In Tight 12 Rounds, Pacquiao Retains His Title

By GREG BISHOP

LAS VEGAS — In the back room inside his locker room deep in the MGM Grand, with security stationed inside and outside the closed door, with his post-fight suit-and-fedora ensemble hanging neatly in the corner, Manny Pacquiao could not have appeared more relaxed.
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In an hour, he would face his longtime nemesis, Juan Manuel Marquez, in the latest, most confounding meeting in their trilogy. But in this room, surrounded by a handful of his closest confidants late Saturday, he attended to more important matters — such as practicing his air guitar, repeating “I am a rebel” as his head bobbed furiously up and down.

In walked Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach.

“They’re waiting for you,” Roach said.

“Whatever you want,” Pacquiao responded.

“Don’t get smart,” Roach said. “You know what to do.”

Pacquiao grew more serious, more intense. His eyes narrowed. And he said, softly, to no one in particular, “Don’t worry. In a few hours, our job will be done.”

The task would prove more difficult and controversial than expected, as Marquez punched in, or, more accurately, punched Pacquiao repeatedly in the face. By the 12th and final round, that face was bloody, Marquez’s right eye was nearly swollen shut and controversy hovered over the proceedings, same as always with these two.

Later, as the crowd threw beer cans toward the ring, booing loudly and lustily, the majority decision was announced: Pacquiao had won. Again. This elicited cries of robbery, from Marquez in particular. Again. These two are also likely to meet. Again.

Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank Boxing, said afterward, “He was bound and determined to find a definitive winner once and for all.” He will aim for another rematch in May 2012. Pacquiao also said he wanted a fourth bout.

“I clearly won the fight,” Pacquiao said, his words drowned out by jeers raining down from the rafters. “It was close, but I won.”

When the final bell rung, after another instant classic, Marquez raised his right hand and jumped on the top rope, as the crowd erupted. Pacquiao jogged to his corner, this fight, same as the previous two fights, now beholden to the judges’ scorecards. Tension rose, quickly filling the arena while music boomed and trainers tended to Pacquiao’s cut.

It was not Marquez, who appeared to control the fight, who won it. Instead, it was Pacquiao (54-3-2), who retained his title via majority decision, ahead by two rounds according to one judge, one round according to another and tied according to a third.

Through six, this fight proved just as close, the tension just as high, the contrast in style just as stark as the two earlier bouts. Again, the counterpunching of Marquez seemed to force Pacquiao off-balance, and both men landed their share of shots. Pacquiao did not look like a 9 to 1 favorite, but perhaps Marquez had been undersold, underestimated, all along.

The deeper the fight went, the more Marquez flummoxed Pacquiao, flustering the champion more than any opponent, since, well, Marquez in 2008. Marquez hit Pacquiao with straight right hands and short right hooks and an uppercut or five. Yet by the end of Round 8, Marquez’s right eye appeared swollen.

By Round 9, the unfathomable seemed more than possible, and people began to say it out loud: Pacquiao might lose. Pacquiao is losing. The two traded punches in furious combinations, the crowd on its feet, chanting, screaming, not sure if it could believe what was unfolding in the ring. By the time the next round ended, blood trickled down the right side of Pacquiao’s face, perhaps, replays showed, from an accidental head butt.

Roach arrived hours before Pacquiao and settled into a chair in locker room No. 2. He, too, appeared calm, as he conducted his pre-fight ritual, laying tape, scissors and gauze out for the champ’s hands. Roach even helped an assistant choose between two pairs of heels, so loose was the vibe.

Talk turned to Joe Frazier, one of Roach’s favorite fighters, who died last week. With Muhammad Ali, Frazier completed perhaps the greatest trilogy in boxing history. They famously fought once in the Philippines — the Thrilla in Manila — before Pacquiao was born there. Pacquiao later procured a tape from an uncle.

The first two fights in Pacquiao-Marquez — a controversial draw at 125 pounds in 2004 and an equally controversial split-decision victory by Pacquiao at 130 pounds in 2008 — were among the closest of Pacquiao’s now storied career. If you added the judge’s scorecards from both fights, Pacquiao led by the narrowest of margins, 679-678.

Marquez, naturally, disagreed. He went so far as to fly to the Philippines, clad in a T-shirt that read Marquez beat Pacquiao twice. This only irked Pacquiao, who felt disrespected. He began to train earlier and harder for their third bout, promising to answer any lingering questions, even as Marquez entered the ring Saturday to the Who’s “Won’t Be Fooled Again.”

