Pacquiao vs. Marquez 2012: Maincard, Undercard Results and Recap

Boxing fans were treated to an amazing show Saturday night in Las Vegas, as Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao squared off for the fourth time.

Unlike the first three fights, there will be no controversy about this one, as Marquez scored a brutal knockout in the sixth round, vanquishing his rival for the first time.

It was an incredible back-and-forth battle, with both fighters hitting the canvas within the first five rounds. After bloodying Marquez in the fifth, Pacquiao went for the kill in the sixth round.

Unfortunately for the Filipino legend, it was Marquez who landed the knockout blow, connecting on a vicious right hand counter-punch with one second left in the round. Pacquiao dropped to the floor face down and lay motionless while Marquez and his entourage celebrated the shocking victory.

As good as the main event was, it certainly wasn't the only great bout on Saturday. The appetizers to Pacquiao-Marquez 4 were excellent in their own right.

Just click "begin slideshow" to get the full recap of the night's action.

Javier Fortuna (21-0, 15 KOs) Defeats Patrick Hyland (27-1, 12 KOs)

UPDATE: Saturday, Dec. 8 at 10:07 p.m. ET by Austin Green

Javier Fortuna won the WBA interim featherweight title on Saturday, defeating Patrick Hyland by unanimous decision (118-110, 116-112, 115-113).

Fortuna came out strong, throwing flurries of powerful punches in the opening rounds. It looked like he was trying to end it early, but Hyland showed a strong chin, surviving the initial onslaught and delivering some punishment of his own in the middle rounds.

Fortuna's pace slowed considerably after the fifth round, and Hyland capitalized, winning rounds six, seven and eight. Fortuna was able to recover late in the fight, though, holding off the Irishman to improve to 21-0.

Hyland drops to 27-1 with the loss.

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The other undercard fights may have the flashier names involved, but this battle between Javier Fortuna and Patrick Hyland for the WBA interim featherweight title is the one that has many hardcore boxing fans very intrigued.

With two undefeated boxers going head to head, this is what makes the sport as great as it is.

Neither of these men has been tested yet, but the bright lights of the Manny Pacquiao undercard will amp up the pressure and make this the biggest fight of their careers.

Don't forget, though, Hyland is party of the Snooki camp, so there is likely going to be an appearance from the Jersey Shore cast member Saturday.

Miguel Vazquez (33-3, 13 KOs) Defeats Mercito Gesta (26-1-1, 14 KOs)

UPDATE: Saturday, Dec. 8 at 11:07 p.m. ET by Austin Green

Miguel Vazquez retained his IBF lightweight title Saturday night, defeating Mercito Gesta by unanimous decision (117-111, 119-109, 118-110)

Vazquez executed his gameplan perfectly, using his reach advantage and elusiveness to frustrate Gesta throughout the fight. He rocked the young Filipino in the third round, and despite suffering a bloody nose in the 10th, he looked completely fresh by the end of the fight.

While Vazquez was locked in for the duration of the bout, Gesta's effort level seemed to rise and fall. He often looked disinterested and showed no signs of the aggressiveness that earned him comparisons to the great Manny Pacquiao.

It was the first loss of Gesta's career, and it is a particularly damaging one. Nobody would have blamed him for falling to the champion, but his lack of competitiveness was simply baffling. This was his first bout on a big stage, and he completely disappointed himself and his fans.

Meanwhile, Vazquez looked like the champion that he is. It was another solid victory for the Mexican, who improved to 33-3 in his professional career.

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While Miguel Vazquez enters this fight as the IBF lightweight champion, most of the hype surrounds the very talented and undefeated Mercito Gesta.

In what could be the undercard fight of the night, Vazquez is favored to defend his title. However, the speed and underestimated power of Gesta will have this battle likely ending early via knockout in favor of the challenger.

With young star Adrien Broner reportedly next for the winner of this match—both men have called the 23-year-old phenom out—this Vazquez versus Gesta fight has major implications moving forward.

