LAS VEGAS ? Golden Boy matchmaker Samson Lewkowicz said yesterday Manny Pacquiao deserved the decision over Juan Manuel Marquez but if ever there is a third fight, it should be within a year because the Mexican, at 34, isn?t getting younger.
?Golden Boy is my family and Marquez is with Golden Boy but I think Manny won the fight,? he said. ?I predicted on TV before the fight, Manny would win by a controversial split decision. I knew what would happen because if you have a technical fighter against a puncher, there?s bound to be controversy with the contrast in styles.?
Lewkowicz, a Uruguayan, said Golden Boy executives Richard Shaefer and Eric Gomez both disagreed with the decision. But despite his ties to Oscar de la Hoya?s group, Lewkowicz said Pacquiao was the winner.
?I discovered Manny in the US,? said Lewkowicz. ?I should know he?s someone special.?
It was Lewkowicz who convinced New Jersey promoter Murad Muhammad to give Pacquiao a break in his career in 2001. The break led to Pacquiao?s second world title, the IBF superbantamweight crown he wrested from Lehlo Ledwaba.
?I don?t know if Manny will agree to a third fight since Bob (Arum) has already announced plans to challenge David Diaz for the WBC lightweight title,? said Lewkowicz. ?But if it happens, I hope Marquez gets a chance to regain the crown this year before he becomes older.?
Diaz also said Pacquiao was a clear winner.
?I thought Manny won,? he said. ?He was stronger, faster and more aggressive. I?m looking forward to fighting him because he?s the best and my goal is to fight the best. It?ll be a war when we fight. You won?t need a big ring. We?ll go toe to toe. We can fight in an 18 by 18 ring or even smaller. Our fight will be like a volcano waiting to erupt.?
Diaz, 31, scored a unanimous 10-round decision over Ramon Montano in the Pacquiao-Marquez undercard here Saturday night. It was his first bout since outpointing Erik Morales last August.
Montano, a Pacquiao sparmate, surprised Diaz by holding his own. He wasn?t expected to survive the full route particularly as he isn?t a power puncher with only one knockout in 15 wins.
?Montano is faster than what we saw in his videos,? said Montano. ?He?s a tough kid. I needed a workout coming from a seven-month layoff and he was perfect for it.?
Schaefer lashed out at the late appointment of judge Tom Miller who replaced original choice Bill Flaherty, Roach?s family friend. ?Miller got the assignment just a week ago and look at how he scored the fight,? said Schaefer.
Miller, 48, had it 114-113 and Duane Ford, 70, 115-112, both for Pacquiao. Jerry Roth, 66, saw it 115-112 for Marquez. The three judges gave the first, third, fourth, ninth and 10th rounds for Pacquiao. They scored the second, fifth, seventh, eighth and 11th for Marquez.
Pacquiao led in the three scorecards after five rounds. Two of the three judges gave the last round to Marquez. The big difference was the knockdown that Pacquiao scored in the third ? it meant an automatic two-point margin.
In punchstats, Pacquiao threw 619 blows to Marquez? 511 but was less accurate, 25 percent to 34. In jabs, Pacquiao landed 43 and Marquez, 42. Surprisingly, Marquez connected on more power shots, 130-114.