In training, Marquez lifted weights and padded his body with extra pounds. He looked swollen at Friday’s weigh-in, as much a bodybuilder as a boxer. Roach, in the locker room, saw this as an advantage. “The guy is in shape,” he said. “He’s got all these muscles. It’s great for TV. And when he’s laying down, it will look even better.”

As the fight drew closer, Roach debated whether it would end after six rounds, or four, or even earlier. Some members of Team Pacquiao had wagered large sums on an early knockout, at 18 to 1 odds. They took it as a good sign when Marquez’s longtime trainer, Nacho Beristain, stopped by with gloves for Pacquiao to sign.

Pacquiao arrived at 6:30 p.m., entourage in tow, and he and Roach commenced with their usual superstitions. (Roach always puts his left shoe on first; Pacquiao wraps his own hands and has a priest say a prayer before heading toward the ring.) Pacquiao signed autographs. He watched his arrival, with his wife, Jinkee, at his side, play on a television hanging from the back wall.

Fifteen minutes later, Pacquiao, wearing blue shorts lined with sponsors’ patches and a red T-shirt bearing his superhero logo, retreated to the side room, where his entourage performed their tasks. One man cut tape for his feet. Another handed it to Pacquiao. He placed it between his toes. Someone else grabbed him a water bottle. Yet another counted his calisthenics. At one point, Pacquiao told his conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, to relax.

Pacquiao added, “I’m cool, dude.”

As evidenced by the vibe, Pacquiao viewed 2008 as ancient history. Since then, he had added power in his right hand and improved his timing, movement, strategy and added the ability to counterpunch. Pacquiao entered the ring Saturday younger than Marquez (32 to 38), heavier (143 pounds to 142), stronger and far more famous. Compared with three years earlier, everything was different.

Pacquiao seemed amused at the bulk Marquez had added. He laughed when he said Marquez wants to “be like somebody else” — like Pacquiao, who moved up in weight class since 2008 and somehow retained his speed. A bigger Marquez, Pacquiao said, presented a bigger target.

The question of who helped Marquez add this weight loomed, too, because his new trainer, Angel Hernandez, previously Angel Heredia, testified in the Balco trial that he supplied performance-enhancing drugs to Olympians. Both swore Marquez was clean, but Angel gave roundabout answers when asked why he used different last names.

By night’s end that mattered little. Instead, another fight between these men ended in controversy, no questions answered, except perhaps an unintended one. It seems now that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. He didn’t need to fight Pacquiao to prove it, not at this point anyway.

Boxing Live Blog: Pacquiao-Marquez
Wall Street Journal’s Gordon Marino offers round-by-round commentary

0:51 amby Gordon Marino
Marquez is leaving the arena to cheers of his name. The crowd clearly thinks he won. I have to say: I did, too.

0:48 amby Gordon Marino
Here’s the decision. 114-114; 115-113; 116-112. Majority decision for Pacquiao!

0:48 amby Dan Hill
Every time Manny gets pasted, I feel it viscerally. But when Manny scores with a blow, I don’t feel it the same way. This leaves me feeling very uneasy about how this fight will be decided. It’s unfathomable how both fighters can absorb so many vicious blows and just keep fighting. Hard. I can’t say who won. But my respect for both fighters is immense. This was one close fight.

0:47 amby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Though there were many difficult rounds to score in this fight, Marquez certainly seems to have won. The crowd is booing Manny now. Manny just couldn’t get on track tonight. He barely landed a right hook, and his famous left was often short of its target.

0:45 am12th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
It looks like an upset in the making unless Pacquiao does something in the next minute. Marquez misses with three punches. Pacquiao loses his mouthpiece and they stop the action for a second. With 30 seconds left, Marquez throws a right down the middle. Marquez on the ropes. Crowd on their feet! I have it as an upset: Marquez, 10-9. But we’ll see what the judges think. It’s up to them.

0:43 am12th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Looks as if Pacquiao needs a knockout. Pacquiao jumps in with a left. Marquez lands a good right, Pacquiao bounces in with 1-2. Marquez misses with left uppercut and right hand.

0:42 am11th Roundby Dan HillAdd a Comment
Manny looks fresher than Marquez. Marquez has to do more. While waiting to land the perfect combo of counter punches after Manny leaves himself open, he has to be more aggressive and rely less on response to Manny’s blows.

0:41 am11th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Pacquiao misses a 1-2 combination. Marquez is leaning to his left side a lot. Pacquiao jumps in and lands a good left hand. Marquez lands a good left hook. Pacquiao lands a jab. Pacquiao lands a left, Marquez lands a right. Pacquiao comes back with a 1-2, and I give that round to the Pacman.

