LAS VEGAS?After a total of 24 rounds and suffering four knockdowns, Juan Manuel Marquez remains unconvinced that Manny Pacquiao is better.
The dethroned world champion went as far as saying during the post-fight press conference that he had been robbed of victory twice, not by Pacquiao, but by the judges who worked Pacquiao-Marquez I in 2004 and Pacquiao-Marquez II on Saturday (Sunday morning in Manila).
As if to console himself, Marquez claimed he was able to prove that Pacquiao?s no Superman, as the boxing public was wont to believe.
Their first encounter ended in a draw after Marquez battled back from three first-round knockdowns to put the pressure on Pacquiao in the closing stages of the bout.
Marquez conveniently forgot, however, that had judge Burt Clemens rightly scored the first round at 10-6, instead of 10-7, Pacquiao would have won that initial encounter.
In Pacquiao-Marquez II, judge Jerry Roth saw it 115-112 for Marquez. But this was contradicted by judge Duane Ford, who scored it 115-112, and substitute judge Tom Miller, who saw it, 114-113, for Pacquiao.
The Marquez camp claimed they found it strange that Miller was taken in to replace veteran judge Dick Flaherty a week before the fight that drew 11,061 paying patrons and $3.35 million in gate receipts?the best ever for any Pacquiao fight.
Bob Arum, Top Rank president and CEO, however, brushed aside insinuations of irregularity in the selection of Miller, saying the decision was made by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Then Arum dropped a bombshell.
He said it was Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach who requested the change as he wanted to avoid any controversy. Flaherty, Roach said, is a close friend of his mother.
Still, Marquez insisted that the judges erred in their decision that virtually wiped out the last of the fighters deemed to be capable of stopping Pacquiao?s annihilation of Mexico?s best.
Marquez said he is willing to fight Pacquiao again under any term and conditions just to prove that he is the better fighter.
That may have to take the backseat, however, as Pacquiao plans to climb to the lightweight division and challenge WBC champion David Diaz, on June 8, if possible.
