Manny Pacquiao beats Adrien Broner on points to retain welterweight title – as it happened

That’s all for tonight. Thanks as always for following along and be sure to check out the full fight report.

Adrien Broner’s post-fight interview was ... something. Presented without comment.

Pacquiao answers a handful of perfunctory questions from Showtime’s Jim Gray about a fight that wasn’t particularly interesting, either on paper or in how it played out.

Then, inevitably, the conversation inevitably turns to a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr, the specter of which has loomed over this promotion from jump street.

Does Manny want it?

“Tell (Floyd) to come back to the ring and then we will fight,” Pacquiao says. “I’m willing to fight him again, to fight Floyd Mayweather.”

Showtime’s Gray then asks Mayweather if he will accept the challenge as a camera films him in the first row: “A simple nod will do on the monitor.”

Mayweather looks away from the camera. This is pure WWE camp and it’s a bit depressing to be honest. I can’t imagine there was anything Floyd saw in Manny’s performance tonight that suggests a rematch would play out any different than their first fight. But maybe that’s the point.

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Pacquiao has defended his secondary welterweight title by a unanimous decision. The judges handed down scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 116-112. All three were closer than the Guardian’s 119-109, but the outcome is no less correct.

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Round 12

No surprises in the 12th. Pacquiao continues to press the fight but Broner is on his bicycle with an eye on the clock like school is almost out. After the final bell, Broner throws his hands aloft in triumph and climbs a turnbuckle as boos rain down from the crowd. A troll till the last. This fight ended when Pacquiao landed that left cross in the seventh: it’s when Broner stopped trying to win.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 10-9 Broner (Pacquiao 119-109 Broner)

Round 11

Pacquiao is moving forward and looking for the knockout but Broner, who appears more than content to run out the clock, is an unaccommodating dance partner. A smattering of boos from the crowd.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 10-9 Broner (Pacquiao 109-100 Broner)

Round 10

A slow round but Pacquiao doesn’t need to do a whole lot to outwork Broner at this point. The American is no longer taking risks and is in full survival mode. Pacquiao still moving forward and peppering his opponent with jabs to the head and body. Easy round to score.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 10-9 Broner (Pacquiao 99-91 Broner)

Round 9

It’s a familiar pattern for the first two minutes: Broner not throwing nearly enough punches as Pacquiao’s steady work rate is more than enough to carry it. Then with about a minute to go Pacquiao detonates a weapons-grade left hand flush on Broner’s chin that sends the American reeling backwards. Broner is in trouble against the ropes and is doing anything to stem the tide, even grabbing Pacquiao’s left leg. That’s some beard on Broner.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 10-9 Broner (Pacquiao 89-82 Broner)

Round 8

Broner lands a few counter lefts early on, but mostly takes the eighth off as he recovers from that savage onslaught at the end of the seventh. Meanwhile, the inactive Pacquiao is letting his opponent off the hook by not pressing the action, but perhaps smart to not be reckless. Pacquiao wins the round easily. It’s a simple case of inactivity on the American’s part.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 10-9 Broner (Pacquiao 79-73 Broner)

Round 7

Pacquiao continues to throw and land more entering the second half of the fight. Broner lands the occasional counter but it’s Pacquiao controlling the run of play. Then Pacquiao connects with massive left cross with Broner up against the ropes and Broner is hurt! His knees buckle and Broner is in trouble! He looks gassed. And Pacquiao is opening up as the crowd goes wild! Can Broner make it to the bell? He makes it out of the round but what a round!

