The calls for change come nine months after a painful 2012 election in which the GOP lost the presidential race and a handful of close Senate contests. A tug of war over the Republican Party's future is on display as conservative activists and party leaders from across the country gather in Boston this week for the Republican National Committee's annual summer meeting.

"We have to get beyond being anti-Obama," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich declared at the gathering Wednesday, offering a particularly harsh critique of Republican strategy on health care.

Gingrich said congressional Republicans would have "zero answer" for how to replace the president's health care overhaul when asked, despite their having voted repeatedly to repeal the measure.

"We are caught right now in a culture, and you see it every single day, where as long as we're negative and as long as we're vicious and as long as we can tear down our opponent, we don't have to learn anything. And so we don't," Gingrich said. "This is a very deep problem."

While there is little sign of GOP unity on solutions for immigration, health care or a looming budget standoff, RNC officials are launching a program to highlight a new generation of Republican leaders largely younger and more ethnically diverse to help broaden the party's appeal among women and minorities, groups that overwhelmingly supported President Barack Obama in the last election. The program supplements an ongoing effort to expand Republican outreach among minority communities across the country.

Women voted for Obama by an 11-point margin in 2012, and they have not backed a GOP candidate for president since Ronald Reagan's successful bid for re-election in 1984. Although last year's nominee, Mitt Romney, improved on John McCain's margin of victory among whites in 2008, Romney fared worse than McCain among Hispanic and Asian voters, who make up a growing share of the U.S. population.

The RNC on Thursday was introducing the first four members of its "Rising Stars" program:

Karin Agness, founder and president of the Network of enlightened Women, or NeW. The Indiana native started the organization for conservative university women in 2004 while at the University of Virginia.

Scott G. Erickson, a San Jose, Calif., police officer for 15 years and a writer for The Foundry, the blog of the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation.

Marilinda Garcia, a Hispanic and New Hampshire state representative first elected at 23. Now in her fourth term, she serves on the executive board of the immigration reform group Americans by Choice.

T.W. Shannon, an African-American and speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The Lawton native is a business consultant and an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation.

The panel will be featured during a discussion Thursday that is expected to be the first of many high-profile appearances designed to help the party shed the image that it is too old and white. Republican officials have long fought that stereotype, but RNC communications director Sean Spicer says this time will be different.

"We have the resources and the bandwidth to be able to actually promote these people," Spicer said. "We just weren't in the position to do that years ago."

Indeed, the committee has crafted plans, backed by new staffing, cash and online tools, to ensure that the fresh faces aren't forgotten after this week's meeting.

Press aides have been assigned to help drive media coverage focused on demographic groups instead of geographic regions: youth, women, Hispanics, Asian-Americans and African-Americans. And the RNC has created an online database for the first time that allows staffers to quickly find fresh faces for media interviews. For example, an RNC spokesman said the tool could quickly locate a female Hispanic mom from New Jersey for a relevant media interview.

Officials hope that promoting new faces will help deliver more votes in next year's midterm elections and beyond, although critics in and out of the party suggest that may not be enough unless the party adopts a more solution-oriented message. Republican leaders have been slow to embrace solutions on issues critical to minority voters, particularly immigration.

House Republicans are resisting a comprehensive immigration bill that passed with bipartisan support in the Senate. An RNC report released this spring concluded that the GOP "must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform. If we do not, our party's appeal will continue to shrink to its core constituencies only."

Asked about the party's so-called identity crisis, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said it would take time to resolve.

"I have to focus on the things that I most control," he said, citing effort to add staffers and improve data sharing.

In the meantime, Priebus, too, said his party must focus on solutions.

"We have to be a party that promotes a positive plan for the future," he said, while declining to take a position on a possible Republican-backed government shutdown this fall. "I think we've done it, but I think we've got to do a much better job."

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AP Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Readers will soon be able to book their own trip to Pandora.

Science Fiction author Steven Charles Gould will write four standalone novels that will unfold and expand the futuristic world of James Cameron's "Avatar."

Cameron is currently working with a team of writers to pen the screenplays for the three new Avatar pictures. The films will be made back-to-back with production beginning next year.

The first sequel will be released December 2016, with the second to follow in December 2017, and the third a year later.

