It was the punch of the year after the round of the year in what could very well end up being the fight of the year. After being at the frustrating end of questionable judges decisions, Juan Manuel Marquez finally got his revenge. With one second left in the sixth round, the Mexican put Manny Pacquiao out cold with a blistering right hand. There was never going to be a recovery by the Filipino.
The official time is 2:59 of the sixth, but the story of the fight up to that point is this: Pacquiao was winning.
All three ringside judges had the contest 47-46 before the bout was stopped after Marquez’s incredible punch. Pacquiao was clearly the positional aggressor and landed more punches both in volume and with significance. For rounds one, two, four and five, Pacquiao was clearly landing the better left hands and staying out of the way of Marquez’s best shots. In fact, Pacquiao knocked Marquez down in the fifth and engaged the Mexican rival in wild exchanges that saw both taking wild shots, but Marquez arguably getting the worst of it.
Yet, Pacquiao had been knocked down himself and for the first time in his rivalry with Marquez. The Filipino went down in the third round, but didn’t appear overly hurt and was able to mount offense from there after for two more rounds.
Just as Pacquiao was cruising, that’s when everything unraveled.
Pacquiao was attacking Marquez along the ropes, eating almost as many shots as he was giving but possibly getting the better of it. However, he committed to a right hand and walked in towards Marquez which missed and that’s where the Mexcian found his opening. A right hand landing square on Pacquiao’s jaw sending the one-time pound-for-pound fighter in the world crashing face first to the canvas. He laid there motionless and had to be awoken by medical professionals.
When asked by HBO commentator Larry Merchant if a fifth fight with Pacquiao was in the cards, he declined to commit to the possibility, but also did not rule it out. The loss almost certainly kills the possibility of a superfight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Pacquiao with the devastating nature of the win by Marquez.
In undercard action, a series of unanimous decisions were a part of the night’s actin. Javier Fortuna defeated Patrick Hyland, Miguel Vazquez bested Mercito Gesta and Yuriorkis Gamboa outclassed Michael Farenas all by earning judges nods.
