By Dave Lahr: WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO’s) is celebrating his victory tonight over Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez (53-6-1, 39 KOs) after beating him by a 12 round majority decision on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s hard to see what Pacquiao is celebrating because not only did the ringside crowd boo the decision nonstop after the decision was announced, but fans elsewhere around the United States strongly disagree with the outcome of this fight.

Pacquiao said this after the fight: “My fans are very happy because they thought I won.” Yes, Pacquiao’s loving and adoring fans are probably happy and will take a win no matter how they can get it, but the win is completely hallow given that neutral boxing fans think Pacquiao was soundly beaten.

The ramifications for this decision is going to make it difficult for Pacquiao to make a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. because there is clearly unfinished business with Marquez. How Pacquiao could move on after a win like this would be hard to imagine, but that’s likely to happen. He did that before the last time he fought Marquez and won a controversial 12 round split decision in a fight that many boxing fans saw Marquez winning by at least two rounds. I had Marquez winning by a couple of rounds myself and couldn’t see how Pacquiao was given the decision. Further, I don’t know how he could live with himself and move on to other fighters with a win like that. But that’s what he did. Pacquiao fought a whole bunch of mostly Top Rank fighters for the past three years since he last fought Marquez and that’s probably what we’re going to see here.

Already, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum is getting WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley ready to face Pacquiao next instead of putting Pacquiao back in with Marquez. But I think it’s going to be hard to sell a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather with Pacquiao having been exposed by Marquez again. Pacquiao simply didn’t pass the Marquez test, so there’s no way he can move forward to face Mayweather. Marquez was a guy that Mayweather easily beat in 2009, winning all 12 rounds of their fight. Mayweather passed his test, but Pacquiao failed miserably. If Arum had faith in Pacquiao, he’d put him back in with Marquez, but we’re probably not going to see that happen. Marquez came too close to beating his meal ticket and if not for some very odd scoring in this fight, we’re probably looking at Marquez winning the right by at least a 9 rounds to 3 score.