Pacquiao wins by unanimous decision over Mosley

LAS VEGAS - Manny Pacquiao continued to show he is the best fighter in the world with a unanimous, 12-round decision over Shane Mosley in their welterweight bout Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Pacquiao improved to 53-3-2 and made a minimum of $20 million for the fight. He won by 120-108 on one scorecard, 120-107 on a second, and 119-108 on the third.

"It wasn't my best performance," Pacquiao, 32, said. "I did my best. I did not expect this result."

Mosley, who fell to 46-7-1, was guaranteed $5 million.

"I fought the best fighter in the world," the 39-year-old Mosley said. "He has exceptional power, power that I've never been hit like this before."

On the undercard, veteran Mexican fighter Jorge Arce won a thrilling 12th-round technical knockout over Miami's Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. to take away Vazquez's World Boxing Organization super-bantamweight title.

Arce (57-6-2, 44 knockouts) unleashed a barrage of blows with Vazquez (20-1-1) backed to the ropes in the 12th, and with the previously unbeaten fighter showing little response, his corner waved furiously to referee Joe Cortez to stop the fight.

Cortez didn't see the request initially, even as a large bottle of water was tossed into the ring and Vazquez's cornermen waved frantically.

Arce, who survived a knockdown just before the bell in the fourth round, jumped in celebration.

Former world middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik of Youngstown, Ohio, returned to the ring for the first time in 13 months after undergoing a stint for alcoholism at the Betty Ford Center and recorded a majority decision over a game Alfonso Lopez.

Judge C.J. Ross gave Pavlik a 99-91 edge and Dick Houck had him winning by 98-92 while Adalaide Byrd scored the bout 95-95.

Pavlik (37-2) started slow but hurt Lopez (21-1) with his signature big right in the sixth round, jarring the Texan to the ropes. Lopez's power disadvantage cost him as his occasional impressive combinations were washed out by Pavlik's more hurtful rights, especially one in the 10th round set up by a stiff jab.

Denver's unbeaten super-lightweight Mike Alvarado stopped New York's Ray Narh after the third round when Narh quit on his stool.

Jose Benavidez of Los Angeles, perhaps the top prospect in Top Rank's stable, recorded a fifth-round technical knockout of South Carolina's James Hope to improve to 11-0 with 10 knockouts.