It wasn?t the best of fights for WBO welterweight champion and the world?s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Manny Pacquiao but the showing was enough to beat rugged Mexican challenger Juan Manuel Marquez by a majority 12-round decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas last weekend.
Something wasn?t right with Pacquiao that night and he admitted it. Pacquiao wasn?t the same swashbuckling dervish who left Antonio Margarito with a fractured left orbital socket and reduced Sugar Shane Mosley into a cowering scaredy cat in his previous two bouts. His timing was off. He was overly cautious. His combinations weren?t crisp.
Still, Pacquiao did enough to earn the close verdict. His aggressiveness made the difference. In rounds that could?ve gone either way, judges will always favor the aggressor as even scores are no longer in vogue. Because Pacquiao is a volume puncher, he threw more than Marquez who wasn?t as busy but had more quality connections. While Marquez was more precise in his attack, Pacquiao had the edge in quantity. The computer box statistics proved who deserved to win. Pacquiao had more punches landed, 176-138 and more punches thrown, 578-436. Breaking down the connections, Pacquiao landed more jabs, 59-38, and more power shots, 117-100. None of the judges saw it Marquez?s way. Judge Robert Hoyle scored it 114-114 while judge Dave Moretti had it 115-113 and judge Glenn Trowbridge, 116-112, both for Pacquiao. HBO TV fight analyst Harold Lederman scored eight rounds for Pacquiao and four for Marquez.
There was howling and jeering when the decision was announced. Obviously, the fans were disappointed because they expected a decisive conclusion to the trilogy between the archrivals. Instead, they were treated to another close contest. In the first meeting in 2004, the outcome was a split draw. In the rematch in 2008, Pacquiao eked out a split decision. In their three epic encounters, nine different judges were involved in scoring a total of 36 rounds. Five scored it for Pacquiao, two for Marquez and two called it a draw.
After the fight, Marquez cried foul and sang the same refrain of the first two fights. So what else is new? Pacquiao said using a tactical style to fight Marquez wasn?t the original plan but he wasn?t his usual self because of a ?problem.? He cited cramps in his left foot starting the fourth round as a problem but a source said it was likely tension in his relationship with wife Jinkee who arrived in Las Vegas only two days before the fight. But whatever the problem, it appeared to have been solved by Divine Providence. Pacquiao has reportedly made a personal pact with God and is now heavily into Bible study.
Pacquiao, 32, took 28 stitches to sew up a cut over his right eye inflicted by an accidental head butt in the ninth round. Plastic surgeon Dr. Jerry Roth performed the 30-minute procedure in the dressing room shortly after the fight in the presence of Jinkee and Dr. Vicki Belo, among only a few others.
Oddsmakers had Pacquiao a huge 9.5-1 favorite to beat Marquez and bettors wagered $950 on the Filipino to win only to receive a $100 return. That was how much of an underdog Marquez was.
At the weigh-in, Pacquiao tipped the scales at 143 and Marquez, 142, both under the contracted catchweight of 144 even as the welterweight limit is 147. Over 5,000 fans attended the weigh-in ceremonies which were shown live on HBO TV. Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said it was the first weigh-in telecast live ever by HBO. He noted that the night before the fight, a replay was shown on TV of the Jimmy Kimmel Show where Pacquiao was a guest, CNN did a preview of the fight with host Piers Morgan and the last segment of the 24/7 series was aired. Arum predicted the fight to register at least 1.5 million pay-per-view buys. Pacquiao has posted over a million pay-per-view hits in the past ? against Oscar de la Hoya in 2008, Miguel Cotto in 2009, Margarito in 2010 and Mosley last May ? but none went over 1.5 million. Pacquiao was guaranteed a $22 million paycheck and Marquez, $5 million.
On the morning of the fight, Catholic priest Fr. Marlon Boef celebrated Mass with two others at the Mandalay Bay Theater where, at night, the musical Lion King is staged. The capacity is 1,600 and at least 1,000 came to express support for Pacquiao who sat beside Jinkee to his left and lawyer Romy Macalintal to his right.
Celebrities joined the sell-out crowd of 16,368 to witness the fight. Pacquiao himself picked 11-year-old Fil-Canadian Maria Aragon to sing the National Anthem. Aragon was discovered by Lady Gaga who tracked her on YouTube singing her version of Born This Way. NBA legends Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller were in the house. So were ring personalities Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Erik Morales, Julio Cesar Chavez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Amir Khan, Roy Jones Jr. and Victor Ortiz. Solar executives William Tieng, Wilson Tieng and Peter Chanliong also came.
Filipinos who flew in to watch the battle included Gov. Chavit Singson, Mayor Bing Leonardia, Jollibee owner Tony Tan Caktiong, former Speakers Jose de Venecia and Prospero Nograles, Rep. Gina de Venecia, Rep. Karlo Nograles, Rep. Jun Rodriguez and wife Maridi, former Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, Philippine Olympic Committee chairman Monico Puentevella, former PBA cagers Benjie Paras, Peter Aguilar and Django Rivera, 1996 Olympic silver medalist Onyok Velasco, Tommy Ong, Rep. Hermilando Mandanas, former Sen. Robert Jaworski, Sen. Gringo Honasan, Eddie and Annabelle Gutierrez, former Mayor Lito and Beng Atienza, Ruffa Gutierrez, Dr. Vicki Belo, Cristalle Belo Henares, Hayden Kho, Thiere Arnout, MGM Resorts International independent agent Joey Reyes, Marinduque provincial administrator Regina Reyes Mandanas, Hermie Esguerra, Reli de Leon, Rep. Danny Suarez, Rep. Oscar Malapitan, Rep. Cesar Jalosjos, Johnny and Liza Elorde, Ram Antonio, Berna Lomotan, Conrad de Quiros, Rodel and Lira Mayol, Games and Amusements Board chairman Monju Guanzon, GAB boxing chief Dr. Nasser Cruz and GAB commissioner Fritz Gaston. Pacquiao?s father Rosalio planed in with son Rogel and Cebu promoter Wakee Salud.
Top Rank executive vice president for business development and marketing Lucia McKelvey announced before the fight that she had just negotiated a multi-year, multimillion-dollar contract for Pacquiao to endorse Hennessy cognac for the 20-billion-euro company Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy of France. McKelvey was credited for the Filipino ring icon?s latest endorsement deals with Hewlett Packard and the vegetable company State Street Produce. She also arranged the publication of a new Pacquiao picture book.
Will there be a fourth Pacquiao-Marquez fight? Arum said he?ll stage it if the fans want but the probability is the fighters will just move on. Marquez has even hinted of retiring. Pacquiao will likely fight again in May and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is a leading candidate as his opponent. Others in line include unbeaten Mike Jones, WBA champion Vyacheslav Senchenko and IBF titleholder Andre Berto. Arum mentioned that Pacquiao has indicated he will retire after four more fights in late 2013 and will run for governor of Sarangani.
Fans were let down that Pacquiao didn?t write a conclusive ending to the third chapter of his trilogy with Marquez. For too long, Pacquiao has spoiled the public with spectacular knockouts and one-sided beatings. Surely, he?s entitled to an off night, which was the case in his fight against Marquez. As Pacquiao said, it was God?s will that despite his difficulties and problems, he emerged victorious and for that, there is much to be thankful for.
