Mexican boxer Marquez was wrong in many counts

At the outset, let me clarify that I am not an expert on boxing. Neither do I pretend to be one. True, I have become so addicted to the sport since viewing, in black and white and while I was this high, the fights of Gabriel Flash Elorde, versus Italian Sergio Caprari, Japanese Teruo Kosaka and Ghanian Love Allotey, that I would endeavor not to miss fight cards. Since then, I resorted to just about everything to be able to watch many other local idols including Francisco Balug in action. My eldest child was born the day Filipino Ben Villaflor knocked out Japanese Kuniaki Shibata to become the third Pinoy to snatch the world boxing championship in the junior lightweight (also known as the super featherweight) division.

Having said that, allow me to say my piece on the victory of the fifth Filipino to hold the belt as such world champion, Manny Pacquiao. By the way, the first was Elorde, Rene Barrientos, was second, and Rolando Navarrete was fourth. In appropriate columns, many things have been said, pro or con, on Pacquiao’s triumph. Needless to say, I was amused by the different views on the fight. What was not amusing was the claim of the camp of Mexican pugilist Juan Manuel Marquez that his loss put the integrity of boxing under some cloud of doubt.

Promoter Bob Arum opined that Marquez should be man enough to accept the verdict. Boxing, being his business, Arum should know.  His words, thus coaxed me to view the replay because I too thought there was weight to the claim of the Mexican. Indeed, few things dawned on me that Marquez and everyone else rooting for him were wrong in many counts.

First, they should not think that simply because they walked away with such horrible decision as a draw in the first fight, they should be rewarded with a similar bum report card. To recall, Marquez miscalculated the power of Pacquiao in their first encounter. He wrongly thought he could take the best shots of Manny. His error resulted in his being knocked down three times in the first round. But, a judge erred. Instead of scoring that round, per boxing rules, at a mandatory 10-6, in favor of the Filipino, he wrote 10-7, as if the Mexican suffered only two knockdowns. The drawn verdict, which allowed Marquez to retain the belt, was a blessing because he, as the world witnessed, actually lost the combat. Some insisted it was close, and I would yield to that observation, but almost everyone would also agree that our boxer won such a close fight.

Second. In the third round of their match last Sunday, there were actually two knockdowns scored by Pacquiao. The first came with Manny’s vicious left cross which slammed Marquez on the seat of his pants. It looked like the Mexican was a ten-footer van which fell because the cable of the boom truck hoisting it snapped. The second knockdown was a non-call because the referee did not rule it as such.  It happened seconds following the first. Manny, relentlessly pursuing a shocked opponent, released a combination of power shots with some finding mark and others missing and Marquez reeled back helplessly. As I saw it, he was falling. Luckily for him, his right hand got entangled with the top ring. Some thought he held on to it. While it was a fleeting incident, that prevented him from actually hitting deck again. Per the rules of the game, when a boxer who could have fallen by reason of a blow but remained standing because of factors other than his own capacity, the referee should call it as a knockdown.  For some unknown reason, he did not.

Third. Clear, telling, effective blows.  Punches of this character are the hallmark of professional boxing as distinguished from amateur contests. In the latter, as long as the white area of the boxing gloves hit the opponent, even if they are powder puffs, scores are recorded. Had the fight between Pacquiao and Marquez been held in the amateur label, the Mexican would have probably won the contest. Not so in the pro league. The punches of the Pinoy, as proven by the knockdown, were far clearer, more telling and effective blows.

Finally, I believe that an immediate rematch between them is useless. It will still be close. If done four years from now, the Mexican will be too old and he will give his age as an excuse. Mabuhay ka Manny!

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