HOLLYWOOD – It’s all about pride and not the money.

Juan Manuel Marquez may have received his biggest paycheck ever of $5 million, but nothing still beats a convincing victory over long-time boxing rival Manny Pacquiao.

The 38-year-old Mexican again came short of defeating the boxing star from the Philippines, frustrated by the majority decision eked out by Pacquiao during their welterweight title match Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“You can have the money,  just give me the win,” Top Rank Promotions publicist Ricardo Jimenez quoted Marquez as saying when he was asked to sign the pay slip for his purse shortly after the contentious 12-round match.

Jimenez, former editor of Los Angeles-based Mexican newspaper La Opinion, described Marquez as `very mad and frustrated right now.’

Marquez, according to Jimenez, a Mexican, is still puzzled at the outcome of his third meeting with Pacquiao, which he believed he clearly won.

It’s the reason why the Aztec warrior seemed very hesitant about doing it again with Pacquiao for the fourth time by May of next year as Top Rank Promotions Bob Arum initially indicated.

“There’s nothing more to it. I’ve fought a perfect fight. If I can’t beat him with the way I fought tonight, there’s no way I can beat him,” said Marquez, a three-time division world champion.

Including sales in pay-per-view, closed circuit, and gate attendance that drew a sell-out crowd of 16,368, Marquez is expected to earn as much as $9 to $10 million, an amount that could even double once a fourth fight with Pacquiao is made where he’s guaranteed purse is likely to reach $10 million.

But Marquez is not about to make a decision until December whether to retire or pursue his boxing career, according to Jimenez.

What is certain for the long-time Top Rank executive is that Marquez remains a very big riddle for a top notch boxer as Pacquiao.

“Thirty six rounds and still he (Pacquiao) can’t figure him out,” said Jimenez, who served as Marquez’s media liason during the Mexican’s training camp for the Pacquiao fight.