By Mark Havey: Last night we saw the Filipino King Manny Pacquiao on the receiving end of what he has done to so many boxers. The 5th fight between Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez was expected to be much like their past encounters. It turned out to be the complete opposite. Both men talked repeatedly of a knockout, and that’s what we got.
Both started fast with Pacquiao coming out on top. It stayed that way until a big right hook in the 3rd sent Pacquiao crashing to the canvas. It was a brilliant shot but Pacquiao seemed unhurt. I had a feeling that would set the tone for the rest of the fight. Marquez briefly touched the floor in round 5 and seemed stunned but not overly hurt. Round 6 was all Pacquiao. Marquez had been on the ropes with Pacquiao exploding into his shots in the same way he did a few years ago. I had a feeling the fight wouldn’t go much further, though I must admit I had the wrong winner in mind. Marquez was on the ropes in serious trouble. He slipped to his left and unleashed a shot with pure venom. With one second left in the round, Pacquiao fell face down into the canvas. He didn’t see the shot and I’m pretty sure he didn’t feel anything. He was unconscious for a little over a minute, I didn’t think he would ever get back up. It was sad to see.
It was a fantastic outcome for Marquez. He done what he said he would. And he done what both have failed to do in 3 previous encounters. For Pacquiao it’s a great shame considering he seemed to roll back time and looked great. He was clearly winning. Herald.com have stated that all 3 judges had him winning and he landed 94 punches to Marquez’s 52. Marquez fully deserved the win. One punch can change a fight and it’s not always the best boxer that wins.
Pacquiao has made it clear he wants a rematch. It may happen. One thing is for certain, he has lost serious bargaining power with Mayweather. However I haven’t been keen on that fight for a while. we will never know who the greatest was. If they had fought in 2009 we would. The most anyone can hope for is finding out who was the best at the end of the careers. And that doesn’t really matter. Mike Tyson lost to Danny Williams at the end of his career. If Pacquiao continues it would be nice if he avenged his loses. Mayweather could fight Cotto as that was a good competitive fight.
Does this change the pound 4 pound rankings? Perhaps. When ring magazine unveil their new rankings there is likely to be changes. And if there isn’t it won’t be long until the whole top ten looks very different. With the younger fighters like Alvarez and Ward doing great things. I believe boxing is preparing for a new era.
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