Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3: Controversial Decision Will Overshadow Epic Battle

Lost in all the discussion about which fighter actually won Saturday night's Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez encounter was an awesome battle between long-time rivals.

Marquez continued to illustrate how to stick with the champion, which is something few others have been able to do. His counterattacking style caused Pacquiao to be tentative, especially in the middle rounds when Marquez was at his best.

The pair has now fought three times and every single one of them could have gone either way. Pacquiao holds a 2-0-1 record, but Marquez is convinced he could be 3-0-0 if not for poor judges' decisions.

Often in a boxing trilogy, the fights tend to get less interesting as time goes on. That's not the case here.

Pac-Man and Dinamita are a perfect match. One is an aggressive, heavy-hitting hero and the other is a defensive tactician that is probably underrated by the casual boxing fan. That dynamic alone is enough to create some tension.

Add in the fact that all three decisions have been by a razor-thin margin and it's undoubtedly one of the best rivalries in recent memory.

So the next question should be obvious: Will they fight again?

Prior to last night's bout, I was firmly against a fourth installment of Pacquiao vs. Marquez. However, another thrilling fight coupled with a decision that nobody could have been certain about before it was read was enough to change my mind.

Pac-Man clearly hasn't solved the Marquez puzzle yet and it's tough to match the feeling of uncertainty as Michael Buffer begins reading off the scores. If they could put on another show like that, boxing fans would be crazy to shy away.

Floyd Mayweather should still be priority No. 1 for Pacquiao, but if negotiations fail once again, Marquez is a solid backup plan.

After all, the boxing community is just looking for good entertainment and last night's fight was exactly that.

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.