PACQUIAO CONTINUES LEGEND AS MEXICAN ASSASSIN

PACQUIAO CONTINUES LEGEND AS MEXICAN ASSASSIN
By Scott Shaffer

Beats Marquez In Split Decision War

Manny Pacquiao W12 Juan Manuel Marquez... In Las Vegas, Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao battered each other over twelve thrilling and competitive rounds, but thanks to the only knockdown of the fight, it was Pacquiao who emerged with the world super featherweight championship in this see-saw war. The offical scores were 115-112 Marquez, overruled by 115-112 and 114-113 Pacquiao. Compubox credited Marquez with landing 15 more punches than Pacquiao but it was a third-round left to the jaw by Pacquiao that put Marquez down and wound up swaying the decision in Pacquiao's favor. Boxing fans would welcome a third fight, but Pacquiao might move up to 135 to face David Diaz. The decision had to be a hearbreaker for the Marquez family, as Juan Manuel's brother lost a razor thin decision in another brutal was for the 122-pound championship.

One day after weighing in at 130 pounds, Pacquiao entered the ring at a shocking 145. Marquez started off the bout strongly and landed a left-right combination just before the end of the second round that staggered Pacquiao. However, Pacquiao came back the next round to floor Marquez with a left to the crotch. The two traded furious blows for the final ten econds of round three, with Pacquiao nearly decking Marquez for a second time. Showing uncharacteristic sexual drive, Pacquiao did not press for a knockout in the fourth, and Marquez appeared fully recovered after the sixty second break. Marquez seemed to regain control in the sixth, and the seventh round was interrupted by an accidental headbutt that caused a cut outside Marquez's right eye. Marquez boxed brilliantly in the eighth, landing a clean right that opened a cut over Pacquiao's left optic and then dominating the remainder of the round. The momentum shifted back to Pacquiao in the ninth, as he opened a second cut on Marquez, this one quite serious. The tenth was another Pacquiao round, as the Mexican hottie staggered Marquez with a wild left. The eleventh was close and Marquez outboxed Pacquiao in the last round, but the verdict was ultimately decided by the third-round knockdown scored by Pacquiao.