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I attended the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fights and obviously the 4th doesn't need scoring. At the fights it seemed the majority at both fight II and III had Marquez up. The second was more of a Pacquaio crowd, the third was more of a Marquez crowd. Marquez is my favorite fighter of all-time and his style is my favorite. I really love that clean punching, combinations, counter punching, aggressive but calculated style of Boxing. That said I have a natural inclination to appreciate that style more than Pacquaio's which I enjoy to a degree and respect but clearly don't like as much.
I felt fight II was 115-112 and the closest I've scored it on TV is 114-113 Marquez. I just can't see six rounds for Pacquaio but it was a close tit for tat fight and IMO the best of the series in terms of overall quality. I think that's both closest to their primes and best weight class. Fight III IMO was a clear win for Marquez because he landed all the punches that actually seemed to land clean and do stuff and it's not like he got outworked in more than perhaps a round or two. He got into a rhythm from around the 5th round to the 11th where he just boxed beautifully IMO and I always say that's the best I've seen of him from a strategic standpoint and he threw some really nice punches that landed clean. I always have scored it 116-112 (as I did live), but can see a round closer perhaps but a draw or even worse a Pacquaio win? No way in fight III IMO. It felt like NOBODY at that fight felt Pacquaio won including his fans but I don't know how they scored it on TV.
Fight I I feel was probably the biggest gap between the two not counting the first round. Pacquaio really improved from fight I to fight II so much. He looked so one dimensional and predictable in that one and Marquez IMO probably deserved enough to eek it out by a point even with a 10-6 round.
Great series and IMO the best of the last 20 years given how different the styles where and the fact we got them in mid 2004 when Marquez was a new champion and Pacquaio was a wild fighter who'd just came on the big scene and then in early 2008 when both were seasoned champions in there prime and fight III in late 2011 when both were already legends and there was a clear favorite and large underdog but didn't go to script and then fight IV in late 2012 for closure and unbelievable drama and for those like myself that felt Marquez didn't get justice, vindication.
I felt fight II was 115-112 and the closest I've scored it on TV is 114-113 Marquez. I just can't see six rounds for Pacquaio but it was a close tit for tat fight and IMO the best of the series in terms of overall quality. I think that's both closest to their primes and best weight class. Fight III IMO was a clear win for Marquez because he landed all the punches that actually seemed to land clean and do stuff and it's not like he got outworked in more than perhaps a round or two. He got into a rhythm from around the 5th round to the 11th where he just boxed beautifully IMO and I always say that's the best I've seen of him from a strategic standpoint and he threw some really nice punches that landed clean. I always have scored it 116-112 (as I did live), but can see a round closer perhaps but a draw or even worse a Pacquaio win? No way in fight III IMO. It felt like NOBODY at that fight felt Pacquaio won including his fans but I don't know how they scored it on TV.
Fight I I feel was probably the biggest gap between the two not counting the first round. Pacquaio really improved from fight I to fight II so much. He looked so one dimensional and predictable in that one and Marquez IMO probably deserved enough to eek it out by a point even with a 10-6 round.
Great series and IMO the best of the last 20 years given how different the styles where and the fact we got them in mid 2004 when Marquez was a new champion and Pacquaio was a wild fighter who'd just came on the big scene and then in early 2008 when both were seasoned champions in there prime and fight III in late 2011 when both were already legends and there was a clear favorite and large underdog but didn't go to script and then fight IV in late 2012 for closure and unbelievable drama and for those like myself that felt Marquez didn't get justice, vindication.
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