by Cliff Rold
On May 2, 2015, boxing will finally have its Super Bowl. After five long years of he said-he said, it’s finally here.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao for the Welterweight Championship of the World.
But what if the road didn’t really begin at the negotiating table in late 2009? What if this collision course began just months apart, before anyone could have predicted this finish line?
In the second half of 1998, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao each won their first major titles and have stayed in or near the championship ranks for almost two decades since. The seeds of a showdown were planted then. They are blossoming now in what will be, even adjusted for inflation, the most profitable and maybe even most watched prizefight ever.
Over the course of this series, we take a look back at the championship years of each man, beginning with each of his first title wins and working our way towards May 2 nd . Their development, historical achievements, highs and lows will be reviewed fight by fight with an eye towards the context of each contest.
Where were they in their careers? Using various ratings and historical resources as reference, how were they and each of their opponents regarded at the time of the fights? At the end, a comprehensive statistical review of each man will culminate in a final preview and prediction for the fight itself.
This is Mayweather-Pacquiao: 17 Years to a Superfight.
2010: So Close, and Yet So Far
March 13, 2010
Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KO, WBO , Ring Magazine #1 at 147) vs. Joshua Clottey (35-3, 21 KO, Ring Magazine #5)
The Fight: Negotiations for a Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown in the winter of 2010 died amidst a sea of finger pointing and reluctance from the Pacquiao side to participate in requested advanced drug testing from Mayweather’s. With the fight everyone wanted to see sidelined, Team Pacquiao looked for another way to create an event. Enter Jerry Jones.
Competing in the massive home of the Dallas Cowboys, Pacquiao’s first Welterweight title challenger would be the former IBF titleholder from Ghana, Clottey. Clottey was making his first start since a debatable decision loss to Miguel Cotto in the summer of 2009. Prior to Cotto, Clottey had won five in a row after a failed challenge of Antonio Margarito for the WBO belt in 2006. In those five wins, Clottey retired former 130 and 135 lb. champion Diego Corrales and defeated Zab Judah for the vacant IBF title.
Pacquiao used quick combinations and smart lateral movement to build the early lead. Clottey looked to be getting into the fight in the third, his right hand finding Pacquiao flush a few times, but it wasn’t enough to match the flowing head and body attacks of the Filipino.
Referee Rafael Ramos halfway through the fourth issued a warning when Pacquiao used both fists simultaneously to cup the ears of Clottey. Clottey replied with two hard body shots but was soon backed into a corner under fire. Handcuffed by flat feet and his own high guard, Clottey struggled to get any offense going. He let his hands go more in the sixth but Pacquiao was still throwing three times as many shots.
That multitude of leather elicited the infamous call of ‘bang, bang, bang’ from HBO’s Jim Lampley in round eight. Clottey kept having moments, able to get his long jab and right hand off to mark Pacquiao’s face for his effort. It was never sustained.
With the fight in the bag, Pacquiao was still letting his hands go in the championship rounds. He earned a shutout on one card and Clottey was charitably awarded one round on each of the two others.
Historical Note: According to the HBO broadcast and ESPN , Pacquiao-Clottey put 50,994 in the seats in Cowboys Stadium. This was in addition to approximately 700,000 pay-per-view buys . Pacquiao vacated his claim to the Ring Magazine and lineal Jr. Welterweight crown prior to the fight with Clottey. Before his next bout, Pacquiao would collect honors from the BWAA as Fighter of the Decade for his work from 2000-2009.
Outcome: Pacquiao UD12 Clottey
Pacquiao Record in Title Fights: 13-1-2, 11 KO, 1 KOBY including lineal (10-1-2, 7 KO, 1 KOBY, WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO only)
May 2, 2010
Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO, WBA, Ring Magazine #2) vs. Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KO, Ring Magazine #3)
The Fight: Mosley’s WBA title was not on the line, Mayweather refusing to pay a sanctioning fee to the organization. Mosley was stripped in the weeks following what would ultimately be a loss to Mayweather. It was Mosley’s first start since stopping Antonio Margarito for his second Welterweight crown in January 2009. Mosley, a known former PED user by that time by way of the BALCO scandal, accepted Mayweather’s terms for drug testing and got the call when the Pacquiao fight fell through.
