Pacquiao vs. Marquez: How Marquez Knocked out Pacquiao and Saved Boxing

Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV was supposed to be another 12-round war—much like the first three bouts between the two fighters, all three of which ended with controversial decisions that mostly favored the Filipino King, Manny Pacquiao.

Underrated Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez had other plans and put them into action over the course of six rounds on a night to be heralded for many years to come as the day that saved boxing.

For the past four years, casual boxing fans have kept a tunnel-vision focus on Pacquiao facing Floyd Mayweather, remaining ignorant of any other boxer, despite the surplus of talent in the sport.

In the meantime, the careers of such budding stars as Adrien Broner, Nonito Donaire, Andre Ward, Sergio Martinez, Abner Mares, Yuriorkis Gamboa and countless others have gone unnoticed.

Marquez was just another name to the millions of casual fans who would tune in to Pacquiao-Marquez III last year only to find Marquez stand his ground and lose a close—and arguably erroneous—decision.

This year, Pacquiao was supposed to regain his focus and knock Marquez out. Instead, it was the Mexican hero who would put the exclamation point on their classic tetralogy. Now the world is left in shock.

The public now knows the name Marquez and will become open to inquiring about the exciting boxers they are missing out on. They will discover the sport is much more unpredictable than previously believed.

As far as Mayweather goes, he can now go about his business and fight whomever he pleases and maybe, just maybe, the public won't take for granted the possibility of the next big upset in boxing.

For more boxing news and analysis, follow me on Twitter @justindavidtate.