THE smoke of battle had long cleared, but to this day, the streets of Manila continue to be flooded with saliva from people who continue to debate on the controversial result of the third meeting between World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.
The third encounter was supposed to settle the score between the fighters. In 2004, Pacquiao and Marquez battled to a spirited 12-round draw for the featherweight (126 pounds) crown. Four years later, Pacquiao edged out Marquez on a razor-close split decision to take the Mexican?s World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight (130 pounds) diadem.
The third meeting, held at the contracted weight of 144 pounds, failed to pull the curtains down on the rivalry. After 12 rounds, Pacquiao hammered out a decision victory over Marquez to retain the WBO crown. The decision was pelted with catcalls, with a downtrodden Marquez insisting that he had done enough to win.
Boxing fans were split on the outcome. What was clear, however, was that the Filipino?s performance was far from being Pacquiaoesque; a fact Pacquiao himself admitted after the fight, noting that he just can?t be expected to knock out everybody.
A 10-to-1 favorite, Pacquiao actually started well, refusing to recklessly lunge in and trying to beat Marquez at his own counter punching game. Offering an occasional peek-a-boo stance and moving his head and shoulders well, Pacquiao tried to entice Marquez to play the role of the slugger. The change of tactic appeared to surprise Marquez early on, but the Mexican refused to take the bait. This set the tactical tone of the match. Compared to the first two meetings were the combatants tried to tear each other?s head off, the third match had Pacquiao and Marquez trying to outsmart each other, resulting in subdued exchanges.
Pacquiao?s cautious start metamorphosed into an infection that somehow found its way into his offense. The vintage machine-gun like combinations from the Filipino came in sporadic fashion. The right hand, which was supposed to be a key factor, only made a cameo. In some cases, Pacquiao?s vaunted left was way off its target.
