.jpg)
In just mere hours Juan Manuel Marquez will set foot inside of the ring at the Mandalay Bay as he faces off with Juan ?Baby Bull? Diaz in a rematch of their scintillating 2009 battle. Despite a lock for the hall of fame and winning titles in three weight classes, there is still a definite sense of unfulfillment with Marquez, mainly stemming from his heartbreaking March 2008 split decision loss to Manny Pacquiao. It is a defeat that Marquez vehiminetly contested and one that he is still chasing to this day as he has hopes of meeting Pacquiao for a third time.
Marquez and Pacquiao first met in May of 2004 at the MGM Grand in one of the year?s wildest bouts. Pacquiao stormed out of the gates and dropped Marquez three times before seeing his Mexico City foe regroup and turn the tide of the fight. Marquez? counter-punching attack would serve him well and after twelve spirited rounds the bout ended in a draw.
Following that fight the two men’s careers went in drastically different directions. Pacquiao would engage in three memorable bouts with Erik Morales while also defeating the likes of Oscar Larios, Jorge Solis, and Marco Antonio Barrera in their October 2007 rematch. Marquez would travel to Indonesia and suffer a controversial loss to Chris John in March of 2006 before regrouping and returning to America to defeat the likes of Jimrex Jaca, Barrera, and Rocky Juarez.
When Pacquiao-Marquez II was announced people began eyeing the contest with great anticipation. A lot had changed since their first encounter nearly four years prior, perhaps most notably being the fact that Pacquiao was more refined as a fighter and not nearly as wild with his attack. At 34 years old some whispered that Marquez was beginning to wind down but his obvious commitment to his training spoke highly of his longevity.
Looking back at 2008 it?s hard to think of as many fights as tactically fierce as the second Pacquiao-Marquez encounter. With an electric pitch inside of the Mandalay Bay the two men picked up where they left off in 2004 and you could tell that each man was chomping at the bit to make an early impression.
Pacquiao took the early initiative and struck with lightning left hands. One look at the Filipino?s cut physique showed the tremendous shape he was in. Marquez would settle down in the second and hand success with his straight right hand. Towards the end of the round he would catch Pacquiao with right-left combination that jarred his head back and kept him off balance.
The fight?s only knockdown was scored in the third when Marquez leapt in to throw a combination and was subsequently greeted with a grazing left hand flush on the chin. The punch spiraled Marquez to the canvas with HBO pay per view commentator Jim Lampley noting ?It wasn?t a home run but it was a double in the corner!?.
To his credit Marquez would again turn the tide of the fight in the 5th and had success by picking off an onrushing Pacquiao with precise counter punching. Pacquiao certainly would hold his own in spots but seemed to have trouble coping with Marquez, whose brilliant blend of finesse and tenacity would serve him well against just about anyone near his weight class.
The eighth was Marquez’ finest round as he began to take the fight over. Marquez often pinned Pacquiao to the ropes while ripping off punishing body shots. In a rare moment in the fight Pacquiao could be found in retreat mode in certain spots and it was at this moment when it became obvious that he was either going to let the fight slip away or make a stand.
Pacquiao turned the tables in the 9th and seized the initiative. He stepped up his work rate and had some momentum on his side. In between rounds Marquez? trainer Nacho Beristain pleaded with his charge to not let the fight get out of his reach. In the tenth Pacquiao again had success, notably early as he jarred Marquez with a left hand that had him stumbling all over the ring.
The 11th was a close affair and heading into the final round the fight seemed to be very close. Marquez appeared to win the final round by simply outworking Pacquiao and landing the more meaningful punches. When the bell sounded both fighters raised their arms in the air, fully confident in victory.
Judge Duane Ford saw the contest in favor of Pacquiao 115-112. Jerry Roth saw the action in Marquez? favor by a 115-112 tally. And last but not least Tom Miller granted Pacquiao the win by a 114-113 score. Pacquiao and his team broke out in celebration after Michael Buffer read the scores while Marquez and his supporters seemed mystified. With the win Pacquiao took control of Marquez? WBC title.
During the post fight interview Pacquiao told HBO?s Larry Merchant that he knew Marquez was a tough opponent and that he expected a tough fight. Marquez still seemed at a loss for words when speaking to Merchant and stated that he had hurt Pacquiao ?four or five? times throughout the fight. It was obviously a bitter pill for Marquez to swallow.
