Round Up: Pacquiao Wins by Majority Decision

Courtesy: Top Rank Boxing
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
12 Rds., World Welterweight Championship

Champion MANNY PACQUIAO, 53-3-2, 38 KOs, General Santos, Philippines
vs
JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ, 53-5-1, 39 KOs, Mexico City

Result: Pacquiao Wins by Majority Decision

Detail: There was something for everyone to like, and for many to hate, about this fight. First, Marquez, more than any other fighter, knows how to get to Pacquiao. The Mexican great’s ability to counter the pound-for-pound king’s speed with well-timed, well-placed shots is something that Pacquiao simply hasn’t seen from his other foes. Marquez deserves credit for fighting his heart out, no question. Pacquiao, meanwhile, deserves credit for continuing to attack, even when doing so left him vulnerable. The champ would stab in with the left, doing his damndest to damage Marquez. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not: it was the very definition of seesaw action.

Rightfully respectful of each other’s power, they spent the early going sizing each other up, while the crowd periodically burst into chants, songs and cheers. (Electric doesn’t even begin to describe the atmosphere.) Once the fighters started opening up, it was often a tit-for-tat affair. So, in the third, Pacquiao landed a good right to Marquez’s head. In round seven, Marquez gave Pacquiao all he could handle. In the ninth, they traded shots all over the ring, prompting a huge applause. That’s how it went. One guy would get a lick in, then the other would have his turn. After the final bell, both men thought they’d won.

Photos by Joel Ocampo Hornilla

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