Juan Manuel Marquez landed what probably the biggest punch of his career.
A right straight that landed flush on the chin of Manny Pacquiao who dropped cold like a fallen timber ? face down ? to score a come from behind spectacular knockout win.
Pacquiao was out of his wits and took several minutes before he has able to stand on his own.
The fight lived up to its billing with both boxers hitting the canvass before the fateful ending.
Pacquiao was leading with his left straights in the first two rounds and was connecting more accurately when he got tagged by an overhand right from Marquez in the third round.
It sent him down backwards.
Pacquiao however recovered and dropped Marquez to his knees in the fifth round with a short left straight and almost brought him down again towards the end of the fifth round.
The fight was going Pacquiao?s way, who was all over Marquez in the sixth round.
Then the biggest punch of the night with one second left.
Marquez perfectly timed his right straight as Manny as moving in.
Pacquiao was out before he hit the canvass.
A terrified Jinkee Pacquiao was all tears as Pacquiao?s seconds rushed immediately to the fallen Filipino boxing icon.
It is the second consecutive loss for Pacquiao and there was no doubt about it.
Marquez, how vowed not to let the fight to the scores of the judges, said he caught Pacquiao with a good right.
He said he is going back to Mexico to enjoy his victory. One that he so coveted for many years against his tormentor.
In the main supporting fight, Michael Fari?as came up short against Yuriorkis Gamboa who won by unanimous decision.
Fari?as however gave a good account of himself, knocking down Gamboa in the 10 round.
By then he was already far way behind after being decked twice ? in the first and seventh rounds.
It was a night of sorry losses for the Filipinos main draws of Mercito Gesta was also totally outclassed by Miguel Vasquez to fail in his title bid.
As consolation however, two up and coming Filipino fighters won their fights in the undercards.
Featherweight Dodie Boy Pe?alosa Jr lured his opponent into coming in before unleashing a killer right cross that sent American Jesus Lule crashing on his back to the canvass as the son of former two-division Filipino champion debuted with aplomb in the undercard of the Pacquiao-Marquez fight.
Pe?alosa used his height advantage at the opening round throwing lead lefts from a southpaw stance.
Lulu tried to bore in but Pe?alosa wisely avoided the onslaught and cleverly covered his body.
Lule continued to press in the second round and tried to pin Pe?alosa to the ropes.
But the rising Filipino knockout artist uncorked a wicked right that caught Lule flush on the chin.
The referee stepped in to stop the fight without a count with 1:12 left in the second round of their 8-round scheduled fight.
It was the tenth knockout victory for Pe?alosa in as many professional fights.
Ernie Sanchez, another Filipino boxer fighting in the undercard, survived a near stoppage in the second round and bounced back to eke a unanimous win against Coy Evans of the US. The scores were 78-73, 78-73 and 78-74.