Early on, both men showed off the exceptional speed they were both known for. Mosley appeared still spry at age 38. A tangle of feet and a Mayweather right sent Mosley to the floor on a slip halfway through the opening frame. Mosley nearly decked Mayweather for real in a memorable second.
A right hand buckled Mayweather who immediately tied up Mosley’s right arm and held on tight. Broken by the referee, Mosley pressed the advantage. A huge right to the temple hurt Mayweather worse than the first and another had him swaying but Mayweather wouldn’t fall. Firing back with some snapping lefts, Mayweather cleared his head and began to fight back in the final thirty seconds. Mosley was backing up as the round closed.
Changing tactics, Mayweather came out pressing in the third, walking Mosley down in spots and touching him with hard rights and lefts. Mosley’s mouth was wide open and he was increasingly sluggish as the Mayweather offense took a quick toll. By the sixth round, Mosley was being outmuscled in the clinches and could offer little more than token offense. Mayweather had him timed, picking spots and lacing Mosley with flush rights and lefts.
Mosley came forward in the seventh to try to reverse his fortunes. He was battered for his trouble. It got surly in the eighth, a break by referee Kenny Bayless called as the two fighters started talking to one another. Mosley, still talking, reached out to touch gloves after action had resumed. Mayweather blasted him in the mouth with a right.
The only drama remaining in the last third of the fight centered on how it might end. Mosley had never been stopped before. Mayweather kept picking away but never really went all out for a finish, wisely refusing Mosley a chance at a miracle in return. Mayweather came close to a shutout over the likely future Hall of Famer, winning eleven rounds twice and ten on the remaining card.
Historical Note: Mayweather-Mosley was a financial success on pay-per-view with some 1.4 million buys, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Cyber Boxing Zone listed Mosley as the lineal Welterweight champion after his 2009 victory over Antonio Margarito. It was recognition of a sort of unofficial process of elimination involving Cotto, Margarito, and Mosley. Ring had opted not to recognize the winner with Margarito rated 1 and Mosley rated 3; the publication rated Mosley number one in the division until after Pacquiao-Cotto.
BoxingScene’s ratings recognized the winner of Mayweather-Mosley as the rightful champion and the statistics compiled for this series will reflect that going forward. Mayweather had retired the unbeaten Welterweight champion. Mosley defeated a consensus number one in Margarito. Those two ingredients outweighed Pacquiao’s impressive wins over Cotto and Clottey; both had lost to Margarito.
For those for who would debate this point, the lineage of the Welterweight crown will be firmly resolved for good in less than two weeks when Mayweather-Pacquiao takes place in Las Vegas.
Outcome: Mayweather UD12 Mosley
Mayweather Record in Title Fights: 19-0, 9 KO including lineal (18-0, 9 KO, WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO only)
November 13, 2010
Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO, WBO , Ring Magazine #1 at 147) vs. Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KO, Ring Magazine Unrated)
The Fight: Margarito was making his second start since losing the WBA Welterweight title in his first defense to Shane Mosley in January 2009. Mosley handed Margarito the first stoppage loss of his career. A subsequent suspension related to the attempted doctoring of his hand wraps prior to that loss kept him out of the ring until May 2010. When he returned, he entered the mix at Jr. Middleweight, winning a decision over Roberto Garcia. Margarito had previously reigned as WBO Welterweight titlist from 2002-07. Pacquiao moved up in weight with a vacant WBC title at 154 lbs. on the line.
Margarito came out trying to establish his jab. Typically a slow starter, Margarito was outworked by the rapid fists of a careful Pacquiao in round one. Matters heated early in the second, both men landing to the body. Margarito backed Pacquiao up with pressure and some long rights. Responding to the blows of a much larger man, Pacquiao planted and threw in volume, his speed and accuracy multiplying the punishment. In the fourth, a Pacquiao body shot hurt Margarito and the follow-up had him reeling. His right eye swelling grossly, Margarito collected himself and was firing back by the bell.
