By DAVID CASUCO
THE SIN CITY was full of abominations Saturday night on Nov. 12.
Incensed by the controversial ring decision that saw their boxing hero Juan Manual Marquez, holding the short end of the stick, Mexican boxing fans instantaneously turned menacingly loud and rowdy, chanting “Marquez, Marquez” inside and around the MGM Garden Arena.
Unable to direct their angry protest to the people who judged the Manny Pacquiao-Marquez fight, a few highly-charged Latino fans vented their ire upon the Filipinos inside the casino. Emotions ran high with heated arguments and near-fisticuffs happening as the fans were making their way out from the Garden Arena.
Boy Vallecera of Los Angeles almost came to blows with a group of young Latinos who were hovering around him, taunting him with their thumbs down sign. Vallecera, who proudly wrapped himself with a Philippine flag, was with his two friends, and were about ready to respond to an instant free-for-all boxing melee. The timely appearance of a casino security officer promptly diffused the combustions.
“They are stupid. They think that because I am holding a Philippine flag I had something to do with the judges’ decision,” said a visibly irked Vallecera, jestingly adding, “They could have tasted my own version of the vaunted left-right-left Pacman combination.”
And as the screaming Mexican fans, some of them tipsy or intoxicated, spilled out from the MGM Grand casino area, Marquez, the vanquished Mexican prizefighter, was inside the Media Center addressing a multitude of sportswriters from all over the world, telling them that he was robbed again of a clear victory.
Marquez delivered his post-fight thoughts thru a translator:
“Good night to everyone. I am happy for my performance tonight. Honestly, I do not know how to change the mind of the judges, but we (members of my camp) are very happy about my performance. What we need to do is sit down with my family and with my camp and make a decision what to do with the sports, or just retire from the sports;
“I would like to thank all the people who came to the arena…we also beat him to the other ends (as) there were more Latinos than Filipinos who came to support us;
“I would like to tell you that, yes, it could happen. It was done. Like what the people have seen. Yes we won. Yes we won. Only the three judges did not see that we won. I think I won this fight more clearly. I just don’t know what happened, why the judges did not give it to me…”
Would you accept a fourth fight with Pacquiao?
I don’t know right now. Everybody knows what happened. I feel very happy for this action.
Why consider retirement?
“Honestly, the result of the fight is the thing that makes me think this retirement. I prepared myself so hard, and what do I get? The judges saw it was not enough.”
Will you file a protest with the WBO?
“I am not gonna do that. I don’t think it is correct. They will get mad if I protest. I really believe that (even) if I dropped him, they will still have him win the fight… I am very frustrated right now;
“For me the best judge is the audience. I connected solid punches the last time we fought, but this night I connected more; but the judges did not respond in my favor. I was adjusting my style every single round differently. I feel so good in this weight. I feel that he was a lot stronger in the last two fights.
Pacquiao tells doubters: Not every victory lopsided
Meanwhile, Filipino boxing champ Manny Pacquiao defended Monday his controversial majority decision win, saying not every victory in the ring will be easy. "Siguro nasanay lang siguro ang ibang kababayan natin na laging panalo na one-sided. Siyempre hindi naman parating ganun. Mananalo tayo pero by close fight. Kailangan alam natin yun na kasama sa boxing yun. Hindi lahat ng panalo ko madadali (Maybe some of our countrymen are used to victories that are one-sided. Of course that won't happen all the time. We will win but some are close fights. We should know that that's part of boxing. Not all of my victories are easy.)" he said.
Pacquiao said he didn't expect Marquez to keep moving backwards during the bout, waiting for the attack so he could counterpunch.
Persistent leg cramps also hindered the Filipino boxer's movement during the match.
"It doesn't always hurt. I am not sure if it is over training. I trained 10 weeks for this week. My foot really hurt so my balance, my footwork was really gone," he said in Tagalog.
"I just thank God that I won," he added.
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