PACQUIAO BEATS MARQUEZ, BUT EVEN MANY PINOYS DISAGREE

Facing a surprisingly sturdy and quick opponent, Manny Pacquiao defeated Juan Manuel Marquez via a majority decision to retain his WBO Welterweight crown Sunday (Manila time). However, even Filipino boxing fans at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and in cinemas and bars around the world booed the decision, with many believing that the Mexican was the better fighter. Judge Robert Hoyle saw the fight even, 114-114, while Dave Moretti and Glenn Trowbridge scored 115-113 and 116-112, respectively, for Pacquiao. Despite the majority decision in his favor, Pacquiao's victory was not definitive. Marquez appeared to be in control of the fight through the first nine rounds, opening a cut that bloodied the right side of the Filipino congressman's face. Filipino-American flyweight champion Brian Viloria tweeted right after the fight: "I love manny but that was a jmm win easy." Marquez and his corner seemed to agree. When the final bell rang, with the Mexican defying the odds just by going the distance, he raised his arms in triumph and was hoisted to face a cheering crowd. Pacquiao, in contrast, appeared subdued as he awaited the decision. When it was announced, the familiar smile that creased his face couldn't conceal a hint of surprise. Still, he connected with more punches and a strong argument could be made that he clearly won the fight. According to CompuBox, Pacquiao landed 176 of 578 punches. Marquez connected on 138 of 436 punches, as, in his first two fights, he opted to counter punch. Pacquiao had a 117-100 edge in power shots. Sports analyst Mico Halili tweeted: "Feels all too familiar. Painfully for Marquez. Oddly for many of us too. Nothing has been settled." Marquez said after the fight, "I don't know what I need to do so the judges will see i won." For one, he could have kept up the pressure instead of seeming to let up in the final rounds, as if he knew he needed only to end standing to win the fight. As more than one analyst noted, challengers impress judges by being aggressive until the end. But Marquez impressed the crowd enough for some of them to throw beer cans into the ring when the decision came. Halili told GMA News Online: "The burden on Manny Pacquiao, as a boxing megastar who fights twice a year, is that he always needs to be great. When he's good, not great, fans expecting fireworks will likely be disappointed." Pacquiao's string of convincing victories over the last several years have led fans and countrymen to expect nothing less than early knockouts. The question in the days leading up to the fight, where the betting odds in favor of Pacquiao rose to 10-1, was not whether he would win but in what round he would finish the Mexican. All the pre-fight hype about the Filipino champion's dislike for Marquez, and his unusual intensity in training, had conditioned the public's mind that this would be another demolition job featuring a disfigured Mexican face. No one expected a close fight, and this one may have been the closest in the illustrious Filipino's career, if not to the judges, to the legions of Pacquiao observers around the world. "A close fight will produce clashing opinions. For many, only bludgeoned faces and knockout finishes provide unquestionable dominance," Halili added. Marquez has shown that his style continues to prove difficult for Pacquiao and this latest fight proved no different. Despite getting bigger, Marquez moved fluidly, making it more difficult for Pacquiao to unleash his combinations. Boxing experts had expected Marquez to become slower as he bulked up to become a welterweight. Boxing fans at the Araneta Coliseum were subdued for the most part, except for when Pacquiao was able to connect. There were some murmurs when they saw Pacquiao's corner pressing upon their champion's right brow and lower lip. The crowd inside the Big Dome fell silent moments before the result was announced and then erupted in a resounding cheer when they heard that Pacquiao won by majority decision. "Exciting yung laban. Ninerbyos ako nung huli. Parang lamang si Marquez pero sa judge iba eh. Bilib ako kay Marquez," said Amayo Eusebio, a boxing fan who watched the bout at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City. "Pumunta kay Pacquiao yung last rounds. Halos palitan lang ng tama sa mga unang round," said Renato Sison who watched the bout with Eusebio. "Parehong may counter," Eusebio added. Pacquiao improved to 54 wins (38 by knockout) against three losses and two draws. Marquez, meanwhile, dropped to 53-6-1 with 39 KOs. For more than six years, since their first fight in 2004, Marquez has repeatedly said that he defeated Pacquiao twice. He even proudly wore a shirt with the words 'I Beat Pacquiao Twice' printed during the kick-off leg of their world press tour in Manila. That stunt annoyed Pacquiao making his third meeting with the 38-year-old durable Mexican warrior, who nearly beat the Filipino boxing champ twice, a personal match. Everything favored for a runaway win by the fighting congressman from Sarangani Province. Pacquiao, 32, is younger, faster, stronger and fighting in his natural weight. The Mexico City born Marquez, meanwhile, had to move up in weight and bulk up to make this third encounter with Pacquiao possible. Their first meeting ended up in a controversial draw, while the second ended in a split decision in favor of the General Santos City native. — JVP/OMG/ELR/HS, GMA News