Pacquiao Vs. Marquez
When Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez stepped into the ring in the MGM Grand on May 8, 2004 there was no one who anticipated it being the start of one of boxing’s greatest rivalries. 36 rounds later, in the same building where it began, it closed with Manny Pacquiao’s hand being raised after winning a narrow majority decision.
Amazingly (after those 36 rounds) it still feels somehow unfinished.
After 108 minutes in the ring against each other over the span of seven and a half years only seven points separate these men on the official scorecards. The combined judges scores in the fights show Manny Pacquiao with 1024 points to Juan Manuel Marquez’s 1017. It’s absurd to even think about, for two men to have been so evenly matched at three different weights and at three different stages in their careers.
This is the beauty that should not be lost in the immediate moments after the fight. Watching a great boxing match is a visceral experience, one where we, the viewers, can lose ourselves in what we feel is unfolding. We develop an emotional connection to a man like Marquez as he does the unthinkable.
Juan Manuel Marquez. The warrior, the faded star, the over-the-hill over-his-weight legend who many felt was only put in this position out of necessity and a desire to end a still unfinished story in the career of cash cow Manny Pacquiao. He did not come into the ring to play opponent. Instead we watched and we reacted as he gave as good as he got. Blasting boxing’s now favorite son with right hands, digging in with body shots and not backing down as the trademark Pacquiao left hand landed flush.
Seeing the man written off by so many despite his previous successes put on yet another masterful performance and lose a tight decision can be tough. As we invest in the underdog seeing him doing what he has no business doing, watching him lose ‘only’ because three judges say so can be an emotional shot to the gut. It just feels wrong and, even if the decision is justifiable, we feel cheated.
Pacquiao and Marquez.
There was a lot of anticipation for the Pacquiao vs. Marquez III fight last night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the bout certainly did not disappoint. This was boxing at it’s best and we eventually saw Manny Pacquaio win on a majority decision against his edgy opponent Juan Manuel Marquez in their third epic fight. We also have a video for you to view of the Pacman’s victory moment.
The atmosphere of the 16.000 plus crowd in Las Vegas was exhilarating even before the fight began and seemed to reach fever pitch at times. Pacquiao may not have been at his best but managed to retain his WBO welterweight title over 12 rounds in what was a great night for boxing and an excellent example of the art. The fighters were pretty much even throughout and neither was knocked down so as always, a win on a decision was going to be controversial. In the end though the judges scorecards showed 115-113 (Dave Moretti) for Pacquiao, 114- 114 (Robert Hoyle) and 116-112 (Glenn Trowbridge).
Marquez was notably upset at the verdict, as you might expect given the close shaves of his combats with Pacquiao. In their first bout back in 2004 it was a draw and in their second fight against each other it was a contentious split decision. However the record books will show that it was Paquiao who had the edge. When the decision was announced last night the many Mexicans in the crowd jeered and even threw bottles. Filipino Pacquiao said after the decision: “The fans of Marquez, of course, aren’t happy, but my fans are happy. I clearly won the fight. He is a good fighter, but I do my best. It is very clear that I won the fight” – according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.
Marquez obviously didn’t feel that the decision was so obvious and said: “This is the second robbery of the two that we had, and I think this was even more clear than the first. We won with the clearer punches. The audience protested because they saw us win again. I thought I got robbed. It happens again and again. I don’t know what else I can do to win.” Marquez’s trainer Nacho Beristain was clearly angry saying: “I’ve always confided in this commission here, but this has been a robbery in the utmost.” Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach commented: “It was a very close fight. It could have gone either way. I asked Manny to move to the right and he didn’t.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71Ofqh6eJM0
Although Manny Pacquiao won a majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the real winner was Floyd Mayweather Junior.
As Pacquiao and Marquez battled to an extremely close decision for the third time, the contentious outcome favored Mayweather, who dismantled Marquez in 2009.
Pacquiao retained his welterweight title as judges Glenn Trowbridge (116-112) and Dave Moretti (115-113) scored the fight for Pacquiao. Robert Hoyle called it a draw (114-114).
Similar to the first two fights in the series that dates back to 2004, there was certainly no convincing winner in the classic bout. Pacquiao (54-3-2) traded fierce combinations with Marquez (53-6-1) through 12 rounds, and the Mexican may have won the fight, in some opinions.
There were many losers to this fight, though. The clearest losers were the oddsmakers who erroneously picked Pacquiao as the 9-1 favorite. As famed boxing expert Bert Sugar told the International Business Times this week, the fight should have been 4-1 in favor of Pacquiao, but in hindsight that would probably have been a reach, as well.
Other losers include Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, and his strength-and-conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, who audaciously claimed that in this third fight Pacquiao would knock out Marquez. Maybe that was a ploy by the Pacquiao camp in an attempt to have the message find its way to Marquez so that Marquez would fight a different style. That wasn’t that case, however, as Marquez maintained his typical toe-to-toe strategy, and took advantage of Pacquiao’s susceptibility to being hit, while Pacquiao failed to deliver anything that resembled a knockout punch.
Pacquiao did little talking leading up to the much-anticipated bout. The Filipino icon is an easy figure to like, with his affable charm and active interest in aiding the underprivileged, and it’s not surprising for him to take a humble approach. It was clear that he respects Marquez, and he showed the 38-year-old that respect through 12 rounds, as he sometimes appeared cautious.
Although he won the fight according to the judges’ scorecards, Pacquiao is probably aware that he did not win over a sizable portion of the public. The 32-year-old star was seeking a clear-cut win over Marquez, and he didn’t get it.