From the beginning to the end of this fight, Manny Pacquiao was constantly moving forward, but it didn’t matter to Juan Manuel Marquez. That’s because he is probably one of the best counterpunchers I have ever seen, next to the great Roberto Duran. In what most thought would be some type of knockout punch by Pacquiao, including me, Marquez’ age and experience defied the odds. The only problem is that Marquez’ corner made the mistake of telling their fighter that he was ahead going into the final rounds. Although Marquez played it safe the whole fight, and put on a fantastic clinic on defense and counterpunching, he himself forgot the golden rule. That is, never slow down, and most importantly, take the championship away from the champion. Unfortunately that is not what he did. After knowing how close the two previous fights were, his corner did not come into the fight with the correct game plan. Yes, bulking him up was correct, and he had a stronger punch, but he never could land it. The idea is to win the fight, but in this case, he should have taken more chances and went for the knockout.
Unfortunately for him, he was going against the best in the business, Manny Pacquiao. A fighter who has shown that regardless of size, he can beat them all. Apparently Marquez is the only fighter who can make it a fight. Weight in this case was not the factor though, although it did seem to be in the favor of Marquez. Any heavier and Marquez would have looked like he did against Mayweather, who by the way knew this was to his advantage. What many of the fans saw was true, Marquez did land the bigger punches, and most would have gone down. But, although that looks good, the judges had to count the amount of punches that landed. That and the constant aggression by Pacquiao is all it took for the judges.
In the first three rounds, both fighters were very cautious as Pacquiao started his march forward. But from the beginning, it was apparent that Marquez was fighting the same fight as he did in the two previous fights. That is, counter punch. In the first round, Marquez was able to get in a left and right to the body of Pacquiao, but Pacauiao was able to land a good punch to the chest of Marquez. As the round continued, Marquez quickly began to get a swollen nose, caused by a straight right hand from Pacquiao. Both fighters fought very very cautious as they felt each other out.
In the second round, Marquez was throwing a ton of right hands, in an attempt to maybe get lucky and catch the elusive Pacquiao. Marquez appeared to have won the second round in the judge’ eyes. In the third round, Marquez landed a good left to the face of Pacquiao who continued to come forward and move quickly around his opponent. Marquez then attempted to land some body punches in order to get Pacquiao to drop his hands so he could land the right. It didn’t work, and Pacquiao landed a vicious right to the head of Marquez at the end of the round. Probably the best punch that he landed in the whole fight.
At the beginning of the fourth round, Pacquiao began to put the petal to the medal and started landing quick combinations and stretching his punches. He seemed fresh on his feet and quick as ever. Marquez then began to get a swelling over his right eye, and then Pacquiao caught him with a good left. Pacquiao then landed a good left and then another. Marquez then landed a good right hand to end the round. The fifth round started with Pacquiao getting in a straight right hand to the face of Marquez. Suddenly Marquez got in close and caught Pacquiao with a short uppercut. Pacquiao then leads with a double jab and a straight left that missed. Marquez then got in another right hand, which seemed hard to believe, but it landed. Marquez then landed a huge right hand to the head of Pacquiao who was then forced back. Pacquiao came back quickly with a good left hook and right hand to answer back. Marquez then got in another hard right hand at the end of the round. Marquez’ corned quickly began to work on the swollen right eye of Marquez. In the sixth round, Pacquiao continued forward and then Marquez landed a hard right and then Pacquiao countered with a hard right and then a left hook. Pacquiao then lands a left hook and Marquez lands his own right hook. They are starting to fight like they were in the two previous fights…..you hit me and I hit you…let’s see who is stronger. The round ends with Marquez landing a body punch. Just before the seventh round, Freddie Roach is telling Pacquiao that he needs to pick it up. As the round begins, HBO has Pacquiao ahead 58-56. Marquez begins with a right hand to the head of Pacquiao. Marquez then gets in a good left hand as Pacquiao continues to move forward. Pacaquiao then connects with a hard left hook which makes Marquez stumble back off balance, but he is unable to land another big punch. Marquez then comes back and connects with two right hands this time, but it does no damage. Marquez lands a short uppercut at the end of the round.
At the beginning of the eighth round, Pacquiao’s mouth is beginning to bleed and his corner is telling him he needs to use his hand speed. Pacquiao continues to put on the pressure, but the counter puncher Marquez quickly lands a short left uppercut and then a quick right. Pacquiao then lands a good left hand to the head of Marquez. Another right hand by Marquez and Pacquiao lands a left to end the round. Just before the ninth round, Freddie Roach is heard telling Pacquiao “I need you to be quick quick quick…can you do it for me?….and Pacquiao just smiles and nods his head as if to say yes.” At the beginning of this round Marquez lands a punch to the back of the head of Pacquiao. Marquez then throws a triple combination, but misses all of the punches. Marquez then throws a double combination and then connects. Marquez then lands a good left. Suddenly they go toe to toe in the middle of the ring, both connecting punches. Then they go at it again, this time Pacquiao knocking Marquez off balance as the round ends.
Just before the tenth starts, Marquez’ corner is telling him to ‘please stay off the ropes and keep your hands up.” At this point, HBO has Pacquiao up 87-84, but because of all the right hands of Marquez, it appears a lot closer. At the beginning of the round, Marquez lands yet another right hand to the head of Pacquiao, which lands with power. As they get in close toe to toe, Marquez connects with a right hand. They separate and then get in close and Marquez butts the head of Pacquiao and blood appears from the right eye of Pacquiao. Pacquiao then lands a good left to Marquez. Marquez then lands a right. Pacquiao then connects with a combination and then follows up with another combination but only lands with his right. The round ends as he goes to the corner bleeding from his right eye.
The eleventh round starts with Pacquiao connecting with a body punch and then following up with a right and left to the head of Marquez who retreats to the corner. Pacquiao then connects with a hard left and puts the pressure on. Marquez is being very cautious now, then he lands a big right. Pacquiao moves forward and lands a punch and Marquez counters, as usual. At the end of the round, Marquez lands a glancing right and Pacquiao lands a glancing left. The round ends.
And this is where the end of the fight begins. The last round of the fight is where Marquez’ mistake was really noticeable and he knew it. This is where Marquez’s corner tells him “you are winning”…and he believes it. They are telling him the fight is his. At the same time, Pacquiao’s corner is working on the cut on the right eye of Pacquiao. The beginning of the twelth starts with both fighters in the middle of the ring. Pacqiao then lands a left and moves away. Marquez is being real cautious and the HBO announcers are telling the viewers that he needs to be more active. Marquez is just waiting for Pacquiao to come in and then he wanted to counter. Wrong strategy at the end of a fight of this magnitude. Suddenly the mouthpiece falls out of Pacquiao’s mouth and the fight is stopped momentarily. The fight continues and in the last 30 seconds, Marquez throws a desperate combination and right hand and they are all blocked. Pacquiao then suddenly surges forward and starts landing punches on Marquez as he is in the corner. In the last 10 seconds, Pacquiao lands a glancing left to the head of Marquez who attempts to get in a last second punch but fails to do so. The fight is over and Manny Pacquiao wins a majority decision. The scorecards read 114-114, 115-113, 116-112.
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