Pacquiao vs. Marquez Decision: Why Decision Win Shows Pac-Man in Decline

Yes, Manny Pacquiao won Saturday night’s fight against Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. 

But, the way he won the fight left a lot of fans angry and wanting more. In fact, the Los Angeles Times reports that the Vegas crowd treated Marquez as if he had won the fight:

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Pacquiao took a majority decision, but seldom in boxing history has a fight this big ended with this much doubt and controversy.

The gutsy, effective opponent, Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico, who was given little chance and was sent off as anywhere from a 7-1 to 9-1 underdog, left the ring to raucous cheers, as he waved a huge sombrero.

It was a good 15 minutes after the fight ended before the crowd stopped booing and hissing.

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Conspiracy theorists could argue that Pacquiao won because he has a bigger name. Also, a Pacquiao win in this fight puts even more pressure on Floyd Mayweather Jr. to make a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight happen sometime next year.

But, more importantly, this fight shows that Pac-Man isn’t the fighter he once was.

In a fight he was supposed to dominate, based on the Vegas odds, it took a questionable majority decision to declare him the winner.

Pacquiao has had a lot of trouble with Marquez in the trilogy between the two. It has featured one draw and two decision victories for Pac-Man.

Mayweather, on the other hand, handled Marquez pretty easily back in 2009.

Pacquiao definitely landed some good punches in this fight, but he seemed to struggle fighting someone who was his own size.

He’s been used to fighting bigger guys and using his speed to land punches. Marquez was just as quick, if not quicker, taking that advantage away from Pacquiao.

Marquez hasn’t been able to catch a break in any of these fights; for the last two, he can make a strong case that he was the winner.

He wants a rematch, but that wouldn’t be a good decision on his part. Marquez would have to knock out Pacquiao if he wants to win.

The boxing world clearly wants a big-time Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, and it’s going to take a lot from Marquez if he hopes to win a decision against Pac-Man.

So, even though Pacquiao’s skills are clearly in decline and he’s been exposed against people his own size, he’s still going to get the benefit of the doubt from judges in any non-Mayweather fight.