Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3: Why Marquez Gained More in Loss Than Victory

When Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez squared off for the third time Saturday night, something unexpected happened. It wasn't that Pacquiao was awarded a controversial decision victory either, as that has happened before.

The truly surprising thing was that fan support shifted to Marquez. No boxer over the past several years has been more popular than Pacquiao, but with Marquez seemingly getting jobbed once again on the scorecards, the fans very much voiced their displeasure with a chorus of boos.

While Marquez undoubtedly wanted to win that fight, he gained much more in a losing effort. Nobody has been able to sway the fan reaction away from Pacquiao, but Marquez accomplished just that, thanks to an inspired effort that befuddled Pacquiao.

Also, even with a loss, the perception is that Pacquiao cannot truly defeat Marquez. The results may say otherwise as he is 2-0-1 against Marquez, but Marquez has fought Pacquiao tough every time, and can probably stake a legitimate claim to any of those bouts.

Sports fans tend to gravitate toward lovable losers, and that is kind of what Marquez has turned into at this point. While he has certainly put together some efforts worthy of a champion, he has been turned away time and time again, and I think boxing fans have come to find a new respect for him.

Marquez is certainly an all-time great and I consider him to be a Hall of Fame-caliber fighter, but I'm not sure many felt the same way prior to his latest bout with Pacquiao. Now, there is no doubt that Marquez is essentially Pacquiao's kryptonite, in that he knows how to frustrate him.

Every great fighter seemed to have an opponent that he had trouble against. Even the great Muhammad Ali had that in the form of Ken Norton. Marquez is certainly Pacquiao's Ken Norton, but he has yet to be properly rewarded with a win.

Despite his mastery over Pacquiao in the past, Marquez entered Saturday's fight as a major underdog. Marquez was impressive from the opening bell, and while his failure to apply pressure late in the fight ultimately cost him a victory, he was probably the better fighter overall.

Pacquiao continues to be the one who got away from Marquez's perspective, but as the old adage goes, winning isn't everything. Had Marquez won, the story probably would have come and gone without much fanfare. His controversial loss has gained him plenty of support and respect in the boxing world, though.