Pacman win defies boxing logic
By Recah Trinidad
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 14 Nov 2011
IT defied logic, but there should be one answer to crying questions on what happened in Las Vegas yesterday where Manny Pacquiao was declared winner of a bout he had clearly lost on points.
Pacquiao won and retained his world welterweight boxing crown after yielding the contest to arch- nemesis Juan Marquez of Mexico.
Quite illogical?
No, it could not be suspected as a throw-away, because Pacquiao, in the first place, tried all his mighty best to score a big win and justify the awesome 10-1 pre-fight odds in his favor.
But, by the end of the sixth round, at the half-way point of the celebrated fight, a very perplexed Pacquiao was badly in need of his old, sharp, powerful self.
**
Pacquiao, blazing at the opening, appeared headed for a sensational finish, missing a couple of big lefts but readily slashing through the mid-ring with sparkling double jabs; scoring twice, to take the opening round.
No clear edge was established in the second, both fighters were very tentative, but by the third, Pacquiao pressed harder, sliding in and out, scoring sporadically, with that killer left hook menacingly cocked.
The third round ended with Pacquiao visibly ahead by at least two points
**
Then, Marquez and his corner made a solid shift.
The peppery Mexican established himself at an uncanny edge, either sliding off range, or conveniently slipping under Pacquiao?s swishing lefts.
Pacquiao winced, the crowd started to hiss, chants of Marquez! Marquez! started to rend the ringside air.
Smooth and sharp, Marquez rode on the borrowed momentum.
He dug in with combinations, connecting with combinations and uppers.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao started to grow more and more frustrated.
Marquez, after winning all the last three rounds, was up by at least a point at the half.
**
What would become apparent in the next six rounds was the absence of the sharp, classy world pound-for-pound king.
No, Pacquiao, as pundits would be wont to say, was not a no-show.
The smooth, polished Pacman, as promised by Freddie Roach, was there; although he lacked the smarts and the thrilling cougar rhythm.
Didn?t trainer Nacho Beristain taunt that they would be more at home fighting this new Pacman--as prepared by Roach--because that would be exactly playing into their game?
**
Anyway, the bigger problem presented itself when Pacquiao, pressed for time, shifted to his old wild, devil-may-care tiger self.
He howled, he seethed, banged his gloves, he also made the sign of the cross at certain breaks, before storming in.
But Marquez was not there.
Instead Pacquiao, hitting a new low in ringmanship, would be met and stunned by viper combinations, rattled by stinging uppers.
**
What?s harder to overlook now was the thought, presented by Roach, that Marquez had elected to bulk up in order to be able to rumble with the bigger, stronger Pacquiao. Now, it would be hard for Roach deny that the reason Marquez had resorted to a frantic physical build-up was mainly to take Pacquiao?s killer blows?and in the process outbox the Filipino boxing superhero.
Of course, the bout was also not won?or lost, as the case may be?solely on adjustments.
In the final analysis, the fight would be decided through misjudgment.
?How did you judge the fight? Many who know boxing felt Marquez won,?wonders the hard-hitting columnist Billy Esposo.
?The judges should be jailed!?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Recah Trinidad.
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