Gould is best known for his 1992 novel "Jumper," which was made into a 2008 movie with Jamie Bell and Hayden Christensen. He has also written the Hugo Award-nominated short story "Rory," the novelette "Peaches for Mad Molly" and the novels "Reflex" and "7th Sigma."

"Steven Gould is one of the shining lights in contemporary science fiction, and I've long admired the worlds and characters he's created in his books and stories," Cameron said. "We're very fortunate to have Steven bring his formidable talents to the Avatar universe. He is already working closely with me and the screenwriters to flesh out the expanding world of Avatar."

In addition to the films and novels, construction on a themed area at Disney's Animal Kingdom called Avatar Land will begin this year.

CINCINNATI (Reuters) - World number one Novak Djokovic and number two Andy Murray crashed out of the Western and Southern Open within an hour of each other on Friday, creating shockwaves that will carry through to the U.S. Open.

With the sprawling Lindner Family Tennis Center still buzzing over John Isner's 7-6 (5) 3-6 7-5 upset of Djokovic, another bombshell dropped on the nearby grandstand court as Tomas Berdych swept past U.S. Open champion Murray 6-3 6-4.

The upsets of two of the big favorites for the U.S. Open, which gets underway in Flushing Meadows on August 26, has thrown the year's final grand slam wide open, adding a few more contenders to the list of usual suspects.

American Isner and Czech Berdych can now be penciled in to join Djokovic, Murray, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, who between them have lifted 33 of the last 34 grand slam events.

In a heavyweight matchup featuring two of the game's big-hitters, it was Isner who came out on top after a slugfest lasting two hours and 23 minutes to set up a meeting in the last four with Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro.

Djokovic, a four-time runner-up on the Cincinnati hardcourts, had been eager to take the final step this year and become the first player to complete what the ATP Tour has dubbed the Career Golden Masters by winning all nine World Tour Masters titles.

But Isner, the top-ranked American at 22 who has been in good form on hardcourt surfaces with a win in Atlanta and a runner-up finish in Washington, signaled right from the start that Djokovic was in for a fight.

"I was putting the ball on the court and I was feeling good off the baseline, I felt like, when I had a chance. I played aggressively," said Isner, who also got the better of the Serb last year with a semi-final win at Indian Wells Masters.

"I think I was able to put a little bit of pressure on him. These hardcourts are surfaces that I enjoy playing on. Not only that, I'm playing in the States. My record in the U.S. compared to outside the U.S. is shockingly different."

The two men set a pounding tone for the match in a 47-minute opening set that went to a tiebreak with the American prevailing 7-5.

Facing a triple set point, Djokovic was able to fight off two but on the third he slammed a return into the net, giving Isner the early advantage to the delight of the partisan home crowd.

STEPPED UP PRESSURE

Djokovic stepped up the pressure in the second set, breaking Isner at the first opportunity on the way to a 3-0 lead before leveling the match.

But Isner was eager for the fight, coming back in the third and breaking Djokovic to cap the upset.

Murray said he struggled to come to grips with the fast surface but the sixth-seeded Berdych was always going to represent a tricky test for the Wimbledon champion with the Czech holding a slight 5-4 advantage in head-to-head meetings.

The Scot, a two-time winner in Cincinnati, had just four break chances against Berdych and failed to convert them all.

"You know, the things that I really need to do well - serving, returning, moving - that was good," said Murray. "But I'll need to work on my groundstrokes a bit, make sure I'm not making too many mistakes going into the U.S. Open.

"Today when I had my opportunities, you know, I didn't take them. That was the problem today."

Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, continued to sharpen his hardcourt game before heading to Flushing Meadows, beating Russian Dmitry Tursunov, the first qualifier to reach the last eight in Cincinnati in 11 years, 6-4 3-6 6-1.

"Trying to play slices and different shots in this tournament before the U.S. Open to see how different I can play against the top guys or doing different things," said Del Potro.

"It's the last tournament for me before the U.S. Open, so it means a good thing to close my preparations to get there."