Yuriorkis Gamboa (22-0, 16 KOs) Defeats Michael Farenas (33-4-4, 25 KOs)

UPDATE: Sunday, Dec. 9 at 12:12 a.m. ET by Austin Green

In one of the best fights of 2012, Yuriorkis Gamboa won the interim WBA super featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Michael Farenas (117-109, 118-108, 117-108)

While the scores would suggest a lopsided victory, this was an epic back-and-forth battle that saw both fighters hit the canvas.

Gamboa came out throwing bombs, blasting Farenas with a vicious right cross in the second round. Farenas rose back to his feet, but Gamboa kept charging, unleashing a flurry of punches that opened a nasty cut above Farenas' left eye in the third round.

Farenas showed his heart in the fourth round, though, landing a brutal left cross that staggered Gamboa. The two traded blows in the fifth and sixth rounds, but in the seventh, it was Gamboa setting the tone once again, flooring Farenas with another big right hand.

However, Farenas refused to fade, rocking Gamboa later in the round after the Cuban briefly switched to a southpaw stance.

After an even eighth round, Gamboa upped his aggression in the ninth, but Farenas punished him for leaving his hands down. Farenas caught him perfectly with a left uppercut, knocking the undefeated Gamboa to the floor.

The two exchanged big shots again in the final three rounds, but Gamboa was able to hold on for the victory. The 30-year-old Cuban improved his record to 22-0, while the 28-year-old Farenas fell to 33-4-4.

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Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that rapper 50 Cent is now a boxing promoter and will be in the corner of undefeated young star Yuriorkis Gamboa when he squares off with Michael Farenas for the interim WBA super featherweight title.

As talented as Farenas—the more experienced of the two brawlers—is, it will be the overwhelming speed and power advantages that Gamboa has that forces his opponent on his heels throughout the fight.

With the bright lights of a pay-per-view audience and the hype that surrounds everything 50 Cent does, Gamboa has the chance to launch himself into the upper echelon of fighters with a dominant win.

Juan Manuel Marquez (55-6-1, 40 KOs) Defeats Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KOs)

UPDATE: Sunday, Dec. 9 at 11:09 a.m. ET by Austin Green

In an epic brawl between two great warriors, Juan Manuel Marquez scored a stunning knock out victory over his rival Manny Pacquiao.

With just one second remaining in the sixth round, Marquez destroyed Pacquiao with a looping right hand, dropping the Filipino phenom to the canvas for the second time on the night. It was one of the most devastating punches in recent memory, as Pacquiao immediately crumbled to the floor and remained motionless while Marquez's camp flooded the ring in celebration. 

It was a shocking turn of events, with Marquez recovering from a brutal beating in the fifth round to steal the victory. Pacquiao scored a knockdown in the fifth, landing 21 power punches, most of which hit Marquez squarely in the face.

With Marquez severely bloodied, Pacquiao increased his aggression in the sixth, looking for the knockout. His plan looked to be working, as Marquez's legs were wobbly throughout the round.

However, the clever counter-puncher caught Pacquiao reaching at the end of the round, landing the brutal right hand cross that will go down as the shining moment of Marquez's brilliant career.

Both fighters said afterwards that they would be open to a fifth meeting. As of now, the record stands at 2-1-1 in favor of Pacquiao, although Marquez clearly has had had the most decisive victory.

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In the main event of the evening, the boxing world is hoping to finally find out who is a better fighter: Manny Pacquiao or Juan Manuel Marquez.

While Pacquiao holds the definitive 2-0-1 record in their three previous bouts, there are still legitimate questions about whether or not Marquez should have won at least one of the previous decisions.

With Pacman looking for vindication and now understanding JMM’s feelings about decision losses because of his own defeat at the hands of Timothy Bradley, this bout is setting up for an early ending.

Look for Pacquiao to knock out Marquez in the early rounds.

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