A STUNNING FINALE FOR MARQUEZ
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 09 Dec 2012
LAS VEGAS (PNA via PCSO) ? End of the story.
Juan Manuel Marquez made good his promise to knock Manny Pacquiao out, which he did in the sixth round of their 12-round fourth confrontation to close out with a bang one of the greatest rivalries in the history of boxing that lasted nine years 45 rounds and 126 minutes.
The Mexican legend floored his long time tormentor twice with vicious rights, the last with barely a second remaining in the decisive period that sent the eight-division world champion flat on his face in front of wife Jinkee, who was seating at ringside.
Pacquiao stayed in that position for some three minutes sending shock waves to the full-house 16,348 crowd at the MGM Grand Arena and was cross-eyed when he turned around.
Jinkee turned hysterical seeing what happed and tried to rush to his husband crying, but was comforted by promoter Bob Arum.
Pacquiao was rushed to a nearby hospital for precautionary measures and was unable to attend the customary post-fight press conference at the Media Center. Early reports though said the CT Scan conducted was negative.
?Okay na naman daw si Manny, according to the doctors who attended him,? assistant trainer Marvin Somodio told Peoples Journal when contacted.
The bloodied four-division belt-owner himself was sent to the hospital with broken nose caused by an accidental head butt in the fifth earlier and arrived at at the presscon two hours later.
Sign of what to come came in the third when a similar colossal right cross from the Mexican sent Pacquiao to the seat of his pants although the Filipino ring icon appeared to have recovered in the fifth when it was his turn to dropped Marquez with his patented left straight.
The loss came as a heartbreaker to the former World Boxing Organization welterweight titlist, who, only last June lost his 147-pound crown on a questionable split decision to undefeated American Timothy Bradley.
Pacquiao, who will turn 34 exactly a week from now, led on all scorecards of judges Adelaide Byrd, Steve Weisfeld and John Keane, 47-46 when the fight came to its end. He threw 256 punches to the ?El Dinamita?s 246, landing 94 of them to his opponent?s 52. The Pacman, likewise, delivered 68 power punches, 27 more than the 41 of Marquez.
Pacman approached Marquez right after the result was announced, congratulating the Mexican saying, good fight, good fight.?
Except the third and fourth rounds, judges Byrd, Weisfeld and Keane saw Pacquiao the winner in the rest, leading Top Rank?s big boss Arum and Pacquiao?s chief trainer Freddie Roach to dismiss the possibility of the Filipino?s hanging his gloves.
?Manny was on top in all departments when the fight was ended, and I didn?t think Marquez would survive the sixth round,? Arum said during the post-fight press conference. Losing a fight and getting knocked out is not death.?
?Losing don?t mean anything if you give the public (the fight) that they want and you are able to get back,? Arum, who said the gate could earned $10.8 million, added. ?Manny told me he wants to keep fighting.?
Roach agreed, saying, ?Manny was doing well. In fact, I thought I was seeing the best of Manny in that fight. I am giving Manny though time to settle a bit before talking to him about a rematch and retiring.?
?Does that loss the end of Manny? I don?t think so. He just got a little careless. He was punishing Marquez as the sixth round approached its end and failed to cover up opening himself to that right,? he added.
As for Marquez, he said he wants to rest and celebrate his victory to Mexico and its people before thinking of what to do next.
?I am very happy with this victory and I want to thank all the people who made possible this fight, Top Rank, Bob Arum and the MGM,? he said through an interpreter.
* Top photo ? JM Marquez celebrates after beating Manny Pacquiao by knockout, below ? Marquez standing over a fallen Pacquiao.
* Photos by WENDELL RUPERT ALINEA via PCSO
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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