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 10-9 Broner (Pacquiao 69-64 Broner)

Round 6

More of the same in the sixth. But Broner catches Pacquiao lunging in with a sharp left hook followed by an uppercut in the final seconds of the round that might be enough to steal it.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 9-10 Broner (Pacquiao 59-55 Broner)

Round 5

Chants of “Man-ny! Man-ny!” cascade down from the mezzanine, but Broner is picking up the pace in the fifth. Broner seems to have Pacquiao’s timing down and is fighting with more confidence, but the work rate is simply not enough. He is warned a second time for putting the heel of his glove in Pacquiao’s face during a clinch. Pacquiao throwing punches from all kinds of unorthodox angles and landing enough to win the round.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 10-9 Broner (Pacquiao 50-45 Broner)

Round 4

An excellent start to the fourth by Broner, who lands a hard counter right and a left hook. His best moments of the fight so far. Pacquiao connects with a straight left and a right hook that stuns Broner. Pacquiao simply throwing more and landing more. Broner lands a sharp right late in the round. It could go either way, but I’ll give Pacquiao the edge as he’s the guy pushing the fight.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 10-9 Broner (Pacquiao 40-36 Broner)

Round 3

Pacquiao lands a left upstairs then opens up on Broner against the ropes until the American can wrap him up in a clinch. Pacquiao scoring with the left, showing vintage hand speed. He lands a flush shot to the body and he’s doing so much with the left. Right now Pacquiao is overwhelming Broner with volume. It’s three rounds to none, but Broner has not given up on setting up the counter.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 10-9 Broner (Pacquiao 30-27 Broner)

Round 2

Broner probing with the jab, but having trouble establishing it. Broner warned for shoving a forearm into Pacquiao’s face. Pacquiao lands a right hook that sends Broner backwards and the crowd to their feet. Pacquaio, jabbing well, the clear aggressor here as Broner sits back waiting to counter. Broner is able to connect with a clean counter right as Pacquiao darts in. A bit closer than the first round but another one to Pacquiao.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 10-9 Broner (Pacquiao 20-18 Broner)

Round 1

Pacquiao, in the black trunks, probes with the left before he bursts forward throwing punches as Broner, wearing purple, white and gold, wraps him up. Pacquiao throwing punches in bunches early and lands a combination, but he’s missing more than he’s connecting. A good straight left hand by Pacquiao. Broner having trouble getting off, frustrated by his opponent’s volume. The American finally lands a counter uppercut, but he’s been badly outthrown and outlanded. Good body shot by Pacquiao. Clear round to the Filipino.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Pacquiao 10-9 Broner (Pacquiao 10-9 Broner)

The anthems have been performed and the fighters are making their entrances. First it’s Broner, who enters to a medley of songs accompanied by dancers and pyrotechnics. He’s joined for the final leg by the rapper G Herbo. Now here comes Manny to Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger, his longtime ringwalk song when he was fighting here on the regular.

We’re told tonight’s attendance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena is a sellout: 13,025.

Marcus Browne has won a unanimous decision over Badou Jack. Scores were 117-110, 116-111 and 119-108. With the win, the Staten Island native has captured the vacant WBA interim light heavyweight title. (And before you ask: yes, they do make these up as they go along.)

Next up: the main event between Manny Pacquiao and Adrien Broner.

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The 12-round co-main event between Badou Jack and Marcus Browne is into the championship rounds. Browne was already opening up a lead on the scorecards before Jack suffered a nasty cut above the bridge of his nose from an accidental clash of heads in the seventh round. Since then, Browne has teed off and the cut is only getting worse. Jack can’t see and they’ll have to think about stopping this one soon.

Pacquiao and Broner will make their ringwalks after the conclusion of this one.

Hello and welcome to the MGM Grand Garden Arena for tonight’s welterweight showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Adrien Broner. Pacquiao, the Filipino senator and boxing’s only eight-division champion, is back in action on US soil for the first time in more than two years in defense of the secondary welterweight title he captured from the shopworn Lucas Matthysse in the summer. His opponent is Adrien Broner, an alphabet title-holder in four weight classes (from 130 to 147lbs) despite never being the top dog in any of them.

Broner, who is not yet 30, is nearly a 3-1 underdog against Pacquiao, who turned 40 last month but still ranks among the world’s five best fighters at 147lbs. Can the Cincinnati native, who’s managed wins in only six of his last 10 outings, spring a career-best win and resurrect his stalling career? Or will Pacquiao hold serve in his 70th professional fight and inch closer to a much-talked-about rematch with Floyd Mayweather, who is in the building for tonight’s proceedings (and who just swung by Pacquiao’s dressing room to offer his well wishes).

Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s his lookahead to tonight’s main event.