As Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto relentlessly persevered despite a bloodied eye, Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao noticeably pulled back his punches and fought back urges to go in for the kill.

While the Filipino community, bolstered by the leagues of other Pacman fans, celebrated Manny’s seventh world title victory over Cotto, the bloodied face of Cotto reminds others that boxing is indeed a violent sport. The title fight just the night before comes to mind, where a fellow Filipino boxer and Pacquiao protégé Z Gorres collapsed in the ring right after he was announced victorious in Las Vegas. Gorres is currently under a medically-induced coma to help him relieve swelling in his brain.

“We always talk about the danger of boxing,” says Chino Trinidad, a boxing commentator and friend of Pacquiao. Trinidad was the one who broke the news of Gorres’ condition to Pacquiao prior.

Indeed, Pacquiao is no stranger to boxing’s risks. Pacquiao waited on the funeral of Eugene Barutag, a fellow boxer from General Santos City who went together with Pacquiao to Manila to try their fortune. Barutag fell unconscious during one fight afterwards, and never woke up.

While Cotto’s family walked out during the ninth round, unable to watch any more of the beating Miguel was going through, and the watching fans hollered for more of Pacman punishment, Pacquiao seemed to back off from inflicting more damage to his opponent. As many of the watchers would argue, it was already obvious that Cotto had been defeated despite his perseverance.

[with reports from GMA TV]

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