Okay, so the other day I was going down this rabbit hole of classic boxing matches, and I stumbled back onto the epic rivalry between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. I mean, these guys fought four times! I decided to really dig in and rewatch all the fights and make some notes. Here’s what I did:
First, I pulled up all four fights. Finding them wasn’t too hard, thankfully. I just needed to look and they were all there!
Fight 1: Pacquiao vs. Marquez I (May 8, 2004)
- I watched this one first, obviously. What a crazy fight! Pacquiao knocked down Marquez three times in the very first round! I thought it was over, seriously.
- But Marquez, that guy is tough as nails. He came back and somehow survived the round.
- The rest of the fight was a back-and-forth war. It went the distance, and guess what? It was a draw! One judge had it for Pacquiao, one for Marquez, and one had it even. Crazy controversial!
Fight 2: Pacquiao vs. Marquez II (March 15, 2008)
Then, I watch the second fight!
- This one was super close, too. Really hard to score.
- Pacquiao scored a knockdown in the third round, and that ended up being the difference.
- He won by split decision. Again, super controversial! A lot of people thought Marquez won.
Fight 3: Pacquiao vs. Marquez III (November 12, 2011)
Next, I moved to the third bout!
- This fight might have been the most controversial of them all.
- It went the distance, another absolute war.
- Pacquiao won by majority decision, but man, the crowd was not happy. Lots of boos. I even remembered watching it live and thinking Marquez got robbed. Rewatching it, I still kind of feel that way.
Fight 4: Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV (December 8, 2012)
Finally, It’s the fourth and final fight!
- This is the one everyone remembers, and for good reason.
- The first five rounds were insane. Both guys were getting knocked down! It was wild.
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Then, in the sixth round… BAM! Marquez landed that perfect right hand. Pacquiao went down face first, and he was out.
- Marquez won by knockout. It was a definitive ending to the rivalry, no doubt about that.
So, after reviewing everything, I’ve got a renewed appreciation for both of these fighters. What a legendary rivalry! The debates about who really won the first three fights will probably go on forever, but that fourth fight? That was a knockout for the ages. It’s great to relive those matches and feel the excitement!
