Pacquiao vs. Marquez Results: Why the Judges Got Pac-Man Win Wrong

It's one thing for there to be a flurry of yelling, screaming and hand-wringing in the wake of Manny Pacquiao's controversial win over Juan Manuel Marquez, but that does little to answer what it is exactly that the judges got wrong.

In the grand scheme of things, it's difficult to fault the judges too much for their decision, given that the fight itself was closely contested throughout.

But for anyone who had their eyes affixed to the action at MGM Grand Garden Arena will tell you, Marquez dictated the terms and the tempo for most of the match and, as such, deserves to have the record books reflect that. Both fighters competed at a pace that was much more privy to Marquez's style—slow, deliberate and calculating. Boxers don't get much brainier than Dinamita (except, perhaps, for Floyd Mayweather Jr.) and, rest assured, this bout was all about that.

Largely absent were the quick, tenacious flurries of punches and fleetness of foot in the ring that one would expect from Pacquiao. Instead, the Pac-Man that showed up looked slow, confused and tentative, like he was too afraid of opening himself up to Marquez's superb counter-punching to speed up his opponent.

That's not to say that Marquez necessarily defeated Pacquiao decisively. Dinamita looked weak at times and slow at others, but it was his timing and his technique that (should have) earned him a slight but important edge over Pacquiao, once and for all.

What it is, exactly, that swayed the judges toward Pac-Man is anyone's best guess. Perhaps they, like most people who follow Pacquiao, were awestruck, believing on some level, however deep below their consciousness, that the tie should always go to Pac-Man, that perhaps he's infallible in the ring.

Perhaps they were bought off by Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, in some greedy scheme to keep Pac-Man on track for a big fight with Mayweather, or another easy-to-manipulate bout with Marquez.

Or maybe they were just blind.

Whatever the case may be, the fact remains that the judges got it wrong, costing Marquez one last chance to be a champion and the millions of dollars that come with it.

For the latest news and updates on Pacquiao Vs. Marquez, and for all the latest news and insight on all things boxing, be sure to check out Bleacher Report's Boxing Central.