Pacquiao’s career not over with loss to Marquez

By Brad Cronick: Manny Pacquiao’s career isn’t over just because he was stopped in the 6th round by Juan Manuel Marquez last Saturday night. This is something that happens in boxing especially when fighters are going all out looking to score a knockout like Pacquiao was in the 6th round when he got knocked flat by a right hand from Marquez.

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Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV – A Fistful of Zeal

Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV – A Fistful of ZealBy Marc Livitz: Boxing received a cattle prod to the backside on Saturday evening and amazingly, it took but one bundle of dynamite from a certain “Dinamita”.

It was the sweet science’s rendition of a Saturday night special which likely sent one nation into hysterical levels of celebration and another into a deep sadness. To further illustrate the significance of Manny Pacquiao’s knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez: the news of the Filipino Congressman’s defeat as posted on the website of the Manila Times took brief (and hopefully very brief) precedence over the destruction unleashed upon the Philippines by Typhoon Bopha, which has left the country in a state of utter devastation.

Simply because the nature of Marquez’s savage gift of unconsciousness passed on to Pacquiao was delivered in the style that it was, the dying seconds of round six from the MGM Grand will do more than just remain etched in the hearts and minds of boxing fans worldwide. This is a flash bulb memory moment to be sure.

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Pacquiao/Marquez IV: The Winners and Losers

Pacquiao/Marquez IV: The Winners and LosersBy Dave Cacciatore, photo: Chris Farina – Top Rank – The fourth edition of this rivalry far exceeded most boxing fans expectations. Usually a measured defensive fighter in his biggest encounters, JMM showed one punch power in stopping the Filipino superstar. Pacquiao also showed the same gradual decline in both power and activity from his recent contests. This fight was also important for it’s implications, lets examine how this will effect the boxing landscape moving forward.

Losers

Manny Pacquiao – The great trainer Emanuel Steward taught us that youth and aggression fighters have a shorter shelf life. That lesson was painfully drilled into Pacquiao’s head by a single Marquez punch in this fight. His time at the top is clearly over and there is little hope that Manny can regain the devastating tornado like fury that allowed him to blaze to the top of the pound for pound rankings.

Freddie Roach – The trainer of Manny Pacquiao’s reputation took a significant blow on Saturday night.

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Pacquiao-Marquez IV – The Shock Of The Year, The Fight Of The Year, The Round Of The Year, The KO Of The Year!

Pacquiao-Marquez IV - The Shock Of The Year, The Fight Of The Year, The Round Of The Year, The KO Of The Year!By James Slater, Photos Chris Farina – Top Rank — The great, often troubled sport of boxing delivered in style last night; with all the good, the fabulous and the awe-inspiring things that make it so special being witnessed in glitzy Las Vegas. Going into the fourth instalment of the fierce, controversial and utterly compelling Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez rivalry, fans knew they could once again expect something special.

What they got was something totally unforgettable.

Never will any fan privileged to have seen this barnburner of an epic fight – the 5th-round being utterly remarkable – forget the way the action made them feel. Then came the wholly unexpected ending. Never will any fan who saw Mexican legend Marquez send Filipino idol Pacquiao to the canvas in a face first manner be able to shake the image from their mind. Up there with the incomparable Sugar Ray Robinson’s 5th-round icing of the steel-chinned Gene Fulmer, Tommy Hearn’s annihilation of Roberto Duran and, more recently, Pac-Man’s KO over Ricky Hatton, “Dinamita’s” KO was as disturbing as it was electrifying.

The questions came thick and fast after the shock of seeing the seemingly unstoppable (Forget Manny’s early career stoppage defeats to Rustico Torrecampo, when he was a skinny novice, and to Medgoen Singsurat, when a body shot felled the weight drained 112-pounder. We all know that Manny Pacquiao was a raw learner, not yet with Freddie Roach) Pac-Man KO’d so brutally: will Pacquiao fight again? If So, will there be a fifth fight with Marquez? Will a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight now never happen (and don‘t we all want to know what Floyd has to say about last night‘s earth trembler!)? Is there anything at all to the suggestions that Marquez has taken illegal stimulants?

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Manny Pacquiao: “I Am Fine”; Pac knocked out by Marquez, what next?

by Sam Kirton: Manny Pacquiao, 10 time world champion, was knocked out last night by a devastating right hand delivered by Marquez in the sixth round of their fourth fight. Pacquiao said he would be happy to have a 5th fight with Marquez. This may worsen the chances of Pacquiao fighting Mayweather considering that Mayweather easily beat Marquez and Marquez had just knocked out Pacquiao. I think that going into a 5th fight together Marquez should get the higher pay than Pacquiao even though the money doesn’t mean much to them anymore.

