MGM Grand, Las Vegas – The immediate prospect of a long awaited mega-fight between American Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao seemed to recede after the Filipino's controversial majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez. The scores were 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112.
Pacquiao had been widely expected to win his third fight against the Mexican in convincing style but the nail-biting outcome, ruled by one of the three judges as a draw, persuaded his trainer to consider a fourth meeting between the fighters. Freddie Roach, a shrewd tactician who has been uncannily accurate with his fight predictions, had forecast a Pacquiao victory well inside the distance on Saturday and he was amazed to be so far off the mark.
“I was very surprised,” Pacquiao's trainer said. “I had predicted my fighter would win in six rounds and I was way off. It was a very competitive fight and it could have gone either way. I thought Manny edged it out in the last two rounds. It was the kind of fight I don't want to do again but I think we have to. He has given us problems three times now and he is very good at what he does. I do think he deserves a re-match first.”