Marquez’s knockout victory over Pacquiao – a win for boxing.

Marquez’s knockout victory over Pacquiao – a win for boxing.

Juan Manuel Marquez knocked out Manny Pacquiao at the end of the sixth round in another exciting battle between these two warriors. It was in my eyes a fitting and the best possible end to their fourth encounter, as each of their three bouts had ended in controversy.

There have been some thrilling rivalries over the years in boxing, most notably Ali V Fraser and the four way battler of Hagler, Hearns, Ray Leonard and Duran. In more recent years we had Morales v Barrera, Micky Ward v Arturo Gatti and even in England the three way battle of Benn, Eubank and Watson.

This Marquez and Pacquiao rivalry is right up there with the absolute best and the thrilling knockout victory was a perfect end to it. I say this because I whole heartedly believe Marquez did not lose any of the previous three encounters.

The first fight which was a draw I feel Juan Manuel Marquez won as after being knocked down three times in the first round, he went on to dominate Pacquiao.

The second fight was the closest of all and should have been scored a draw but it was given to Pacman. The third well, was the most clear cut victory of them all but for some odd reason (Bob Arum) it was given to Pacquiao.

So to end their fourth encounter with Marquez winning by devastating knockout for me was poetic justice, and that is where it should end.

The fight started off as a cagy affair with both fighters standing off and trying to counter for the first two rounds that the more aggressive Manny Pacquiao took. The fight then ignited in the third when Marquez’s over hand right sent Pacquiao to the canvas.

To his credit Manny Pacquiao got up and battled for the rest of the round and then looked the stronger in the fourth by again coming forward. In the fifth he seemed to have taken control as he caught Marquez with a left that made him touch down and take a standing eight count.

In the sixth Pacquiao grew in confidence and went after Marquez. The fight, as it has always been was action packed throughout and after an end to end fifth, the pace maintained in the sixth.

At the end of the sixth which was another blistering round full of action, just as the clapper sounded for the last 10 seconds. Marquez backed up towards the ropes luring Pacquiao in who walked onto another superb overhand right.

No count was necessary as Pacquiao was out before he hit the canvass and stayed out for at least another minute or two. The knockout sent the partisan Mexican crowd at the MGM Grand casino into frenzied celebrations.

This fight is not even a week old and already I have heard talk of a fifth fight between the two. This has upset and angered me. Even though the two fighters will provide some great action I hope it does not happen.

As I said before the previous three bouts have ended in controversy and I had no faith a satisfactory decision would have been made if this bout went to the judges. That same lack of faith extends to Bob Arum who seems intent on pulling the wool over the eyes of the public.

A devastating Marquez knockout victory was the best ending we could have wished or hoped for. After all the controversy of their previous bouts and all the knocks boxing has taken, this ending was a win the boxing as a sport.

Hopefully this will close the book on this rivalry as anything further will tarnish the legacy of the story. If it does, following all that has gone before, when history looks back it could go down as the greatest rivalry ever as no other situation will bring such a fitting, definitive, and poetic end!