Manny Pacquiao: “I Am Fine”

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (December 9, 2012) – Following his knockout loss to Juan Manuel Márquez, Fighter of the Decade MANNY ”Pacman” PACQUIAO made a precautionary visit to University Medical Center.,“Manny was given a CT scan and the results were negative,” said Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s advisor. “We were in an out in just over an hour and Manny was in excellent spirits.”

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Juan Manuel Marquez dramatically KOs Manny Pacquiao in 6!

By Joseph Herron – In an epic fourth meeting between two future Hall of Famers and current pound for pound fighters, Juan Manuel Marquez knocked out Manny Paquiao in the sixth round of their scheduled twelve round fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In one of the most exciting and memorable fights of 2012, JMM silenced his critics and cemented his legacy as an all-time great fighter by handing the Pac-Man and the general fight public a leading candidate for KO of the year.

The perfectly timed and short, compact right hook landed flush on the chin of Manny Pacquiao at the closing bell of the sixth round, when the soon to be 34 year old southpaw walked right into a punch that he never saw coming.

Until the “Coup de Grace” was delivered by JMM, Manny was winning the fight on every judges’ scorecard; with tallies of 47-46 x 3.

Pacquiao came into the fight with a masterful gameplan that was yielding success for the majority of the contest. Manny was getting the master counter puncher to fire his right hand first and then countering with the straight left by using feints and effective upper body movement.

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Gamboa defeats Farenas in 12 to win interim WBA Super Featherweight title

By Joseph Herron: Tonight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in the co-main event of the evening, Yuriorkis Gamboa (22-0, 16 KOs) became the interim WBA Super Featherweight Champion by defeating Michael Farenas (34-4-4, 26 KOs) in a surprisingly competitive twelve round unanimous decision.

Although the judges at ringside correctly scored the twelve round contest 117-109, 118-110, and 117-108, in favor of the former World Champion, Michael Farenas proved to be a game fighter who was worthy of competing for a major world title.

The commence the action, Yuriorkis established his speed and power while landing hard, compact shots from mid to long range. The former Top Rank fighter was intent on reminding the fight fans in attendance of what they had missed for fourteen months of political boxing drama and inactivity. The Cuban missile seemed sharp and energetic for the entire three minute round.

After being momentarily wobbled by a straight left hand from the Filipino fighter in the first minute of the second round, Gamboa stayed calm and composed, retaliating with hard combinations on the inside. The Cuban exile floored Farenas with ten seconds left in the round with a hard counter right hook on the inside. Although Farenas was up immediately, the hard punching Filipino was ostensibly shaken by the punch.

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Vazquez dominates Gesta for 12 rounds to retain IBF Lightweight title

By Joseph Herron: On the undercard of the Pacquiao/Marquez IV PPV event, Miguel Vazquez (32-3, 13 KOs) successfully defended his 135 pound title by outpointing previously undefeated contender Mercito Gesta (26-1-1, 14 KOs) for twelve uneventful rounds. The judges at ringside scored the contest 117-111, 119-109, and 118-110, unanimously in favor of the reigning champ.

Throughout every round of the IBF Championship Lightweight contest, the incumbent title holder did a brilliant job of landing his left land and moving away from Gesta’s power punch. He seemed to outbox the tough Filipino prospect with ease while connecting the occasional straight right hand.

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Javier Fortuna decisions Patrick Hyland to win interim WBA Featherweight title

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By Joseph Herron: In one of the more highly anticipated preliminary bouts on the Pacaquaio/Marquez IV fight card, knock-out artist Javier Fortuna (21-0, 15 KOs) defeated Patrick Hyland (27-1, 12 KOs) with a surprisingly competitive twelve round unanimous decision. The judges at ringside scored the contest 118-110, 116-112, and 115-113.

The scheduled twelve round fight was for the interim WBA Featherweight Championship, and both men were looking for a sensational showing to attract bigger opportunities against the elite level fighters of the 126 pound weight class.

In the first two stanzas of the 126 pound fight, both men showed their opponent much respect and seemed surprisingly tentative to begin the match. But in the third round, Javier Fortuna began to realize that Patrick Hyland wasn’t planning to let his hands go early and began to open up with sharp straight left hands and right hooks around the tight guard of the cautious Irish fighter.

Although the hard punching Dominican fighter overwhelmingly landed more power shots than his opponent in rounds four and five, nothing seemed to detour Patrick Hyland. Fortuna seemed content with landing the occasional combination, then circling the Irish fighter with lateral movement on both sides of the ring.

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