The fight went up another notch in a fantastic fifth round. A shot to Pacquiao’s body had him wincing for a moment, forcing him to open up even more on Margarito. Pacquiao was outlanding Margarito roughly three to one. He had to in order to keep Margarito off him. Margarito had his best moment late in the sixth, a left to the body doubling over Pacquiao and forcing a retreat. Margarito charged full bore, Pacquiao circling and moving about the perimeter of the ring. Trapping Pacquiao in the closing seconds, Margarito dug downstairs. Pacquiao whaled away to the head, finally forcing Margarito backwards as the bell sounded.
Margarito continued to compete in the seventh, pressing and landing well but absorbing a tremendous counter attack. A thrilling exchange in the eighth saw Pacquiao again taking shots to the body on the ropes only to turn Margarito around with a whirlwind of shots to get back to the center of the ring. The round closed with Pacquiao on the ropes, both men winging away. Pacquiao was winning, but it was a war.
Both eyes now swollen, the right far worse, Margarito kept coming through the rain of shots in the ninth and got an extra look from referee Laurence Cole in the tenth. Pacquiao would brutalize Margarito for almost all of the next three minutes, badly wobbling him with a right hook late. Margarito got another look from Cole in the eleventh and the fight went on. Margarito was battered but bravely still coming forward. Pacquiao finished defeating his man in the twelfth but never beat the will out of Margarito, the proud Mexican still coming, still trying to land. An exhausted Pacquiao raised his arms for the crowd and celebrated the official verdict in his favor.
At the finish, Margarito was credited with winning one round on one card, two on another, and Pacquiao received the shutout on the third.
Historical Note: As exciting as the fight was for long stretches, the statistical accomplishment was of the most manufactured variety. Two fighters with big name identity, and no bona fides at 154 lbs., were allowed to fight for a vacant WBC belt in the division at a catchweight of 150 lbs. Recognizing that, it still goes in the books as the 31-year old Pacquiao capturing a title claim in his record eighth weight division. He would quickly vacate the belt.
The size disparity in the ring, even with a catchweight, was huge. Pacquiao weighed in officially at 144 ½ while Margarito made the agreed limit spot on. HBO’s unofficial fight night weights showed Pacquiao gaining less than four pounds, scaling to 148. Margarito rehydrated to 165. Pacquiao continued his box office success in his return to Cowboys Stadium with over 41,000 fans in attendance and 1.15 million pay-per-view buys , according to ESPN.
Outcome: Pacquiao UD12 Margarito
Pacquiao Record in Title Fights: 14-1-2, 11 KO, 1 KOBY including lineal (11-1-2, 7 KO, 1 KOBY, WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO only)
2011: Stacking Checks
May 7, 2011
Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KO, WBO , Ring Magazine #1) vs. Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KO, Ring Magazine #4)
The Fight: Mosley fought just once following his loss to Mayweather, moving briefly back to 154 lbs. (where he reigned as a champion from 2003-04) for a draw with Sergio Mora before returning to challenge Pacquiao.
The fight got off to a tentative start. As was the case with Mayweather, Mosley showed early speed and kept Pacquiao honest with his jab. When Pacquiao did launch, he backed Mosley up and was clearly getting to target first. In round three, a straight left dropped and hurt Mosley. It was the third knockdown Mosley had suffered in his entire career. His only other knockdowns came at the hands of the late Vernon Forrest in their first fight. Forrest handed Mosley his first defeat in January 2002.
Mosley survived the round but his offense remained spare for the next few rounds. A tangle of legs produced a Mosley slip in the fourth and a pattern of accidental head clashes, begun in round two, continued in the fifth. After each incident, the fighters touched gloves, the fight developing an air of a too polite, if intense, sparring session.