0:39 am11th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Now we’re in the championship rounds. It’s been a very difficult fight to score. Pacquiao keeps shaking his arms loose. Pacquiao shoots a left and misses. Marquez shoots a left and right and misses. Pacquiao lands a great straight left. Marquez misses with an uppercut. It might have been Pacquiao’s best punch of the fight. Marquez misses with a left hook. Marquez lands as good right hand, as Pacquiao lands a left.

0:38 am10th Roundby Dan HillAdd a Comment
87-84, Manny, one of the scorecards reads. There’s booing at my table. To me, it’s pretty close. Manny, as usual, ends strongly. But I have a feeling Manny’s thinking knockout, just to be safe. While Manny may be winning, barely, he doesn’t want to take any chances.

0:37 am10th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Marquez jabbing. He is definitely getting better angles in this fight. When Pacquiao comes in, Marquez goes down low and ties up. Pacquiao lands a jab, Marquez lands a right. Pacquiao lands a right hook. Heated exchange at the end, though it’s hard to tell who got the best of it. I give this round to Pacquiao, 10-9.

0:35 am10th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Marquez misses with an uppercut and a right hand. Pacquiao throws a 1-2 and Marquez goes underneath. Marquez throws a right hook. Pacquiao’s stalking him but has to be thinking knockout. Marquez lands a big right hand and Pacquiao misses with a left and Marquez goes underneath. Pacquiao throws a right uppercut.

0:34 am9th Roundby Dan HillAdd a Comment
Last minute was the most exciting of the fight so far. Can’t really say there was a winner of this round. but the passion is flaring.

0:33 am9th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Marquez lands an uppercut. Pacquiao on the attack, and he lands a right hook — the crowd is on their feet. Round to Pacquiao, 10-9.

0:33 am9th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
They haven’t thrown a punch in the first 20 seconds. Pacquiao throws a jab. Marquez hits Pacquiao in the back of the head and Pacquiao complains. Marquez lands a jab to Pacquiao’s head. Marquez lands a good left hook to the body and then a good jab to the head. Pacquiao’s trying to fight at closer range now. Exchanging inside, Pacquiao lands a left down the middle but misses with an uppercut. Pacquiao’s still the aggressor. Pacquiao lands a left. Marquez lands a good right. Furious exchange, and they tie up. Marquez lands a left hook and uppercut.

0:30 am8th Roundby Dan HillAdd a Comment
Marquez has fooled most of the experts. No one thought the fight would be this close, but both fighters appear incredibly well matched. Again, it’s going to be fitness and mental toughness that will make the ultimate difference.

0:29 am8th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Marquez lands a left uppercut and right to Pacquiao’s head. Pacquiao lands a good jab. Marquez throws a right to Pacquiao’s body but misses with a right. Pacquiao lands a straight left down the middle but doesn’t follow up. They exchange body blows in center ring. Marquez lands a jab. Pacquiao lands a good left. Round to Pacquiao, 10-9.

0:27 am8th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Marquez throws a lead right and misses. Pacquiao’s got to throw something — some have him losing almost every round. Marquez lands a right. Marquez hooks to Pacquiao’s body. Marquez throws a right to the body, and they tie up.

0:26 am7th Roundby Dan HillAdd a Comment
Hard right to Manny’s chin starts the round. Manny sneaks in a blow but Marquez answers more than a few times. Manny isn’t counterpunching as quickly or effectively as he usually does. Advantage, Marquez.

0:24 am7th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Pacquiao throws a combination but Marquez catches it. Marquez shoots a right to the body. Pacquiao lands a good left to the head. Marquez lands a right to Pacquiao’s head and another right to his head. Pacquiao misses with a right hook, misses again, throws right-left combination but misses. Pacquiao lands a 1-2 combination. Marquez lands an uppercut. Round to Marquez, 10-9, on my card.

0:23 am7th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Pacquiao has to do something to turn this fight around. Mexicans are singing en masse. Marquez lands a big right hook to Pacquiao’s head. Pacquiao is reaching in now with his punches. He hasn’t landed a big left yet.

0:22 am6th Roundby Dan HillAdd a Comment
Manny was rocked this round. Although he unleashed a jolting left and two rights 100 seconds into the round, it’s still anyone’s fight.

0:21 am6th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Marquez lands a right and left hook to the body. Marquez lands a right hand down the middle. Pacquiao lands a right hook. Marquez lands two rights to Pacquiao’s head and then a left hook. Pacquiao lands two jabs to the head and a left to the body. Another 10-9 round to Marquez.

