For once, every pundit had it right about a world championship fight. We all predicted Pacquiao-Marquez II would be a battle between an aggressor throwing straight punches and a counterpuncher punishing his every mistake.
We just happened to get the roles mixed up.
Saturday, in a fight that was decided by a single point ? one scored on a knockdown caused by a counterpunch ? Manny Pacquiao decisioned Juan Manuel Marquez to become the WBC and Ring magazine super featherweight champion. The ringside judges split their decision for Pacquiao: 115-112, 114-113 and 112-115.
Despite picking Pacquiao to win a split decision, I scored the fight 115-113 for Marquez. I gave him Rounds 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 11 and 12. I had Pacquiao winning Rounds 3, 7, 9 and 10. The third was a 10-8 round for Pacquiao. I had the fourth even, 10-10.
Before anyone in Manila types up an angry missive, let me explain my scorecard. I wasn?t ringside. I watched the fight on television. While viewing fights on television has much to recommend it ? access to corner instructions, closer views of cuts, a clock in the bottom right corner and instant replays ? it is wanting in one important way.
A television viewer cannot measure the general effect of a punch like a ringsider can. Why not? Because the sound of punches is lost by television. Though one can see the blow land and the reaction it causes, and hear something, a television viewer?s overall perception is compromised.
Still, there was no scoring controversy Saturday. In fact, the essence of Pacquiao-Marquez II was captured almost perfectly by the judges? disparate scorecards. Each saw a different fight. But in the end, the right man won.
Take nothing from Marquez, though. He introduced a novel approach to fighting a southpaw like Pacquiao: Start most combinations with a left hook. Before firing his cross or slipping Pacquiao?s, Marquez threw sweeping left hooks.
It was an excellent idea. First, in throwing the punch, Marquez moved himself to the left, away from Pacquiao?s best weapon. Second, in forcing Pacquiao to absorb the blow on the chin, gloves or shoulder, Marquez closed Pacquiao?s body, precluding the Filipino from firing a straight left without resetting his shoulders. Finally, the motion of bringing his left glove forward cocked Marquez?s body to throw a right cross.
That right cross landed early for Marquez. Perhaps too often. After buckling Pacquiao at the end of the second round, Marquez became overconfident. With 25 seconds left in Round 3, Marquez threw a lead right cross. Pacquiao blocked it. Then Pacquiao threw a short left cross that arrived before Marquez?s left hook could.
Marquez?s body continued forward while his chin went backward. As usually happens in such contortions, Marquez wound up on the blue mat. It was a decisive moment on the scorecards. It was also a decisive moment Pacquiao created with a counterpunch thrown from a defensive stance.
Fitting that a left cross would bring Pacquiao to victory. Despite all the pre-fight talk of Pacquiao?s improved right hand, the left cross was, and will always be, Pacquiao?s best weapon. But that doesn?t discount the changes trainer Freddie Roach has made in Pacquiao?s style.
Pacquiao moved better Saturday. He used the threat of his right jab too. Willing as Marquez was to swat at Pacquiao?s hands with a high left hook, he was wary of committing to low hooks to Pacquiao?s body. Concern about Pacquiao?s right hand did that.
Pacquiao remains a unique and marvelous case. He is arguably the best fighter in the world right now, and he?s still a work in progress. But at times, Roach?s tampering looks like too much of a good thing.
Improving Pacquiao?s defense is a fine idea. Educating Pacquiao?s right hand should help. But only if doing so doesn?t compromise Pacquiao?s intensity. In the first round, and parts of the fifth and sixth, Pacquiao seemed to try his luck at out-boxing Marquez. Not a good idea. Pacquiao should never trade his love of battle for cerebral plotting.
Pacquiao should always be the more intense and violent man in the ring. Saturday, he was both of those things ? and the larger and younger man too. How, then, did Marquez win the championship rounds and make it to the final bell? By moving forward.
Something Marquez realized in the second round of his 2004 fight with Pacquiao was that an opponent?s backwards or sideways movement gives Pacquiao exactly what he wants. It allows Pacquiao to dictate space and time. Any prizefighter who does that soon finds himself unconscious.
Just ask undefeated super featherweight Juanito Garcia. After spending six weeks in the Pacquiao training camp sparring with ?Pac Man,? Garcia had a great answer to an inquiry about moving sideways or backwards against Pacquiao.
?Yeah, Manny?s got that covered.?
What Marquez consistently did in each of the last 23 rounds he fought with Pacquiao was lean forward and to his right as soon as he saw Pacquiao?s left shoulder twitch. This caused Pacquiao to close distance too quickly, putting himself too close to punch.
Sage trainers and future Pacquiao opponents should take note. Marquez drew them a potential blueprint for handling Pacquiao. Spin him with left hooks, and slip his crosses by moving forward. As Pacquiao travels to higher weight classes, his speed advantages will increase. But larger and stronger fighters should still be able to disrupt him with left hooks.
If disrupting Pacquiao can even be done.
A debate will now rage about whether Pacquiao just did enough to reclaim the top spot in experts? pound-for-pound rankings. Pacquiao may not be a better fighter than Floyd Mayweather. But after going 5-1-1 in seven fights with his generation?s best Mexicans ? Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales ? there?s no doubt Pacquiao is the greater one.