On Mosley’s side, it was all about defense. Moving and blocking, he kept Pacquiao from establishing a rhythm as boos arrived from the crowd in round six and grew louder in the seventh. When they got close, Pacquiao could land the left but was unable to trap Mosley for sustained stretches.
In round ten, a tangle inside ended with Pacquiao pushed to the floor. Referee Kenny Bayless ruled it a knockdown, the first knockdown suffered by Pacquiao since 2003. Pacquiao got up aggravated, firing hard at Mosley and winning the remainder of the round.
Pacquiao remained aggressive in the eleventh, chasing and hammering Mosley with single lefts and right hooks. With the crowd chanting for him, Pacquiao looked for a bomb to be the first man to stop Mosley. Mosley continued to keep his distance with an eye on finishing. It was the lone victory the then-39 year old Mosley would muster in an otherwise lackluster outing.
Despite complaints of calf cramps, Pacquiao walked away with his second successful defense of the WBO title, third consecutive decision win (the longest such stretch of his career since 1996), and a shutout on two of three judges cards.
Historical Note: As part of the political theatre that developed in the Mayweather-Pacquiao rivalry, this is an interesting chapter. Pacquiao, for one night, took his brand to Showtime and generated 1.2 million pay-per-view sales .
Mosley would not be stopped until his final fight against Australia’s Anthony Mundine in November 2013.
Outcome: Pacquiao UD12 Mosley
Pacquiao Record in Title Fights: 15-1-2, 11 KO, 1 KOBY including lineal (12-1-2, 7 KO, 1 KOBY, WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO only)
September 17, 2011
Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KO, Ring Magazine Unrated, Lineal) vs. Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KO, WBC , Ring Magazine #2)
The Fight: Ortiz entered 5-0-1 after a sixth-round loss to Marcos Maidana in 2009. Questioned about his heart and maturity, Ortiz impressed in April 2011 with a title winning effort against Andre Berto that saw both men come off the floor multiple times. It would ultimately be named Ring’s Fight of the Year and was the catalyst for Ortiz getting the biggest opportunity of his career. The pre-fight build featured plenty of trash talk, punctuated at the weigh-in when Mayweather grabbed Ortiz by the throat.
Mayweather, making his first start in more than a year, was sharp in the opening round. He immediately established the right hand lead against the southpaw Ortiz and made himself a hard target for the younger man. Ortiz had some success late in the first and into the second with lead lefts but couldn’t get his right hook home clean. Mayweather responded with rights, measuring Ortiz with the jab and guarding well when Ortiz attacked near the ropes.
The third was big for Mayweather, Ortiz fighting off the back foot as Mayweather came forward. The round closed with two stinging counters from Mayweather and Mayweather elected to pick it up in the fourth. Landing hard and in combination, Mayweather attacked immediately into the round.
Ortiz replied by returning to pressing and found a hole. A big right hand landed as Mayweather went to the ropes. Ortiz kept firing but couldn’t land again, Mayweather eluding the fire. Ortiz landed a left to the body and had Mayweather against the ropes again and Mayweather tied up. Action resumed with Mayweather touching Ortiz with rights. Ortiz went to the back foot, looking to counter a pressing Mayweather. With less than twenty seconds in the round, Ortiz landed his best combination of the round.
That’s when everything unraveled.
A right, left, and another right landed for Ortiz in a flurry of power shots. Mayweather raised his guard on the ropes and slipped two Ortiz power shots. Ortiz leapt forward, head first, into Mayweather’s face. Mayweather looked to referee Joe Cortez and Cortez instantly broke the two fighters after the blatant foul.
Realizing what he’d done, Ortiz went forward to hug Mayweather and kiss him on the cheek to say he was sorry. Cortez pulled Ortiz away to take a point. As Ortiz was being walked around the ring for the deduction, he reached out to touch gloves with Mayweather. Ortiz said one sorry too many. Cortez motioned the fighters to resume and stepped aside. Ortiz touched Mayweather with both gloves in a muted hug and looked at Cortez, not realizing fighting had resumed. Mayweather lit him up with a left hook and right hand and dropped Ortiz to his back. He would not beat the count.