(By Mark Lamport-Stokes)

(Logo: )

In announcing the award, Doug Brown, NACD's Treasurer and President/CEO of Brown Chemical Co., Inc. said, "NACD is proud to recognize Linden Bulk Transportation as the 8th recipient of this prestigious award and the first Chemical Handler Affiliate to ever achieve it. Linden Bulk Transportation embodies excellent performance in EHS&S in the chemical distribution industry and shows clear dedication to a high level of customer satisfaction. They exemplify the high standards required by Responsible Distribution."

In accepting the award, Joe Neumeister, General Manager Quality and Regulatory Assurance commented, "Linden Bulk Transportation is very honored to receive this prestigious award, especially to be the first Affiliate to earn it.So many recipients before us are considered among the best-in-class. All of our colleagues at Linden Bulk Transportation have embraced the guiding principles of Responsible Distribution for years.They're committed to doing their part to provide excellent customer service through our 'Tender Loving Care' process ensuring customer products are handled and cared for correctly and in our driver safety programs to ensure drivers carry out work in safe and proper manner.This award is further acknowledgment of their efforts. I am very appreciative that NACD has singled out Linden Bulk Transportation to receive the 2013 Responsible Distribution Excellence Award!"

Linden Bulk Transportation (LBT) has been providing premier bulk transportation services for over thirty years.LBT is the largest Northeast regional bulk carrier with headquarters in New Jersey, and its Linden, NJ terminal includes a full service intermodal depot as well as cleaning and maintenance facilities.LBT has a satellite terminal in Bensalem, PA and its affiliate, Linden Bulk Transportation SW, LLC, operates terminals Pasadena and Houston, TX as well as St. Gabriel, LA.LBT is dedicated to providing safe, reliable transport and customer service excellence, and the Company is committed to the principles of Responsible Distribution. The LBT logo includes the slogan "Quality Comes from the Center of the Diamond" customers are invited to work with LBT and watch our diamond shine.

Responsible Distribution is NACD's premier environmental, health, safety and security program that is implemented by all of its members and many of its chemical handler affiliates. For more information on Responsible Distribution, go to .

NACD and its over 400 member companies are vital to the chemical supply chain providing products to over 750,000 end users. They make a delivery every six seconds while maintaining a safety record that is more than twice as good as all manufacturing combined. NACD members are leaders in health, safety, security, and environmental performance through implementation of Responsible Distribution, established in 1991 as a condition of membership and a third-party verified management practice. For additional information on our members, their safety record or NACD, visit NACD at .

Contact: Lucinda Schofer703-527-NACD(6223)

SOURCE National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Vera Wang, arguably the queen of red-carpet dressing, didn't go into the fashion business with stars in her eyes. She knew about its unglamorous side, the hard work and, especially, the risks. And there were plenty of doubts along the way.

But every time one person and, she says, it really just takes one understands what she's trying to express with a certain drape of a fabric, a particular color or a new silhouette, she's reminded of the reason why she became involved in fashion, and why she's still in it: There's an indefinable payoff that comes when she's helped a woman look and feel her best.

"I didn't come into this like all these teenagers who don't know better. I wasn't a 'young, new designer,' but I was a new designer and had to go through those growing pains. The risks were apparent to me, and I had seen so many of my friends go through ups and downs," Wang said in a recent interview.

Wang, 63, was honored for lifetime achievement by the Council of Fashion Designers at its star-studded awards show Monday night at Lincoln Center. She accepted the award from her mentor (and former employer) Ralph Lauren.

"To all the women and men I have dressed, thank you for your trust," she said during her acceptance speech.

There's rarely a Hollywood event or an A-list wedding where Wang's name doesn't come up. You probably couldn't go into a shopping mall without seeing it, either.

Her hit parade includes the lavender skirt actress Sharon Stone paired with a Gap shirt at the Oscars in 1998, Chelsea Clinton's crystal-waistband wedding gown in 2010 and the rose-printed gray jacquard chiffon blouse and evening robe worn with gray rose-printed pants that closed her last catwalk show at New York Fashion Week.

She has a lower-priced line at Kohl's and another one at David's Bridal. She's developed a fragrance business and home-goods collection. And she has branded FTD flower bouquets.

