Tempers flare after Pacquiao-Marquez fight ends in split decision

LAS VEGAS – The peace that has allowed major boxing promoters Top Rank and Golden Boy to make several compelling fights in the last year was interrupted late Saturday night after the hotly contested Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez world title bout.

Pacquiao took Marquez’s World Boxing Council super-featherweight belt away by split decision, with judge Tom Miller breaking the tie with a 114-113 nod to Pacquiao.

Afterward, the Marquez-Golden Boy bitterness with the narrow defeat and Top Rank’s refusal to commit to an immediate third bout between the fighters resulted in heated exchanges.

“Many things hurt boxing, and we saw it tonight,” Marquez said of the judging.

Golden Boy Chief Executive Richard Schaefer also questioned the system of judge selection, and lamented that the disputed outcome was bad for the sport.

Outraged, Top Rank head Bob Arum said, “I realize now how stupid I’ve sounded complaining in the past about these things. We have to learn to live with close decisions.”

At ringside, boxing writers scoring the bout had the outcome separated by a point, or a draw like the first Pacquiao-Marquez fight in 2004. The ringside consensus was that it was an epic fight, that included Pacquiao’s third-round knockdown of Marquez, and both fighters wobbled and bloodied. A good night for the sport.

Yet, when Marquez’s camp continued to contest the scoring, and contend the public who paid pay-per-view dollars and spent $3.3 million for tickets may choose to abandon the sport over Marquez’s loss, Arum exploded, “Will you shut the hell up? Be man enough to accept the verdict of the judges!”

Certainly, Arum has been guilty of the same whining. In 2003, he threatened to leave Nevada and launch an investigation into possible corruption when judges awarded Shane Mosley a decision over Top Rank’s fighter at the time, Oscar De La Hoya.

It was Schaefer who then cooled such talk, but he was on the dais backing Marquez’s complaints Saturday – less than a year removed from the Top Rank-Golden Boy legal battle for the promotional rights to Pacquiao.

Arum didn’t soothe any ill feelings by saying he would also stick to his plan and have Pacquiao fight WBC lightweight champ David Diaz next, on June 28. Marquez will have to wait – and stew?

Schaefer then projected “with all due respect” to woeful pay-per-view buys for a Pacquiao-Diaz fight. That led Arum to remind his peer that his quick rematch of Kelly Pavlik-Jermain Taylor last month resulted in poor sales.

“I can go to 135 [pounds], 140, anywhere he goes to demonstrate who won these two fights, and who’s a winner,” Marquez said. “We will give any concessions.”

Arum said he thought it best to let “air” between fights, allowing public interest to rebuild for the third fight of the trilogy.

A calmer voice, HBO pay-per-view executive Mark Taffet, said, “History is on our side. With great fights like this, you see rematches. Pacquiao-Marquez showed what a great fight is, showed how close they are, and the public will demand this great fight happens again.”

Leaving the arena, Pacquiao had missed most of the uproar because he required nine stitches to close a cut near his right eye, and came to the dais late.

“I thought I won fairly because I really had him hurt in more rounds,” Pacquiao said.

Would he fight Marquez again? Does he expect a trilogy to be arranged in the not-too-distant future?

“Of course,” Pacquiao said, smiling. “I want four fights.”

lance.pugmire@latimes.com