Greatest Win by a Mexican Fighter: Marquez or Morales Over Pacquiao, Who You Got?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 20 Aug 2019
Morales and Pacquiao during their first fight.
Another testimony to the greatness of our Pambansang Kamao Senator Manny Pacquiao has come from a most unexpected source in a highly appropriate event.
Juan Manuel Marquez, considered as Manny's archnemesis, after receiving his induction in the recent Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, said in an interview that his 2012 6th round knockout win over Manny should be considered as the greatest win ever by a Mexican fighter.
Even greater than that registered by Julio Cesar Chavez, regarded as the best ever fighter produced just south of the American border. Or other more revered and popular Mexican fighters as the late great Salvador Sanchez, Ruben Olivares and Carlos Zarate.
Marquez obliquely pointed to Pacquiao's own greatness as confirmed by the latter's marvelous longevity and resurgence at well advanced age, including his stirring title victory over erstwhile unbeaten American Keith Thurman, as his biggest argument for claiming so.
Juan Ma certainly has a point. That 2012 dramatic come from behind knockout win over Manny was declared not only as Knockout of the Year but also as Fight of the Year. That win also prompted one award body to proclaim Marquez as its Fighter of the Year (Nonito Donaire was the consensus 2012 Fighter of the Year for his magnificent four title fight winning streak).
Marquez celebrates after knocking out Pacquiao in their 4th fight.
For sheer drama and the fact that he did it against Pacquiao, Juan Ma sure has a case over Chavez who essayed a similar last round come back stoppage over undefeated American Meldrick Taylor in a title fight in the 90s, generally considered as the best ever win by a Mexican fighter.
But i beg to differ.
I think Erik Morales, recently inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, with his unanimous decision victory over Manny in their first fight in 2006 is better in many regards.
First off, Morales was coming off two bitterly disputed decision loss to archrival Marco Antonio Barrera (another Mexican great who was inducted in the Hall in 2015 and another Mexican rival of Pacquiao) before he met Manny in a supposed non title fight in Las Vegas that had all the trimmings of a major world title bout.
On the other hand, Manny was coming off a winning streak that dated all the way back at the start of the new millennium that included stoppage wins over Lehlo Lebwaba and the same Barrera who was then high in the pound for pound ranking. The only marks in that impeccable record were controversial draws versus Agapito Sanchez and Marquez himself in a fight many believed should be a Manny win owing to his three knockdowns of Juan Ma in the very first round, the Mexican being saved by the bell.
Secondly, Morales-Pacquiao I was a better quality fight that featured demonstrations not only of courage and strength but much more so of skills, techniques and strategies by both fighters and their corners.
It was not just Erik's vaunted right against Manny's lethal left but Morales pile driver right and superb boxing and counterpunching against Manny's killer left and his first serious attempt to combo it with his right hand through the then experimental Manila Ice as designed by trainer extra ordinaire Freddie Roach.
It was the fight that saw the first transformation of Manny as a great all around fighter which would be confirmed in their next two fights, won emphatically by Manny via technical knockout. And the type of fighter he will become in the waning years of the 2000s to date that would terrorize the 130, 135, 140, 147 and briefly the 154 lbs divisions.
Unlike Marquez who generally just contented on countering Manny, Morales brought so much atop the ring especially in that first fight against Manny that posed extreme challenge and dilemma to both Manny and his corner. Erik would attack Manny at every opportunity and would connect with the clearer, more accurate punches while stifling Manny's own offensive output. The statistics of that fight reflected that and the rigors of the battle that had the bipartisan crowds delirious in thrill and enjoyment.
Marquez will surely be inducted in the Hall by 2022 and by that time his claim for the greatest ever win by a Mexican and as the greatest Mexican fighter ever will be analyzed more thoroughly by experts.
For the record, after the Pacquiao trilogy, Morales went on to become the first Mexican four weight division world champion, a distinction he would later share with Jorge Arce and Marquez himself (though Juan Ma's fourth was more of a fiat via promotion).
Sorry, Juan Ma. For me it is Erik.
The author Teodoro Medina?Reynoso?is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines.?? He can be reached at?teddyreynoso@yahoo.com?and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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