MARQUEZ: "PACQUIAO LOOKS DIFFERENT AND MORE CAUTIOUS"
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 13 Nov 2016
Juan Manuel Marquez, the only fighter whom Manny Pacquiao fought four times said that his boxing arch rival was not the same Pacquiao he used to face atop the ring.
Miguel Rivera of Boxing Scene wrote that "Marquez believes Pacquiao is still mentally haunted by the brutal knockout loss that he suffered back in the sixth round of their fourth fight in 2012."
Marquez and Pacquiao clashed in three bouts that ended in controversial decisions. In 2004, the first encounter ended in a split draw. The second bout in 2008 was a split decision win for Pacquiao, while the third in 2011 resulted in a majority decision in favor again of the Filipino boxing icon.
In the fourth match, Pacquiao was leading on points and was slugging it out with Marquez in a ferocious exchange of punches. Pacquiao landed a right hook that buckled Marquez's knees and broke his nose.
"He looks different compared to the Manny Pacquiao we know, with the speed and power," said Marquez in an interview in Golpe a Golpe. "We saw him get hit by a fighter who doesn't have a strong punch. Jessie Vargas, out of 27 fights has 10 knockouts, so he doesn't have a strong punch but yet he staggered Pacquiao."
With ten seconds remaining in the sixth round of the fourth Marquez brawl, Pacquiao had the Mexican backing into the ropes after he absorbed a right cross from the Filipino boxing icon. Pacquiao double feinted a jab, probably to set up his vaunted jab-jab-straight left combination. But Marquez ducked upon the second jab, and countered with a strong right hand to Pacquiao's mouth. Pacquiao was hurt and he fell face first to the canvas.
"I saw a different fighter, more cautious, more thoughtful in his attacks, and that helps you to ensure that your opponent doesn't knock you out. We saw that he is still thinking about that knockout loss, we saw it against Jessie Vargas. Those right hand blows that landed from Jessie Vargas made Manny Pacquiao think. Getting hit with that right hand counter is still fresh in his memory."
The lack of knockout victories could be attributed to the more cautious fighting style of the eight-division world champion as observed by Marquez.
"He no longer throws punches thoroughly, so he looks more cautious, fights more from a distance, and he's not looking like he did in the past when he fought with that speed, with this animosity to knock the opponent out. Today we see a more cautious fighter and he's not winning the fights like he used to," added the former four-division world title holder.
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