Las Vegas: Manny Pacquiao enhanced his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world with a commanding win over holder Miguel Cotto to claim the WBO welterweight title on Saturday.
The Filipino southpaw stopped his bigger opponent 55 seconds into the 12th and final round at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to land a seventh world title in an unprecedented seventh weight class.
Pacquiao twice knocked the Puerto Rican to the canvas in the earlier rounds before referee Kenny Bayless ended the fight after Pacquiao had pummelled his opponent with a flurry of combinations against the ropes.
"Our plan was not to hurry but to take our time," a beaming Pacquiao said in a ringside television interview.
"We didn't panic. We just needed time to test his power. As the fight went on, I was looking for a one-shot knockout."
The pride of the Philippines, who had never previously fought above light-welterweight, survived an early barrage from Cotto before dominating with blistering hand speed and surprising power.
Bloodied nose
The 30-year-old dominated the official ringside statistics, connecting with 336 of 780 punches thrown to 172 of 597 for Cotto. He also landed 276 power punches compared to Cotto's 93.
"Manny dictated the fight and they should have stopped it three rounds sooner than they did after he [Cotto] began to run," Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said.
Cotto, who was cut above the right eye and had his nose bloodied after being repeatedly battered by Pacquiao's jabs and punches, said: "Manny is one of the best boxers I ever fought.
"I didn't know from where the punches were coming."
Watched by a sell-out crowd that included basketball great Magic Johnson and Hollywood actors Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, Cotto landed a couple of telling left jabs in the opening round to hold an early advantage.
Both fighters picked up the pace in the second round, exchanging thumping jabs and body punches before Pacquiao began to take control.
Pacquiao, who improved to 50-3-2 with 38 knockouts, dropped Cotto to the canvas with a searing right hook in the third round and later pinned his opponent to the ropes with a series of combinations.
Cotto struck Pacquiao with a left uppercut late in the round and landed a right uppercut in the fourth before he was again knocked to the canvas by Pacquiao's booming left hand.
