General Admission
Third Pacquiao-Marquez fight not palatable anymore
By Al S. Mendoza
“SUGGEST you write about a third Pacquiao-Marquez fight.”
Gladly, sir.
But before proceeding, some introductions.
The request for the Pacquiao piece came from Jun Velasco, the man above me here who opened doors for me to be at your service.
I was humbled no end when the Big Boss – who else but Ermin Garcia Jr. — told Jun, “Why not?”
That was in 2003, add or take away a year or two.
How time flies.
Now, do we really need a third Pacquiao-Marquez fight?
No, we don’t.
Just because Marquez stopped Katsidis via a 9th-round TKO on November 28 does not mean Marquez deserves another shot at Pacquiao.
If you ask me, Pacquiao beat Marquez twice already.
In 2004, Pacquiao knocked down Marquez three times in the first round.
But, Holy Moses, Pacquiao would next see himself lose a sure win when the fight was declared a draw.
After the shocker, one judge said he had erred by merely giving Pacquiao a 10-7 score in Round One.
He said the three knockdowns scored by Pacquiao in Round One should have earned him a 10-6 victory.
Had that 10-6 score been recorded, Pacquiao would have won the fight.
Thus, since scores in boxing remain as they are after the final verdict has been announced, Pacquiao was effectively robbed of victory.
In their return bout, Pacquiao earned a split decision victory.
And many said it was a wrong decision and Marquez should have been the winner.
Holy smokes! How can that be?
OK, it was close from beginning to end.
But then, how can Marquez possibly win when he suffered the only knockdown in the bout?
I agree that both traded powerful punches all throughout and so, that single knockdown finally tilted the result into Pacquiao’s favor.
Anyone who can’t live with that should go back to his boxing basics.
After their second fight, Pacquiao climbed to higher, heavier divisions, in the process piling up one world title after another. Now he owns an unprecedented eight world crowns in eight different divisions.
In contrast, Marquez remained stuck as a lightweight (135 lb).
Oops, wait, Marquez tried a Pacman act by fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. at a shade or two below 147 lb.
But for 12 rounds in that fight, Mayweather embarrassed Marquez and I bet you, if Marquez is still moping up to now over his decision to fight Mayweather, I can’t blame him.
Sadly, Marquez can no longer match up with Pacquiao, who is now so comfortably perched at 147-150 lb that the Pacman sees no need anymore to control his eating.
From 135 and he suddenly clinches a fight with Pacquiao at 147, Marquez would be a bloated, if not fattened, pig bound for the slaughterhouse.
To be brutally frank, Marquez isn’t in the league of Pacquiao anymore.
And, yes, you know Pacman.
He can be an angel off the ring but atop the roped arena, he’s become a virtual executioner with axes on both hands.
Now pushing 38, too, Marquez is no spring chicken anymore if and when he fights Pacquiao, who, at 31, hasn’t really reached his peak form.
Scary, right?
So, let’s stop this foolishness, this crazy idea of a third Pacquiao-Marquez fight.
Two “wins” and four knockdowns over Marquez later, a third fight is not that palatable anymore.
Yes, should it happen, it might give Marquez the big payoff he’s been dreaming of all these years, but, hey, have pity.
At the rate Pacquiao is fighting, Marquez could get killed.
