab more and was outworking Marquez from rounds nine to 11. Still, his courageous bid for a knockout was negated by Marquez’s resilience.

“I wasn't sure (heading into the 12th round), but I always treat the final round as the most important. I don't take any chances," Pacquiao said.

After another thrilling exchange to cap round 12, both fighters --- their faces bloodied --- raised their hands in the air and hugged, thinking they had done enough to come out triumphant.

Filipinos inside the Mandalay cheered on and waved flags as Michael Buffer announced Pacquiao as the “new WBC super featherweight champion.” Pacquiao raised his hands in the air and wept at the announcement.

‘ROBBED’

But Marquez, who fell to 48-4, felt robbed by the decision.

Even American trainer Freddie Roach, who polished Pacquiao into a lean, mean fighting machine, thinks the fight could have gone either way.

"It was a close fight. It could've gone either way," Roach said.

Marquez protested: “They took away the victory from me even if I won clearly.”

“I’m happy because of the performance I had tonight even if I’m already 34 years old. I have proven that Pacquiao is not a superman as what they have been saying about him.”

"I thought I won. The decision wasn't correct," Marquez said. "I haven't lost anything at all. The people know who really won the fight. Decisions like this are disturbing. I believe I won the fight."

Pacquiao, though, thinks otherwise and said his narrow win has settled their rivalry.

“This business is over,” Pacquiao, who added Marquez to his list of Mexican victims that already include Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, said.

REMATCH

Later, however, Pacquiao welcomed Marquez’s challenge to a rematch.

But he said the decision would be dependent on his promoter.

Internet reports said Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, categorically ruled out an immediate rematch because his planning to pit the Filipino against David Diaz for the WBC lightweight title on June 28, assuming Pacquiao is healed in time for that bout.

Golden Boy Promotions’ CEO Richard Schaeffer offered $6 million for Pacquiao to fight Marquez again but Arum would have none of it – at least for the time being. Schaeffer also slammed the scoring of the fight.*CPT with AFP report

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