Move Over Mayweather: Pacquiao Is The New Pound-For-Pound King  In what was seen as a potential grab at the pound-for-pound throne, the number one contender to Floyd Mayweather’s top spot, crowned himself king last night. • With a chilling ninth round knockout of WBC lightweight champion David Diaz, Pacquiao showed boxing fans that he is indeed the sport’s top fighter… —Bryan Trafford, bleacherreport.com

Steward: Klitschko Can’t Take Thompson Lightly  Though the heavyweight division is an afterthought these days, IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko remains one of its few bright spots. Klitschko is the undisputed king of the big boys, but he isn’t flawless… —Franklin McNeil, www.nj.com

(Pacquiao photo by Harry How/Getty Images) 

And Now, The Biggest Entertainer In Entertainment Floyd Mayweather Jr., the welterweight widely regarded as pound for pound the best boxer in the world, is about as rich and famous as a 147-pound fighter can get these days. People who don’t know anything about boxing beyond Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali recognize him on the street (Who’s that little guy with all the bodyguards?), although sometimes it takes an extra second or two. (It’s that boxer who was on “Dancing with the Stars.”) Mayweather, who used to be known as “Pretty Boy” and now answers to “Money,” is famous, but he’s not famous famous. He won’t settle for that. He wants to be bigger than boxing today can make him… —By CARLO ROTELLA, www.nytimes.com

Lockett Has Puncher’s Chance Of World Titles In a week when David Haye brought a new dimension to self-promotion while Ricky Hatton plumbed new depths of self-delusion, the Hayemaker and the Hitman highlighted the vicissitudes of big-time boxing. • Haye, who aspires to be heavyweight champion of the world, confirmed that he is to act as his own impresario, whereas Hatton, whose winning performance against the valiant Juan Lazcano left him looking more like Rocky than Ricky, confirmed that he may be his own worst enemy. • Haye and Hatton are two of boxing’s most engaging characters, able to articulate with more than just their fists. Gary Lockett is another of that breed. In Atlantic City next Saturday, Lockett will attempt to replenish the fast-diminishing stock of British world champions. To do so he will need Haye’s punch and Hatton’s gumption… —By Alan Hubbard, www.independent.co.uk

Pacquiao, Diaz Delight Boxing Fans With Free Workout Although David Diaz knows he’ll be an underdog in his fight with Manny Pacquiao in four weeks, he already pulled one remarkable surprise in a storefront martial-arts gym Saturday. • By following up some sharp shadowboxing with a well-timed joke or two, Diaz charmed a bit of grudging admiration out of the hundreds of Filipino boxing fans from the Bay Area who crowded into every cranny of the West Wind Gym for a free workout by the two fighters who will meet in Las Vegas for the WBC lightweight title in four weeks… — The Associated Press, www.iht.com

(Mayweather Photos By Finlay MacKay)