May 8th?s featherweight super-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez was one such occasion when the system failed and certain frightening truths about this industry came to light. But before we recall the officiating inadequacies and their deeply felt repercussions, let us reminisce and appreciate the beauty of what was a truly amazing prizefight.
Filipino Manny Pacquiao was the first to enter the arena and therefore the first to sample the incredible reception that would inevitably greet both men. It was warming to realize that the public?s response truly mirrored the importance of the fight. Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez?s steady climb to prominence was long overdue. But here he entered the ring, as not only the WBA and IBF featherweight champion, but finally seen as the supreme technician and lethal puncher that he had been denied the opportunity to prove.
