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Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao easily defeated Joshua Clottey by unanimous 12-round decision to retain his World Boxing Organization welterweight title Saturday at Cowboys Stadium.

Pacquiao, who was recently named Fighter of the Decade, ran his win streak to 12-straight fights with a dominating performance in front of a crowd of 51,000 at the 1.2 billion-dollar home of American football's Dallas Cowboys.

Pacquiao's punishing assault was reflected on all three judges scorecards as he won by scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109. He threw 1,231 punches compared to just 398 for Clottey.

"I am not disappointed," Pacquiao of not getting the knockout. "I know he is a defensive fighter. I felt some of his punches. I was focussed on a strategy to dominate him."

This was the first defence of his WBO title for Pacquiao who was the heavy favourite despite giving away a 10 pound weight advantage to Clottey in a fight that was watched by one of the largest indoor crowds in US boxing history.

Clottey, who barely threw a punch through the first few rounds, proved to be an easy target for Pacquiao, who was the more aggressive fighter through all 12 rounds.

Pacquiao was frustrated by Clottey's defence and the challenger's decision to cover up and not throw more punches than he did.

"Clottey is not an easy opponent he is very strong," Pacquiao said. "He took a lot of punches and was never hurt."

In the fourth round Pacquiao tried to get Ghana's Clottey to come out of his shell and at one point tapped both Clottey's gloves in a failed attempt to trade blows.

"He fought a defensive fight," said Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach. "When you fight for the world title it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I thought he would have thrown more punches. He was in survival mode and when guy is trying to survive it is hard to knock him out."

Pacquiao, 51-3 with two drawn and 38 knockouts, has looked unstoppable in his previous three fights against opponents who were willing to engage him in the middle of the ring.

Clottey, who fell to 35-4, lasted all 12 rounds with a game plan that included counter-punching and covering up. By the middle rounds it was apparent Pacquiao had a victory sewn up.

"He pitched a shutout and won every round," said Roach.

Pacquiao, who has won 12 consecutive fights since losing to Erik Morales in March 2005, defended his title on the same date he was to face unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather before negotiations broke off over a drug-testing dispute.

With Clottey out the way, Saturday's win could set the stage to reopen talks between Pacquiao and Mayweather.

"I want that fight because the people want to see that fight," Pacquiao said.

Filipinos nationwide Sunday rejoiced over Pacquiao's latest victory, broadcast live from Texas, after officials vowed that the Philippines would be spared its perennial blackouts.

Special live coverage of the 12-round fight between Pacquiao and Ghana's Joshua Clottey was broadcast without a hitch after energy officials vowed to prevent power shortages interrupting the event.

"If people don't get to watch Manny Pacquiao, it's big trouble. That is a national catastrophe," Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes was quoted in the Philippine Star as saying.

After the fight, there were no signs of any of the daily outages that have afflicted the capital and the southern Philippines for several weeks.

In an interview with DZBB radio station after the fight, Pacquiao, who is regarded as a national hero at home, said: "I owe this to all my fellow Filipinos, most of all to my family."

Pacquiao's next bout will be even more of a challenge, when he runs for Congress in the May elections, seeking to represent a district on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

Despite his fame, Pacquiao has tasted defeat in this arena before. In 2007 he lost his first bid for a seat in Congress, and faces an equally entrenched opponent this time around.

Clottey admitted that Pacquiao was the better boxer Saturday but didn't feel the fight was as one-sided as the judges scored it. One judge gave every round to Pacquiao and the other two gave Clottey one round, the third.

"I won a couple of rounds," Clottey said. "I don't think I lost all the rounds."

Clottey suffered the fourth loss of his career but in his mind it is his first defeat.

"I always accept defeat. I didn't lose to (Miguel) Cotto or (Antonio) Margarito but I did lose to Manny Pacquiao," Clottey said.

AFP