In an email to The Associated Press ahead of the CFDA ceremony, Lauren wrote that when "Vera Wang came to work for me over 23 years ago I saw a unique young woman filled with a rare passion for fashion. In all the years since, I have watched her drive, dedication and talent shape an entire world inspired by her own life first as a bride, then as a wife and mother, but always as a strong and beautiful woman."

Wang, however, wasn't always sure this would be her path. She studied art history at Sarah Lawrence College and was a competitive figure skater in contention for a spot on the 1968 U.S. Olympic team. Her family wasn't initially supportive of fashion as a career path, and although they had some financial means, they didn't back her at first. So she went to work as an editor at Vogue, and then at Ralph Lauren. She had earned her stripes.

"I first met Vera over 30 years ago when she was working at Vogue, and the only thing that has gone quicker than those three decades is Vera herself," said Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. "Whether she's designing, ice-skating, fundraising, or flitting from here to her house in L.A. and back again, she is constantly on the move and striving to do more, more, more. She leaves us all in the dust!"

Wang launched her company in 1990 as a bridal brand with a shop at the Carlyle Hotel on Madison Avenue and a sinking feeling in her stomach. She still feels that way sometimes when she's about to take another big leap, she acknowledged, but said each success pushes her to go a little farther.

She says being on top requires a combination of "responsibility, dedication, love and passion." That delicate balance comes through in her artful style.

"I was always taught that anyone should be able to pursue their dream and that the biggest crime is not to try. That made me motivated, and I didn't want to wonder what could have happened."

The perk that comes with it all? "I have a great closet," she said.

Wang has served on the CFDA board, so she knows how thoughtful the process is when selecting a lifetime honoree.

"This is beyond anything I could have expected. I had informed other designers they had gotten the award. ... It was such a shock to get the call" from CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg. "She said, 'Sit down. You're going to like this.'"

The hardest part other than choosing what to wear was pulling together a retrospective of styles for a video tribute that would suit such a perfectionist.

"The ongoing, unmitigating truth is I would have done anything to be in fashion," said Wang. I would have swept floors, which I did at Vogue, swept up hair from a model's haircut, pack up clothes, stay on a Friday night after the store closed to get it ready for the next day, which I did at Ralph (Lauren). Still, I always felt privileged to have this job. How lucky am I to have gotten here?"

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Follow Samantha Critchell at http://www.twitter.com/ap_fashion and http://www.twitter.com/sam_critchell

TAIPEI/TOKYO (Reuters) - A nuclear power plant in Taiwan may have been leaking radioactive water for three years, the government has said, adding to a growing crisis of confidence in North Asia about nuclear safety.

Japan is struggling to contain radioactive water pouring out of the Fukushima nuclear plant that was wrecked by a 2011 tsunami. In South Korea, prosecutors are conducting a massive investigation into forged safety certificates and substandard parts at many of its reactors.

Nuclear power has long been used as a reliable alternative to fossil fuels in natural resource-starved parts of Asia like Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, but the safety worries are forcing a rethink. A plan to build Taiwan's fourth nuclear plant has been held up for years by street protests and a brawl in the legislature over safety issues. Most nuclear plants in Japan remain closed and nine of South Korea's reactors have been shut down, six for maintenance and three to replace cables that were supplied using forged certificates.

Taiwan's government watchdog, the Control Yuan, has said The First Nuclear Power Plant, located at Shihmen in a remote northern coastal location but not far from densely populated Taipei, has been leaking toxic water from storage pools of two reactors.

An official of Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower), which operates the island's nuclear power plants, said the water did not come from the storage pools, but may have come from condensation or water used for cleaning up the floor.

"We have explained to the Control Yuan, but they turned it down. They asked us to look into if other causes were involved," said the official. He declined to be identified as the matter is sensitive.

In any case, the water has been collected in a reservoir next to the storage pools used for spent nuclear rods and has been recycled back into the storage pools, and so poses no threat to the environment, the official added.

The Control Yuan said there had been a catalogue of errors, including a lack of a proper plan for how to handle spent nuclear materials, and did not believe the explanations from Taipower.

"The company has yet to clearly establish the reason for the water leak," it said.

The use of nuclear power on resource-poor Taiwan has long been controversial, not least because the island is comparatively small and any major nuclear accident would likely affect its entire land area.

