Lucas Matthysse offered up no excuses in his one-sided defeat at the hands of Manny Pacquiao, who put on a dominant display to capture the WBA "regular" welterweight title with a seventh round knockout win before a crowd of 15,000 fans at the Axiata Arena in Malaysia. (photo by Lie Seng Sin/Reuters).

It was Pacquiao's first knockout win since 2009, as he raised his own record to 60-7-2.

Pacquiao set the pace early, probing for openings and moving menacingly around the ring as he dropped Matthysse for a first time in the third round with an uppercut after a flurry of punches had forced the Argentine onto the defensive.

Unable to gain a foothold against Pacquiao’s swarming attacks, Matthysse (39-5-1) looked to land on the counter but was forced to take a knee towards the end of the fifth round when he was visibly shaken by a right hook to the temple.

Referee Kenny Bayless called off the fight after two minutes and 43 seconds of the seventh round when Matthysse buckled following another stiff uppercut and spat out his mouthguard as he was being counted.

The win, in his first bout since losing the WBO welterweight title to unheralded Australian Jeff Horn in Brisbane a year ago, gives Pacquiao his 11th world title in an incredible career that has made him a national hero in his native Philippines.

“Fighting Manny Pacquiao [is the most difficult part about fighting Pacquiao],” said Lucas Matthysse.

“He’s a great fighter. He’s a great champion. You win some, and you lose some. Today was my turn to lose, but I lost to a great fighter and a great legend in Manny Pacquiao. First I would like to rest and go back home. The hard work has been done. The fight has taken place. I lost, but I walk away with my head raised. I’m sorry to Argentina, but I’m fine. Thank you for all the love and support, and we’ll be seeing all my family and friends soon.”