As we continue to count down the days to Manny Pacquiao?s fourth encounter with Juan Manuel Marquez, one of the storylines floating around the fight has been the scrutiny that judges will be under when they score the bout.
Pacquiao and Marquez meet on Saturday night inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and it?s well known just how competitive their first three encounters have been. And despite carrying an official 0-2-1 mark against Pacquiao, there is a case that can be made for Marquez winning any of the first three bouts, especially their most recent outing last November.
Speaking to select members of the media following Pacquiao?s grand arrival to Las Vegas on Tuesday afternoon, the eight-division champion and his trainer Freddie Roach were advised that two of the scheduled judges for the fourth Marquez fight, Adalaide Byrd and Steve Wisfeld, were in New York last weekend scoring Austin Trout?s unanimous decision victory over Miguel Cotto.
After twelve tense rounds, Trout would successfully defend his WBA junior middleweight crown in Madison Square Garden, with Byrd favoring him with a 119-109 score while Wisfeld?s tally read 117-111.
?I had Trout winning the fight the same way,? Roach would comment. ?I thought it was a good score.?
?We respect what they?re doing,? Pacquiao added of the officials. ?We believe that they?re good judges; we always respect their decision.?
Pacquiao knows Cotto very well, as he handed the Puerto Rican star his second professional defeat in November of 2009 when he dropped him in rounds three and four before carving out a 12th round TKO victory as referee Kenny Bayless halted the action along the ropes.
Pacquiao admits that he was rooting for Cotto this past Saturday but couldn?t deny the trouble that the left-handed Trout gave him over the course of their tactical battle.
?For me, he lost the fight,? Pacquiao affirmed. ?Just to be honest, I?m cheering for Cotto in that fight, but he lost the fight. I see Cotto is just different than before. This time he?s just a little slow and the punches [were] not really hard.?
Asked if the punishment he inflicted on Cotto three years ago helped to cause a decline in him, Pacquiao wouldn?t say too much.
?I don?t know. It?s hard to say,? Pacquiao added.
Now 32 years old and having been in his share of grueling battles, Cotto is still an excellent fighter who simply appears to have lost a step.
Pacquiao was posed with the question of whether or not he would continue fighting if he were in Cotto?s shoes and his fighting pride instantly rose to the surface.
?I?d still fight, I think,? said Pacquiao.