Mayweather, at 34, had his second WBC belt at 147 lbs.
Historical Note: This fight is as famous for its post-fight interviews on HBO as it is for its debated finish. A terse exchange between Mayweather and HBO analyst Larry Merchant, tension between the two bubbling for years, erupted with Mayweather telling Merchant he didn’t know “shit about boxing” and stating HBO should fire him. Merchant replied that he wished ,“I was fifty years younger. I’d kick your ass.”
Outcome: Mayweather KO4 Ortiz
Mayweather Record in Title Fights: 20-0, 10 KO including lineal (19-0, 10 KO, WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO only)
November 12, 2011
Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO, WBO , Ring Magazine #1) vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (53-5-1, Ring Magazine Champion, Lineal at 135 lbs.)
The Fight: Marquez won three in a row after his 2009 loss to Mayweather, defending the Lightweight title against Juan Diaz and Michael Katsidis along the way. At 38, he was making his second start at Welterweight with Pacquiao agreeing to meet him at a catchweight of 144 lbs. for their third showdown. Pacquiao was criticized in some quarters for taking the fight given Marquez’s previous failure against Mayweather and age. Marquez would prove to doubters that he still had plenty on the ball when it came to his archrival.
Both men had moments in the first, Pacquiao landing some eye-catching shots upstairs while Marquez found him to the body. The next two rounds left little to choose between the two, each man picking their shots, both making each other miss often while landing the occasional single stiff blow.
The pace picked up in the fourth, Pacquiao attacking more and carrying the bulk of the frame. Marquez landed a big right to stun Pacquiao before the bell. Timing the attacks of Pacquiao, Marquez picked up where he left off at the end of the previous round. Counter rights and uppercuts kept Pacquiao off balance. A big right in the final minute blasted Pacquiao backwards and Marquez found another in the last thirty seconds.
With Marquez’s right eye swelling, both men showed fire in the sixth, Pacquiao slightly outworking and outlanding the challenger. Letting Pacquiao lead, Marquez countered beautifully in spots in the seventh and eighth but Pacquiao continued to land his own big lefts and rights. A heated exchange in the last minute of the ninth saw both men land hard, Pacquiao landing last with a winging left.
They entered the last quarter of the fight with the fight still well up for grabs. A simultaneous exchange of rights seemed to favor Marquez and the Mexican battler landed a nice combination not long after. A clash of heads opened a cut over the right eye of Pacquiao and he came out firing well in the eleventh. The pace slowed and Marquez took advantage, timing and catching Pacquiao down the stretch.
With three minutes to go, Pacquiao continued to press. A left inside in the first minute stood out. Pacquiao continued to get through with single, quick shots and Marquez’s counters were thrown at a premium. Pacquiao closed the fight with a final flurry.
It was yet another terrifically difficult fight to score with one judge scoring it even while two judges favored Pacquiao at 115-113 and 116-112. Pacquiao took the series edge at 2-0-1. It was Pacquiao’s fifteenth win in a row and the most difficult fight he’d had since the last time he’d seen Marquez.
Historical Note: In a rivalry marked in part by scoring debates in each of the first three bouts, this one might have been the most contentious. A collection of over 100 unofficial observer scores split 57 for Marquez, 51 for Pacquiao, and 36 even . The one thing everyone could agree on: the fight was the most financially successful of their series. They drew approximately 1.4 million buys with Pacquiao returned to the HBO fold. It is, to date, Pacquiao’s biggest pay-per-view affair.
Outcome: Pacquiao MD12 Marquez
Pacquiao Record in Title Fights: 16-1-2, 11 KO, 1 KOBY including lineal (13-1-2, 7 KO, 1 KOBY, WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO only)
2012: A Thriller and a Losing Streak
May 5, 2012
Miguel Cotto (37-2, 30 KO, WBA, Ring Magazine #1) vs. Floyd Mayweather (42-0, 26 KO, WBC , Ring Magazine #2, Lineal at 147 lbs.)
