In brief: Pacquiao wins split decision, takes Marquez’s title
Manny Pacquiao’s rematch victory over Juan Manuel Marquez was worth every minute of the four-year wait.
Pacquiao won a narrow split decision to claim Marquez’s WBC 130-pound title Saturday night in a sensational fight at Las Vegas that left two of the world’s best boxers bloody and triumphant.
Though Marquez landed more punches at a higher percentage, Pacquiao (46-3-2) knocked down Marquez (48-4-1) in the third round and persevered through a nasty cut. Marquez also was cut in the fight, but neither backed down from one scintillating exchange after another.
Their first matchup ended in a draw in May 2004. Marquez was knocked down three times in the opening round of that acclaimed bout, but improbably rallied to win most of the later rounds in a possible career-saving performance.
“WBC lightweight champion David Diaz won a majority decision over Ramon Montano, and Steven Luevano also defended his WBO featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Terdsak Jandaeng on the Marquez-Pacquiao undercard.
Football
Niners waive Jackson
The San Francisco 49ers waived receiver Darrell Jackson after one unproductive season with the club.
Jackson joined the 49ers in a trade last April after eight seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He made at least one catch in each of his 15 starts for San Francisco, but finished the season with just 46 catches for 497 yards.
Winter sports
Miller’s staff resigns
Bode Miller’s breakaway ski squad was in pieces when practically his entire staff resigned for family reasons.
Miller split from the U.S. Ski Team before this season to train and race on his own, and he clinched his second overall World Cup title Thursday in Bormio, Italy.
Phil McNichol, the U.S. team’s head coach for men, also resigned after American skiers wrapped up their best season. He, too, wanted more family time.
“Italian Manfred Moelgg captured the men’s slalom title in Bormio in the final race of the season, then his sister, Manuela, took second in the giant slalom, just seven-hundredths of a second behind the winner, Elisabeth Goergl of Austria.
Miscellany
Graf takes ‘Dream Match’
Once again, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova needed a tiebreaker to settle the score.
Playing “Dream Match 2008” before a sellout crowd at Tokyo’s Ariake Stadium, Graf defeated Navratilova 8-7 after winning a tiebreaker 10-5.
In their first match in 14 years, Graf took a 6-3 lead before Navratilova tied the match at 6-6 and forced a tiebreaker.
“Georgia Southern set an NCAA record for all divisions by hitting 14 home runs in a 26-8 victory over Columbia at Statesboro, Ga.
“At Tallahassee, Fla., Darren Chiacchia, a 2004 U.S. Olympic equestrian team member, was critically injured during an event. The 42-year-old Chiacchia was injured during a fall at a fence at the Red Hills Horse Trials competition.