But up on his feet moments later, the pound-for-pound Filipino icon would regain his senses in what amounted to the most conclusive victory yet for either fighter in this heated and historic rivalry.
“I was just starting to feel confident and then I got careless,” stated Pacquiao. “I thought I was getting him in the last couple of rounds but I got hit by a strong punch. I never expected that punch. I got hit by a punch I didn’t see.”
In a riveting back and forth battle typical of their previous three engagements, the “Pacman,” in search of his own knockout, would edge his opponent in rounds 1 and 2, building an early lead on the scorecards by landing on occasion the more solid shots to both body and head.
This he would do while moving in and out sharply to elude the counter shots of his primed looking nemesis Marquez, who so primed, he appeared to have muscles where they didn’t exist before.
Winning round 3 in like fashion, Pacquiao would past the midway point become victimized by a long looping right hand from Juan Manuel that exploded on the side of his face, depositing the Filipino on the canvass in a heap. Returning to his feet, “Pacman” would attempt to rally late, only to be met with stern opposition so that the score would be all knotted up.
With not much in the way of action as regards the fourth stanza, Pacquiao once again appeared to slightly out-land his Mexican adversary, to at this juncture perhaps regain the scoring lead.
In the subsequent fifth round, Manny would get back on track, connecting flush with a zipping straight left hand to his opponents jaw, buckling “Dinamita” Marquez as well as causing his glove to touch the canvass for the knockdown and the all important 10-8 score.
Following up moments later, Pacquiao in this same frame would with a left-right combo rock his opponent yet again, this time more seriously, so that a now bloodied and out on his feet looking Marquez would on instincts alone valiantly fend off the swarming “Pacman.”
Round 6 would see the Filipino in total command, maneuvering at various angles to land numerous hard shots, almost immediately causing the blood to flow once more from the nose of an opponent who in the face of adversity would heroically but unsuccessfully fight back.
And in the process of penning a most decisive sixth round in favor of Manny Pacquiao, I would actually miss the smashing right hand delivered by Juan Manuel Marquez that would simply and emphatically render the ringside judges null and void.
“I threw a perfect punch,” Marquez said. “I knew Manny could knock me out at any time. We always worked on that punch. We knew he was going to come out aggressive so we had a fight plan that was more technical. We were able to capitalize on it. I felt he was coming to knock me out the last three rounds and I knew he was going to be wide open.”
With that said, congratulations to Juan Manuel Marquez, a veteran prizefighter who in the eyes of many was clearly deprived of well deserved victories in the first and perhaps third bout with his arch rival, so that redemption would arrive in as stellar a fashion as possible.
And for Pacquiao who earned $26 million for this fight and was ahead 47-46 on all three scorecards after the fifth round, he would fall markedly short of making the case to finally face off with the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr., this in what has been the most anticipated match up in at least the last decade.
In finality there exists an upside. After engaging in what looked to be quite possibly the most dramatic of their four meetings, this in a bout which would determine the supposed WBO “Fighter of the Decade,” I don’t know of any fight fan who wouldn’t want to see Marquez-Pacquiao V, to include that of promoter Bob Arum who would readily state post fight, “why not.”
Gamboa registers UD over Farenas
Known as “El Ciclon de Guantanamo,” undefeated potential superstar Yuriorkis Gamboa (22-0, 16 KO’s) fighting out Miami, Florida would make his ring return after a fifteen month layoff. Yuriorkis would be accompanied by new promoter 50 Cent in his debut as such, descending from the rafters with microphone in hand in an attempt to attract new blood to the sport.
By scores of 118-108, 117-109, and 117-108, the blazingly fast Cuban phenom would garner the unanimous decision over little known Filipino fighter Michael Farenas (34-4-4, 26 KO’s) of Metro Manila, Philippines.
Never really opening up but toying with his opponent much as a cat does with a ball of yarn, the stellar talent Gamboa would reappear after falling off the radar due to promotional issues etc., while also reappearing would be some of the same persistent flaws that the Cuban has demonstrated previously.
Even though Yuriorkis would have his opponent down in both rounds 2 and 7 on his way to claiming the vacant WBA interim super featherweight title, in the heat of the moment Gamboa simply leaves himself wide open.
This circumstance would not only allow Farenas to land more than a few hard and visibly debilitating shots, but the Filipino fighter would register a knockdown of his own upon connecting with a hard left hook in the ninth stanza.
All in all a controlling performance by Gamboa, a man who in appearing to get some rounds in, more or less gets away with any and all shortcomings by way of what look to be the fastest pair of hands and feet in boxing. That along with a no doubt suspect chin should make for some very exciting match ups down the road.
Miguel Vazquez too much for Gesta
In an IBF lightweight title defense, defending champion Miguel “Titere” Vazquez (33-3, 13 KO’s) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico would prove to be too much for Filipino fighter and San Diego resident Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (26-1-1, 14 KO’s), easily out-pointing the challenger by scores of 117-111, 119-109, and 118-110 for the unanimous decision verdict.
The taller, lankier Mexican fighter was simply too experienced, too skilled, too elusive, and too awkward for Gesta who never really found a way to get at the champion. With “Titere” endlessly circling and countering Mercito from a distance, it’s safe to say that this was non other than a schooling for the young Filipino fighter who in suffering his first professional defeat, was surely up against too much too soon.
Fortuna out-points Hyland
In a bout for the vacant WBA interim featherweight title, undefeated Dominican born southpaw Javier Fortuna (21-0, 15 KO’s) would remain so, out-working and out-pointing conservative and formerly undefeated Irish opponent Patrick Hyland (27-1, 12 KO’s) fighting out of Newburgh, New York. The final tallies after twelve complete rounds would read 118-110, 116-112, and 115-113.
Under the guidance of former world champion and southpaw killer Tracy Harris Patterson, Hyland although never hurt while demonstrating good defense and timing, was altogether reluctant to let his hands go in a significant way until it was too late.
This would allow the Sergio Martinez mentored Fortuna, who at times also fought with his hands down ala “Maravilla” Martinez, to get off when he wanted, so that the judges had no choice but to score by far the majority of rounds in favor of Javier.
