The March 15 fight between the world's top two 130-pound boxers generated $20.2 million in pay-per-view sales, setting a record for the sport's lower weight classes, HBO vice president Mark Taffet said Thursday.

About 400,000 homes bought the fight, another record for boxing's traditionally less-glamorous divisions below welterweight (147 pounds). Pacquiao won the WBC super featherweight belt by one point on one judge's scorecard in a widely acclaimed rematch of the fighters' 2004 draw.

HBO expected the fight to draw strong interest from Filipino and Latino households because of the fighters' nationalities, but the bout turned out to be popular in all markets. Taffet said the surprising numbers affirmed boxing's enduring popularity.

"It just supports the idea that if you make the best fights, people will want to see them," said Taffet, the senior vice president of HBO's sports operations and pay-per-view. "It performed extremely well in traditional markets, but boxing is strong. If you make the right fights, the public will respond."

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, the fight's co-promoter, previously announced the bout generated $3.3 million in ticket sales at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, a record for Pacquiao's fights. Pacquiao's three bouts with Erik Morales were his previous career benchmarks, all generating between 345,000 and 360,000 pay-per-view buys.

Any record is relative, of course: Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s welterweight fight with Oscar De La Hoya last year generated 2.4 million pay-per-view buys and more than $134 million in revenue, both the most in pay-per-view history.

Marquez called for a third fight with Pacquiao after the tough loss, but Pacquiao is scheduled to move up in weight to fight David Diaz for the WBC lightweight title on June 28 at Mandalay Bay - if Pacquiao's cuts from his brutal fight with Marquez have healed.

Both fighters' promoters have said a third bout between Pacquiao and Marquez is likely, probably at lightweight and possibly within 12 months.