The Fight: Following his defeat against Pacquiao, Cotto moved up to Jr. Middleweight to capture his third divisional title with a stoppage of Yuri Foreman. He would successfully defend the title against former Welterweight champion Ricardo Mayorga and in a grudge rematch with Antonio Margarito. Mayweather moved up to attempt to win his second title at 154 lbs. five years to the day after his previous title win in the division over Oscar De La Hoya.
Mayweather went to work with his jab in the first, Cotto crowding and trying to close the space. A clinch in the second ended with Cotto lifting Mayweather off the ground. It stayed physical, Mayweather going to the ropes. Cotto attacked the body while Mayweather countered with whipping shots upstairs, the right uppercut keeping Cotto off balance.
A disciplined Cotto boxed with Mayweather for long stretches in round three, landing some good jabs and body shots after an early attack on the ropes. Matters were less competitive in the first two minutes of the fourth, Mayweather opening up big. In the final minute, Cotto caught Mayweather on the ropes and bloodied his nose.
An action-packed fifth round saw good moments from both men, Cotto getting in some left hands to the head. Mayweather opened a small cut over the left eye of Cotto. A more measured but still highly competitive sixth saw Cotto moving and countering a pressing Mayweather.
After a more technical seventh, the action quota shot up again in a fantastic eighth, one of the toughest rounds of Mayweather’s career. Trapped against the ropes early, Mayweather was open to big shots off the Cotto jab. Mayweather met fire with fire, striking back with uppercuts, only to be trapped again late. The mayhem reduced in the ninth, Mayweather using his legs and landing from distance.
Mayweather continued to pull away from the game Cotto in the final three rounds, boxing wisely and limiting Cotto’s chances to attack. With three minutes to go, Cotto dug deep and came out firing. Mayweather met him head on to the crowd’s approval. With about a minute to go, a Mayweather uppercut hurt Cotto. Mayweather pressed the advantage but couldn’t find the finishing blow.
It was enough to ice a decisive victory, Mayweather carrying the day by scores of 118-110 and 117-111 twice for his second title at Jr. Middleweight at age 35.
Historical Note: The long awaited showdown was Mayweather’s most successful pay-per-view since the win over Oscar De La Hoya with 1.5 million buys . There were no fireworks in the post-fight interview though there was discussion of an uncertain future for Mayweather. A pending sentence for domestic violence loomed over Mayweather, who would not fight again until 2013.
Unknown at the time, it would be Mayweather’s last fight with HBO.
Outcome: Mayweather UD12 Cotto
Mayweather Record in Title Fights: 21-0, 10 KO including lineal (20-0, 10 KO, WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO only)
June 9, 2012
Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO, WBO , Ring Magazine #1) vs. Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12 KO, WBO , Ring Magazine #1 at 140)
The Fight: Bradley twice unified the WBC and WBO titles at 140 lbs. during a successful title run from 2008-11. He’d previously tested the waters at Welterweight for a night in 2010, defeating an unbeaten Luis Abregu.
Bradley came out snapping his jab, attempting to show Pacquiao right away that he could match his speed. The boxing of Bradley seemed enough to win the round until the last thirty seconds. Pacquiao found the hole he needed, catching Bradley with four flush, hard lefts. Pacquiao landed much earlier in the second but Bradley was handling the left and fighting back, landing to the body and occasionally upstairs.
A pattern quickly emerged in the fight. Bradley would come at Pacquiao, landing well in spots, only to be tagged with much harder blows in return. Bradley appeared hurt at the end of the fourth and fifth rounds, Pacquiao catching him with powerful left crosses and right hooks. Bradley complained in the corner of a hurt foot and replays indicated he’d rolled it in the fourth.
Bradley was undaunted. Never abandoning his jab, Bradley was steady in contrast to a Pacquiao who exploded in spots. In an exciting ninth, Bradley was rocked and came back firing. Both men battled in the trenches. The pace slowed in the tenth, Bradley using that to his advantage for one of his better rounds of the fight.
