MANILA, Philippines - Filipino boxing champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao remains the biggest draw in the sport, even though he is no longer the undisputed best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Pacquiao set a new career high for pay-per-view buys with his November 12 fight against Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez, with 1.4-million pay-per-view buys.
It was the third meeting between Pacquiao and Marquez, and like their previous two fights, the result was controversial: Pacquiao defeated Marquez via a majority decision. Many boxing experts, however, believe Marquez was the better man during fight night.
Pacquiao's previous career best came last May 2011, when his one-sided rout of Shane Mosley drew 1.3-million pay-per-view buys.
Top Rank President Todd duBoef said that the strong Latino support for Marquez helped drive the pay-per-view sales.
Experts believe, however, that all existing records in boxing's box office will be shattered if Pacquiao finally faces undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a mega-fight. -- From a report by ANC.