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Fight of the Year: Pacquiao-Marquez 4 By Eddie Alinea PhilBoxing.com Mon, 31 Dec 2012  MANILA(PNA)- Since his rise to international prominence, none of Manny Paquiao?s fights earned the honor of being judged as ?Fight of the Year? by any of the prestigious award-giving bodies. This year, the Philippine pride finally earned that distinction although Pacquiao, who was predicted to be at the winning end, emerged on the opposite side of the equation in his fourth encounter with long-time nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico last December 8 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. That classic non-title encounter scheduled for 12 rounds has been voted ?Fight of the Year? by both ESPN and Yahoo Sports and, most-likely, will be accorded, too, by other media outfits that confer such honor. The People?s Journal/People?s Tonight sports staff, likewise, confers the ?FoY? honor to the Pcquiao-Marquez IV slambang affair. The 39-year-old Mexican warrior known otherwise as ??El Dinamita,?knocked down ? Pacman? twice, the last with a vicious right in the sixth round that sent Pacquiao face first on the canvas. Pacquiao found out he was the loser for the first time in his last 15 assignments some two or three minutes later. Marquez?s unexpected KO victory ended a long four-fight, nine-year saga between two of this era?s best sluggers and erased the doubts that punctuated their first three showdown that ended in a split draw and a split and majority decisions, both in favor of the Filipino gladiator. To Marquez?s camp and his believers, that definitive triumph, likewise, proved who the better fighter between the two, a conclusion, Team Pacquiao disputed, quite naturally. Pacquiao, his followings, argued, still lead in the race, 2-1-1 win-loss-draw. Pacquiao, his supporters believe, could have been on the winning end of that fight had he been patient enough to wait for the with round to end and wait till the Mexican?s corner threw in the towel as Marquez could hardly breath due to a broken, bloody nose. Which, Pacquiao?s believers, knowingly or unknowingly, betrayed what the opposing camp had been saying that their guy had been the more focused, better prepared, physically and mentally, in all those four times that their fighters collided. Incidentally, counting his ninth round KO of Juan Diaz in 2009, the 2012 Marquez?s stoppage of Pacquiao was the second ESPN Sports? FoY for the Mexican legend that tied him with Israel Vazquez (2007 and 2008) and Micky Ward (2000 and 2001). Earlier, ESPN, likewise, selected Marquez?s sixth round KO of Pacquiao the ?Knockout of the Year.? The animosities that existed in the two fighters? camps following their historic trilogy and those that marked their contradicting preparations led to what was dubbed earlier as the unnecessary Chapter IV of the rivalry to a very successful undertaking that drew a near record 1.5 pay-per-views buys and mor? than 18,000 gate attendance. The 18-minute toe-toe-battle that saw luck changed hands as the rounds went with the 34-year old Pacquiao dominating the first two and Marquez surprising him with the first power punch of the night ? a right cross ? in the third that floored the Filipino down on the set of his pants prefaced what was to come in the next two periods. Pacquiao leveled the issue in the fifth via his patented left that fell Marquez down and was on the way to scoring a more decisive win than his first two previously as he started the sixth furiously until the final tick of the round when ht went into Marquez?s dreaded right-counter while faking a right. "This might be the best fight yet," HBO analyst Larry Merchant said as quoted by ESPN?s Dan Rafael after the fight. Responded Jim Lampley, his longtime broadcast partner, "This has been a blood-curdling war so far!" Jim Lampley, Merchant?s long-time broadcast partnet, butted in. Pacquiao badly hurt Marquez, who was now bleeding from his nose, with a right hand in the toe-to-toe final minute, prompting Lampley to exclaim at the bell, "All-out war in Vegas!" Pacquiao looked like he was closing in on a stoppage in the sixth round after continuing to land heavy, damaging shots only to turn lax in defense which Marquez too advantage by stepping into a full-force right hand that knocked Pacquiao out cold to bring the epic fight to an abrupt and stunning conclusion. "What an amazing fight," Lampley cried. "What an amazing, stunning knockout performance from Marquez!" Their first three fights were all breathtaking affairs, filled with the kind of action that would make anyone who saw them a fan for life. In the buildup to the fourth fight, both men spoke of their desire to fight more aggressively. One of Pacquiao's most frequently used clich?s before any match is "I want to give a good fight for the fans.? Yahoo Sports? Kevin Iole recalled. Marquez, to dramatize what he perceived as ?robbery? perpetuated by the judges of their three prior encounters, went worldwide proclaiming he won all those fights. He even had the temerity to travel to the Philippines wearing t-shirts to that effect. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.  |
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