Taiwanese activists have seized on the 2011 meltdown of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant to push for a stop to nuclear power on the island.

Highly radioactive water from the Fukushima plant is pouring out at a rate of 300 tons a day, officials said this week, prompting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to order the government to step in and help in the clean-up.

The revelation amounted to an acknowledgement that plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) has yet to come to grips with the scale of the catastrophe, 2 1/2 years after the earthquake and tsunami. Tepco only recently admitted water had leaked at all.

The problems at Fukushima are clouding the outlook for restarts in Japan as a new regulatory reviews safety at some reactors, a process that started last month and may take more than six months.

Japanese prosecutors are unlikely to indict former prime minister Naoto Kan, utility executives or regulators over their handling of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, rejecting complaints filed over the world's worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl, the Asahi newspaper reported on Friday.

The quake and tsunami caused reactor meltdowns at the plant, spewing radiation and forcing 160,000 people to flee their homes, many never to return.

In South Korea, six reactors are currently closed - three for maintenance or expiry of operational approval, and the other three to replace cables supplied with forged documents.

Prosecutors are conducting a massive investigation into flawed nuclear reactors, arresting dozens of officials and parts makers on bribery and forgery charges in relation to falsified safety certificates.

Those arrested include the former the CEO of the state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power that runs all the country's nuclear plants, who faces bribery charges.

In Taiwan, nuclear power accounts for 18.4 percent of electricity production. In Japan it used to be about 30 percent before the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, while South Korea gets about one-third of its electricity from nuclear power generation.

(Additional reporting by Ju-min Park and Jane Chung in SEOUL; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Aaron Sheldrick and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

The league has a moratorium on teams discussing personnel business until players officially sign on Wednesday.

Howard made waves across the league by verbally committing to the Rockets on Friday rather than returning to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Amidst the excitement, both the Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and coach Kevin McHale publicly commented on securing Howard to draw the penalty.

Howard is set to officially sign a four-year, $88 million contract to join the Houston franchise. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Like "Monsters University," "Despicable Me 2" is sure to be a hit with audiences, lining the pockets of everyone at Universal and selling countless toys in the process. And like "Monsters University," "Despicable Me 2" is not as big a hit with critics as the original film - but most still embraced it with open arms.

In the sequel to the 2010 smash hit, reformed super-villain Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) has settled into suburban life, domesticated by three young girls he cares for on his own. His neighbor routinely tries to set him up with women. But it is Lucy (voiced by Kristen Wiig), an agent with the Anti-Villain League, who manages to catch his eye - and turn him into a spy.

Most critics deemed the new film endearing, sweet, fun and playful - even if Gru is a whole lot less despicable. The film has earned a 75 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences thus far have been far more rapturous, awarding it an 89 percent.

Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times praised it "as light on its feet, visually inventive and very fast with the repartee." She raved about the voice cast, describing Carell as "impossible not to like" and the scenes between Carell and Wiig as "electrifying."

TheWrap's Alonso Duralde, though critical of the film on the whole, similary praised Carell's "vocal combo of Bela Lugosi and Boris Badenov" while Variety's Justin Chang compared the film's "loony design, zany humor and impossible physics" to the work of iconic animation shop Hanna-Barbera and animators such as Friz Freleng and Chuck Jones.

Overall, Duralde found the film "neutered" and wrote that it stripped "nearly all of the characters of whatever sharp edges they once possessed."

The New York Times' Stephen Holden agreed, writing that the movie "crosses the line from sweet to saccharine" and combines too many flavors, along with extra sugar."

Yet there are two things everyone could agree on. For one, there are a lot of laughs. Holden, in an otherwise damning review, said the film was "consistently diverting and so cute you'll want to pet it."

"The minions are still wacky scene-stealers - and once again, we don't get nearly enough of them," Duralde wrote.

Hence Illumination Entertainment and Universal's next animated movie - a Minions spin-off.

Mitt Romney saw it up close from his ringside seat just a few feet away. So did Pacquiao's wife, who broke down in tears and tried to get in the ring to aid her downed husband.

Juan Manuel Marquez didn't even bother to look. He was already busy celebrating the knockout of a lifetime.

