“Boxing is like a beautiful woman,” pondered Big Steve during our Saturday morning coffee at Starbucks on Western Avenue:” They both ask the same question – what have you done for me lately? Two weeks ago they fed supposedly washed up Kirkland to Mexican stud, El Perro Angulo. They said Kirkland was washed up, because he got knocked out in the first round by an unknown Japanese fighter. So Angulo punches himself out and gets knocked out. All of a sudden Kirkland is a beast and El Perro is in a dog house, no pun intended. Last week Pacquiao wins a close fight and because he was expected to blow right through Marquez and didn’t; now he is in the dog house. ESPN and Yahoo Sports even took away his number one pound for pound ranking. Did you watch the fight on TV again?”
“Yes, I had it a draw when I saw it live,” I replied:” But when I watched it on TV I had it even after ten and Pacman sweeping championship rounds. I felt Marquez had the fight in his hands and has nobody to blame but himself and his trusted coach, Nacho Beristain for giving it away in the last two rounds. He didn’t do enough to win the fight.”
True to himself, immediately following the fight, Juan Manuel Marquez cried robbery, only this time he had a lot more support from fans and media.
“I understand. We have to accept that, because half of the fans are Filipinos and half of the fans are Mexicans,” said Pacquiao addressing crowd reaction to his majority decision win:” Of course, fans of Marquez are really disappointed, but we have to accept that. It’s just part of the game. The fight was close, but it’s very clear that I won the fight even if you watch a replay. This is just a sport.”
I watched a replay and agree with Manny; he won a close fight. A fighter can not win the title going backwards. However, a lot of pundits disagree and feel that Marquez not only won this fight, but dominated it while teaching Pacquiao a boxing lesson. Marquez went as far as contemplating retirement, because of what he felt was a poor judging.
Manny Pacquiao did admit to having problems during the fight such as leg cramps. “Starting from the fourth round, I felt so bad,” said Pacquiao:” My balance was gone, that’s why I was flying every time I threw a punch. It was not the fight that I wanted.” But the intrepid warrior, pride of Philippines fought on in the face of adversity and pulled out a close win during championship rounds, at least that’s the way Pacquiao’s coach, Freddie Roach saw it.
“I thought Manny pulled it out in the last two rounds,” he said:” I had him winning by one point at the fight. I had him winning by three points on TV. It was a very close fight, but I thought Manny pulled it out. It’s hard for me to give it to a guy who doesn’t come forward.”
However, eleven to one favorite on fight night, Manny Pacquiao was convicted of loosing his touch in a court of public opinion. Under heavy fire Pacquiao’s fans decided to retaliate by spreading rumors on the internet about Marquez drinking colored liquid during the fight, insinuating performance enhancement drugs. There was also a video illustrating how Juan Manuel kept stepping on Manny’s foot during the fight. In all fairness, the liquid was approved by Nevada State Athletic Commission. To address the second issue: Marquez employed boxing 101 strategy when conventional fighter faces a south paw; move to your left to avoid getting hit by a straight left. Marquez did it successfully, but while doing so tangling of feet was bound to happen. Now, I do not know if Juan Manuel stepped on Pacquiao’s foot on purpose, but if he did it was a veteran move that was not penalized by the referee. No foul, no harm. One other thing Marquez did successfully was to make Manny Pacquiao think in the ring and therefore hesitate. He who hesitates…
“He is always backing up. He is waiting for me to create action and is waiting to counter,” said Pacquiao about unsolved riddle, Juan Manuel Marquez:” It’s not easy to create action when he is also looking for a good shot. I am very careful, because he is a good counter puncher. I have to accept that it’s not that easy to fight Marquez.”
Super Manny is human after all. May be this is the right time to put Mayweather Pacquiao together.
“I think, commercially speaking, it will be a huge fight,” said Marquez when asked to give his take on Pacquiao Mayweather:” But boxing is about styles and I think style of Mayweather will get very complicated for Pacquiao.” Could this be the reason why ESPN and Yahoo Sports have revised their pound for pound lists and now have Mayweather as a number one ahead of Pacquiao? All of a sudden team Mayweather is claiming that Manny’s promoter, Bob Arum is a major obstacle to putting together a fight the world has been dying to see for several years. Are we ever going to see it?
Whatever it is, super star many Pacquiao realized that his performance fell below expectations. “I know I did my best,” Pacquiao said:” But the expectation of the people was not the fight that happened.”
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Contact Igor Frank at axident@pacbell.net or follow me on Face book or follow me (Fightmonger) on Twitter
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