Philippine boxing hero Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao braved the onslaught that was Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez of Mexico during lastSunday's "Unfinished Business" championship fight for the WBC super featherweight title, to come out the victor by a lone brow-raising point.
The bout lasted 12 rounds filled with blood, sweat, spit and pure guts from today's most evenly matched, 130-pounder champions of the square ring. Their last go for glory against each other back in 2004 ended in an unsatisfying draw. This Pacquiao-Marquez II slugfest was just as confusing as the first, with both fighters holding their own versus the other's determined force - toe-to-toe, pound-for-pound, blow-by-blow.
It was boxing history being carved-out, albeit live on pay-per-view.
There were rounds taken by Marquez, while other rounds showed clearly Pacquiao making his mark. Marquez even hit the canvass on the third round. For the totality of the fight however, both Marquez and Pacquiao were even - Marquez showed impeccable skills; Pacquiao branded speed and power; and both bore the hearts of lions.
Nonethless, at the end of the 12th, the judges had to make a decision. It was an inconceivable decision that could never measure nor quantify the battle that was waged inside that boxing ring. After that fight, the injustice was watching 3 judges subjectively score the very souls of the greatest warriors on earth that very night.
And as the scores were being announced, the Filipino pugilist, beaming with utmost respect toward his battered foe seemingly conceded his pride with outstretched congratulatory arms for Marquez. The Mexican though didn't seem to welcome his foe's gentlemanly gesture. Then Pacquiao grimaced - not with pain from Marquez's blows to his body nor the cut on his right eye. His face pained knowing that he must now bear the consequence of his efforts that night. Manny Pacquiao wrested the championship from Marquez by but a sliver of a point.
I'm proud that Pacquiao won. Nevertheless, I cannot say that Marquez was in any way a loser. He was strong to the very end and was just as deserving for that single point as were Pacquiao.
Nothing short of a convincing victory would really settle the score between Pacquiao and Marquez. Will there be a third meeting? If so, may the 12th round never come.