This was boxing at its brutal best, a toe-to-toe slugfest Saturday night that was destined from the opening bell to be decided by fists instead of judges. Both fighters had been down, and both fighters were hurting when Marquez threw a right hand off the ropes with a second left in the sixth round that could be felt all the way in the rafters of the MGM Grand arena.

It will go down among the great fights of their era. But it was barely over when the cry arose for the two ever-so-willing warriors to do it again.

When it comes to Pacquiao and Marquez, four fights may not be enough.

"If you give us a chance, we'll fight again," Pacquiao said. "I was just starting to feel confident and then I got careless."

Indeed, the case could be made that Pacquiao was on the verge of a big win himself when Marquez landed the punch that sent him falling face first on the canvas. He had come back from a third round knockdown to drop Marquez in the fifth and was landing big left hands that broke and bloodied the Mexican's nose.

After three fights that all went the distance both fighters had vowed to be more aggressive in their fourth meeting. Pacquiao ended up paying the price for it when he tried to close the sixth round with a flurry, a big mistake against a counterpuncher who drew him into his sights.

"I knew Manny could knock me out at any time," Marquez said. "I threw the perfect punch."

Pacquiao, who hadn't been stopped in a fight since 1999 in Thailand when he was a 112-pounder, took several minutes to come around on the canvas before being led to his ring stool. He blew his nose and stared vacantly ahead as the pro-Marquez crowd of 16,348 screamed in excitement.

He was taken to the hospital for a precautionary brain scan, then went to his hotel suite, where he ate with wife Jinkee and his entourage and watched a replay of the fight to see what went wrong.

"Spoiler alert," Pacquiao said as the fight played on the TV. "I don't think you are going to like how this ends."

His countrymen in the Philippines certainly didn't. The country came to a standstill as it usually does when its hero fights, and for the second fight in a row they were bitterly disappointed.

In the southern region where the boxer and congressman lives, some survivors of a powerful typhoon that killed more than 600 people this week watched on a big TV screen in a gym that serves as an emergency shelter in the town of New Bataan.

"People were really dismayed," town spokesman Marlon Esperanza said. "It was like they were hit by another typhoon."

What Marquez hit Pacquiao with might have seemed almost as powerful. Pacquiao had dropped Marquez four times in their first three fights, but Marquez had never put him down before he landed a big right hand in the third round for his first knockdown. The power was sure to raise questions about the new bulked-up physique Marquez has at the age of 39, which he said came from hard work under a strength conditioner who once provided steroids to Marion Jones and other track stars.

Still, it was a career-defining moment for Marquez, who believes he was robbed by the judges in his first three fights with Pacquiao. The two fought to a draw eight years ago at 125 pounds and Pacquiao was awarded close decisions in the other two fights.

It was clear there would be no need for the judges on this night, which might have been good for Marquez since he was losing by one point on all three scorecards when he landed his big punch.

The only question was which fighter would end the night on the canvas.

It turned out to be Pacquiao, who lost a controversial decision in his last fight to Timothy Bradley and who many in boxing believe is showing the wear of 17 years in the ring. For any other fighter the knockout loss might be the end, but Pacquiao showed no sign afterward that he was willing to call it quits on his remarkable career and return to his other job as a congressman in the Philippines.

Trainer Freddie Roach said the decision won't be an easy one.

"I said if he is back in the gym and I see signs of him declining I'll tell him to retire, but if I don't see that I won't tell him to retire," Roach said. "I'd love to get a rematch, but is that the best move right away?Should we try him out in a softer fight first?There is a lot of things we have to think about. It's very complicated, and it's not going to be overnight."

One thing the stunning loss did do was scuttle, perhaps forever, what would have been the richest fight in boxing history. With Pacquiao now damaged goods, any fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be fought for a lot less money and generate a lot less interest than if it had happened with Pacquiao still on his winning streak and still in his prime.

Pacquiao's career may not be over. If postfight comments from both fighters and promoter Bob Arum were any indication, he and Marquez will more than likely fight for a fifth time. There's too much money to be had and the fighter in Pacquiao will surely want a chance at redemption.

That will be a hot topic of discussion in the months ahead. For now, though, one thing is for sure.

On this night, one huge right hand from Marquez changed everything.