There would be another good round for Bradley in the eleventh while Pacquiao seemed to land the better blows in the final round. At the end of twelve rounds, Pacquiao appeared to have done more than enough to win.
Two of the judges disagreed, Duane Ford and CJ Ross both scoring the bout 115-113, or 7-5 in rounds, for Bradley. Jerry Roth scored the same but in Pacquiao’s favor. Pacquiao had his first loss in a title contest since 1999 and saw a fifteen-fight winning streak snapped.
Historical Note: Pacquiao came in spot on the Welterweight limit of 147 lbs., the highest official weight of his career. It was, for the second Pacquiao fight in a row, a scoring controversy. A collection of unofficial observer scores favored Pacquiao 121-3-1 , creating more controversy than Pacquiao’s second win over Marquez. It was another successful pay-per-view outing, snaring 890,000 buys .
Outcome: Bradley SD12 Pacquiao
Pacquiao Record in Title Fights: 16-2-2, 11 KO, 1 KOBY including lineal (13-2-2, 8 KO, 1 KOBY, WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO only)
December 8, 2012
Manny Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KO, Ring Magazine #1/TBRB #2) vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KO, WBO, Ring Magazine #4 at 140 lbs./TBRB #7); Non-Title
The Fight: Marquez fought only once after his hotly debated loss to Pacquiao the year before, winning the interim (later full) WBO belt at 140 lbs. with a decision over Serhiy Fedchenko. It was a title in his fourth weight class. He vacated the lineal and Ring Magazine Lightweight title earlier in the year. There was no catchweight as there had been for the third contest.
The fourth fight started much faster than their third. Pacquiao, showing good head movement, was pressing and Marquez was countering in combination. Pacquiao landed a good left with a minute to go and added a couple more before the bell. Pacquiao’s left found the mark again in the second, snapping Marquez’s head back.
The fight took a turn in the third. After suffering four knockdowns to Pacquiao over the course of their rivalry to then, Marquez put one on the board for himself. Getting Pacquiao to bite and drop his guard to defend a left to the body, Marquez came over the top with a right hand and Pacquiao was down. A shaky Pacquiao rose right away, pulling his guard high while he cleared his head. They finished the round with a wild exchange.
Marquez kept the advantage in a narrow fourth, receiving the round on all three official scorecards. A straight left from Pacquiao a minute into the fifth forced Marquez to touch the canvas with his glove. On knockdowns for the night, they were all even. Looking for a finish, Pacquiao walked into a sensational right hand. Inside the final minute, a Pacquiao right had Marquez in big trouble. Pacquiao pressed him to the ropes but Marquez roared back with shots out of the corner and off the ropes.
With blood flowing from the nose, Marquez continued to take punishment in the sixth. Feinting to set up his left, Pacquiao appeared to have the fight where he wanted it. It turned out Marquez was the one who had the trump card on the night.
Pacquiao landed a combination at the ten second warning before using three shoulder feints with his hands down as Marquez moved towards the corner. On the third feint, a perfectly timed Marquez right hand landed flush on the button and Pacquiao went into the floor face first.
Referee Kenny Bayless could have counted to 100.
After a fifteen-fight win streak, Pacquiao had the first losing streak of his career. As his corner checked on his safety and he slowly woke up, there were many who wondered if boxing’s biggest fight in years had taken its final nail in the coffin.
Historical Note: The epic fourth Pacquiao-Marquez fight was selected almost universally as the Fight of the Year and captured nearly unanimous selection for Marquez as Fighter of the Year. For the second fight in a row, their rivalry captured over one million pay-per-view buys . Marquez was the first person to stop Pacquiao since 1999 and the only fighter to date to stop Pacquiao above Flyweight.
Outcome: Marquez KO6 Pacquiao
To be continued…
Previous Installments
Research Note: Records compiled with the use of www.boxrec.com
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
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