MICHAEL Buffer announced the judges’ scorecards: 114-114 first. Then 115-113 and 116-112 to the winner ... AND STILL ... WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. U2’s Beautiful Day played loudly over the PA system but it can’t drown out the lusty boos that came down over the floor.

SI.com’s live blog reported this yesterday moments after Pacquiao defeated Juan Manuel Marquez by a decision. It added that not “a word of Pacquiao’s in-ring interview with Max Kellerman was heard due to the boos cascading down from the fans who have stuck around the arena. Someone even threw a beer.”

The blog also noted that the jeers and catcalls “were even louder than the treatment Floyd Mayweather received after his unsportsmanlike knockout of Victor Ortiz two months ago -- and those were LOUD.”

Bryan Armen Graham in his blog from the ringside added, “Feel badly for Marquez since his effort was nothing short of heroic, particularly given the dismal expectations many had for him, but the fight was awfully close. Maybe now he’ll wear a shirt saying MARQUEZ BEAT PACQUIAO THREE TIMES!!

Pacquiao defended his WBO welterweight title at the sold-out MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, defeating Juan Manuel Marquez by majority decision. Both fighters went toe-to-toe throughout the 12-round fight with neither getting knocked down on the canvas.

The fight went down to the Nevada judges’ scorecards with Dave Moretti scoring it 115-113, Robert Hoyle 114-114 and Glenn Trowbridge 116-112.

After the decision, Marquez left the ring, apparently upset by the ruling.

This was the third clash between Pacquiao and Marquez. The first bout in 2004 was scored a draw, while Pacquiao won a controversial split decision in the rematch four years later. In prior meetings, Pacquiao scored four knockdowns yet Marquez won the greater number of rounds.

To further stoke the fire between the fighters, in the days leading up to Saturday’s fight, Marquez sported a T-shirt saying, “Marquez beat Pacquiao twice!!” Pacquiao, who entered the bout having won 10 titles at eight weight divisions, is considered arguably the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer.

Now that Pacquiao has defeated Marquez, the next big fight most boxing fans are eagerly waiting for is a potential multimillion-dollar payday against Floyd Mayweather Jr., the other superstar of his boxing generation.

Both fighters have openly said they want to face each other, but each time they try to consummate the fight, negotiations break down over blood and urine testing.