IT was not the ?thrillogy? everyone expected. And maybe, just maybe, Mexican warrior Juan Manuel Marquez did win this one.
I have no doubt our national idol won the first two of this trilogy. But this last one that?s supposed to be the definitive duel between these ring warriors remains unresolved
Pacquiao trained very hard for this rubber match. Trainer Freddie Roach, who knows his own reputation is on the line, put Pacquiao through a grueling drill. Body conditioning expert Alex Ariza made sure Pacquiao can go the distance if the fight had to go the scorecards. Which it did going to the Pinoy pug by majority decision
What happened?
Pacquiao, who was consumed by the desire to demolish Marquez and his oft repeated claims he won the first two fights, drove himself to exhaustion during training.
In boxing though, there is a saying ?he left his fight in the gym.? The expression means the boxer burned himself out during training and left little on fight night.
Is this what happened to Manny Pacquiao?
It would seem so as one Filipino fight analyst remarked: ?This is not the Pacquiao we know!? He was one of many boxing writers, who thought Marquez won.
Pacquiao himself conceded it was a difficult fight, disappointed that he didn?t meet the high expectations of his fans and countrymen.
The fans can?t be blamed for their high expectations. Trainer Freddie Roach said it could even end in one round, while almost all the boxing analysts picked Pacquiao to win by knockout.
