CEBU CITY (2nd Update, 12:48 p.m.) — It’s settled! Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao is now the undisputed super-featherweight champion of the world after wresting the WBC crown from Mexican titleholder Juan Manuel Marquez Saturday night (Sunday RP time) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
The extremely popular Filipino icon who was very hungry for victory dropped Marquez in the third round enroute to scoring a split 112-115, 115-112, 114-113 decision win despite struggling with a cut in his right eye.
“The business is over,” Pacquiao said after the match. Marquez, on the other hand, said he thought he won the fight, “as I landed powerful and accurate punches.”
Marquez, who also said the knockdown didn’t bother him a bit, asked for a rematch but was denied.
Marquez, who has been excruciatingly playing second fiddle to the hugely popular Pacquiao, took the edge in the early rounds as he landed clean counter-shots against the Pacman’s aggressions.
Pacquiao, who looked a bit surprised with the verdict, downed Marquez at the end of the third round with a left and nearly sent him back down to the canvas again at the bell.
The Mexican champion, who was looking for a victory that would give him the recognition he’s been longing for, bounced back to dominate the fifth and the next three rounds as pressure from Pacquiao subsided.
Both Pacquiao and Marquez were cut by accidental headbutts in the seventh. The blood inspired Pacquiao, who had his best round since the fourth.
Marquez opened up the cut over Pacquiao’s right eye in the eighth and punished Pacquiao the entire round.
Pacquiao picked up his rhythm back in the ninth landing some good shots that worsened Marquez’s cut. Pacquiao continued to rally in the 10th, but Marquez stood his ground.
The win improved Pacquiao’s record to 46 wins with three losses and two draws, while Marquez dropped to a 48-4-1 card.
In the undercard, World Boxing Organization featherweight champion Steven Luevano retained his title with a unanimous decision win over Terdsak Jandaeng (29-2, 19 KOs) of Thailand.
The aggressive Thai fighter downed Luevano (35-1, 15 KOs) in the fourth round, but the methodical champion padded his lead on the scorecards to post a 118-109, 119-109, 119-109 victory.
North American Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Abner Mares sent Filipino opponent Diosdado Gabi (30-4-1, 22 KOs) down to the canvas twice in the second round to score his 16th straight win.
After Gabi’s second fall, referee Jay Nady stopped the fight 49 ticks into Round two.
World Boxing Council lightweight champion David Diaz won over Ramon Montano via majority decision in their ten-round non-title bout. Diaz, who improved his record to 34 wins, one loss, and one draw, triumphed by scores of 95-95, 99-91, 97-93. Montano fell to 15-5-2.
Promising undefeated welterweight Danny Garcia (4-0, 4 KOs) landed a left hook on the face of Charles Wade 43 seconds into the first round to score his fourth win in a row. Wade dropped to a four-win, five-loss record.
Filipino featherweight Michael Farenas (20-2-2, 18 KOs) tallied a third-round TKO over Baudel Cardenas (17-13-2, 6 KOs).
Farenas, who downed Cardenas twice in the second round, connected with a vicious low blow in round three. Cardenas was given the full five minutes to recover, but couldn’t continue and Farenas was credited with the TKO at the 2:40 mark.
Super welterweights Byron Tyson (9-0-2, 4 KOs) and Esau Herrera (15-3-1, 8 KOs) battled to a six-round majority draw. Scores 57-56 Tyson, 57-57, 57-57. (Sunnex)
