Manny Pacquiao won the super-welterweight title over Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night. Is Floyd Mayweather Jr next????

DALLAS: Manny Pacquiao captured the vacant WBC super-welterweight title with a punishing 12-round unanimous decision over Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night.

Filipino hero Pacquiao won on all three judges' scorecards as he inflicted a savage beating on Margarito and extended his winning streak to 13 fights.

''He is really strong,'' Pacquiao said of Margarito. ''I never expected him to be as strong as he was. He hurt me in the body and in the face. I am so lucky tonight.''

Pacquiao has shown little sign of losing speed and power as he moves up in weight to fight bigger and stronger opponents, but he failed to score the knockout on Saturday.

Even so, the bout didn't turn into the same kind of dull affair as Pacquiao's fight against Joshua Clottey at the same venue in March.

Unlike Clottey, Margarito came to fight. He paid the price with a nasty gash under the right eye and a huge welt that almost closed his left eye.

At one point in the 11th round Pacquiao seemed to look towards referee Laurence Cole as if he was trying to get the ref to stop the fight.

''I feel for my opponent,'' Pacquiao said. ''His eyes [were swollen and cut] and *la*hdy face. I wanted the ref to look at that. In 12th round I wasn't looking for the knockout. My trainer said take it easy.''

Pacquiao, 31, entered the ring at 67.13kg while Margarito beefed up from 68.04kg at weigh-in to almost 75kg by fight time.

Pacquiao dominated Margarito from the outset to capture his eighth title in as many weight classes. He is also the first Asian to hold four or more major world titles.

The Mexican had his moments on Saturday and hurt Pacquiao in the eighth round when he landed a left uppercut on the button that snapped back Pacquiao's head.

Margarito was most effective when he had Pacquiao on the ropes but he failed to capitalise on his big height and weight advantage.

''We were going good until I got caught,'' Margarito said. ''And then that is when the problems started.''

Asked if he thought of quitting because of the punishment he was taking, he said, ''No, no way. I am Mexican and we fight until the end.''

Pacquiao earned close to $15 million while Margarito collected about $6 million.

It was Margarito's first fight in the United States since a one-year suspension after he was caught with plaster-filled hand wraps in his gloves before a fight against Shane Mosley.

Controversy erupted after a weight-loss supplement was reportedly seen in Margarito's dressing room before the fight, with Pacquiao's team demanding that he be tested for possible banned substances.