THE MARQUEZ PUZZLE (PART I)
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 17 Sep 2012
Juan Manuel Marquez did not lose a single fight by knockout or technical knockout. He was knocked down many times, but he was able to get up from these strikes without being seriously hurt. He would recover later and box until the last round. The most famous were the three knockdowns in the first round during the first fight with Manny Pacquiao.
Marquez had six defeats so far, but most of them are controversial. These losses were always contested by legitimate media. And after each loss, he would pick up and get better the next fights.
This is the Marquez puzzle. This is the mystery behind the fighter who is the antidote to the Pacquiao power. At age 39, boxing fans could not discount his body condition against the 33-year-old Pacquiao. He has that unique ability to age like wine, an athletic wonder. And he is the best counterpuncher Pacquiao has ever faced.
Marquez lost his first professional bout with fellow Mexican Javier Duran via disqualification on May 29, 1993. Marquez and Duran clashed heads on the very first round of their fight. Marquez was deducted a point and Duran was unable to continue the fight due to the cut. Duran was declared the winner by disqualification. Unlike most boxing superstars, Marquez lost on his professional debut, a very controversial loss for the boxer predicted as an easy winner in his first pro appearance.
?They stole the fight from me, I got ripped off. That's one of the first things that really hurt and it motivated me to never lose again,? said Marquez. He went on to win 29 straight fights.
But on September 11, 1999, Marquez absorbed his second loss which was again another controversial defeat against Freddie Norwood for the WBA featherweight title. Marquez went down in the second round while Norwood was floored in the ninth. Norwood was cut due to an accidental head butt in the fourth round but the fight continued until round 12. Marquez landed 89 total punches while Norwood connected 73. Harold Lederman of HBO scored 115-111 for Marquez. But the three judges scored 117-112, 115-111 and 114-112 for a unanimous decision in favor of Norwood.
After 15 successive wins and a draw with Pacquiao, Marquez absorbed his third loss from Chris John in Indonesia for John?s WBA featherweight title on March 4, 2006. Marquez was deducted twice for low blows, in rounds ten and eleven, and this caused him to lose a unanimous decision. Because of the failure, The Ring removed Marquez from the top ten pound-for-pound rankings. He went on to snatch four wins.
Then on March 15, 2008, Marquez lost his WBC superfeatherweight title to Pacquiao via split decision. Pacquiao knocked Marquez down in the third round and it was the decisive factor for his loss. The remaining rounds were very close and were about even. Compubox had Marquez landing 42 jabs to Pacquiao's 43 and Marquez connecting 130 power punches to Pacquiao's 114. The Mexican camp cried foul and demanded for a third match.
On September 19, 2009, after winning twice, Marquez suffered another defeat this time to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Marquez was uncomfortable with the moving up in weight. Mayweather knocked him down in the second round and won the fight by unanimous decision. It was the only non-controversial loss for Marquez. He went on to win three successive matches.
On November 12, 2011, Marquez lost to Pacquiao via majority decision. When the results were announced, several fans booed the result. But Compubox stats showed Pacquiao landing more punches, 176 to 138, and connecting more power punches, 117 to 100.
And now on to the fourth Pacman-Dinamita encounter.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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