0:19 am6th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Pacquiao hasn’t really landed a meaningful punch yet. Pacquiao throws a right hook but Marquez catches it. Marquez lands a jab. Marquez lands a jab and looks like he is gaining confidence. Pacquiao lands a left to the head. Marquez lands a right to the body. Pacquiao lands a good left to the head.

0:18 am5th Roundby Dan HillAdd a Comment
Pretty close round. This is where all the training starts to be a factor. Not to mention the mental stamina. But Manny’s been hit harder in this fight than any I’ve witnessed in his last two.

0:17 am5th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Marquez lands a right down the middle. Pacquiao lands a jab, Marquez then lands a jab. Pacquiao lands a jab and then a left to the body. Marquez lands a great right to Pacquiao’s head. Pacquiao lands a left to the head. Marquez lands a left uppercut. Pacquiao misses with a hook. Marquez lands a right to Pacquiao’s head again. Crowd is screaming “Marquez!” He gets this round, 10-9.

0:15 am5th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
They haven’t thrown a punch in the first 10 seconds, but Pacquiao looks a little looser. Marquez throws body shots but Pacquiao catches them. Marquez still backing up, Pacquiao jabbing. Both men are pretty cautious. Marquez lands a good left uppercut to the head, sending Pacquiao’s head back. Pacquiao lands a straight left.

0:14 am4th Roundby Dan HillAdd a Comment
Best round for Manny so far. Stunning blow from Manny at the end of the fight. Get the feeling that Manny’s slowly solving Marquez, like a kid piecing together a puzzle. And Manny’s defensive skills are impressive.

0:13 am4th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
They bump heads as they both come in. Pacquiao lands a good left down the middle. Marquez misses with a hook. Pacquiao misses with a straight left, lands a 1-2 punch. He’s feinting a lot now, trying to set that left hand up. Pacquiao lands a good left and a hook, but Marquez comes right back with a good body shot. Round to Pacquiao, 10-9.

0:11 am4th Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
A lot of disparity about the scoring among boxing writers here. Middle ring again, with the fighters looking fairly cautious. Both miss with hooks. Pacquiao lands a left hand. Marquez comes forward but misses before moving to his left. Cheering for Manny, then Marquez. Marquez misses with a hook, then connects with a jab. Pacquiao lands a left to the body. They’re in close range.

0:10 am3rd Roundby Dan HillAdd a Comment
This is a closer fight than I expected. Manny slips in a left jab and a right cross in the waning seconds of the fight. No question Marquez is giving Manny a better fight than Mosley. But I feel as though Manny’s biding his time. Or waiting for the right moment. To strike. Lethally.

0:09 am3rd Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Marquez misses with left hook and right-hand combination. Marquez lands two jabs. Marquez feints a right and misses with a left hook. Marquez throws a combination but Pacquiao catches it. Pacquiao lands a right hook. Pacquiao lands a 1-2 combination at the end of the round. I give that round to Pacquiao, 10-9, though there is some disagreement here.

0:07 am3rd Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Marquez looks strong. Pacquiao lands one to the body. Marquez backing up. Marquez lands a left uppercut. Marquez misses with an uppercut. Pacquiao jabs, on the attack, and lands a body shot. Marquez throws a hook to the body and right to the head. Pacquiao lands a left.

0:06 am3rd Roundby Dan HillAdd a Comment
Marquez lands a strong body blow. Then connects with a left? Right? I dunno. But he is fighting better than expected. Nevertheless, he’s given to the odd wild roundhouse that may leave him open to Manny’s incredible counters.

0:05 am2nd Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Pacquiao feints and then lands a left to the body. Marquez is letting his right hand go, but he hasn’t found the range yet. Marquez misses with a left uppercut. Marquez scores with a combination. They’re opening up a little bit as Pacquiao lands a shot to the body. Pacquiao misses with a straight left. Marquez is not getting full extension with his right hand. Round could have gone either way, but Marquez is more effective: 10-9 on my card.

0:04 am2nd Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
After blessing himself, Pacquiao is being aggressive. Marquez lands a jab. They’re both feinting. Pacquiao lands a right hook — not hard, though. Marquez misses with a big right. Pacquiao lands a left down the middle. Marquez lands a jab to the belly. Pacquiao’s trying to set up that left hand, but he misses with a right hook. Marquez also misses a combination.

0:03 am2nd Roundby Dan HillAdd a Comment
As Manny sips water, strolling to the ring while occasionally springing up and down on his toes, he still looks like a boy to me. The kneeling pose makes him appear more vulnerable, which leaves me wincing. Marquez is bounding up and down during the pre-fight antics, and the crowd in this bar loses it. In the first round, Manny’s blows come so fast and then, bam, his arms back over his face as he weaves out of striking distance. But the speed of the blows makes it hard to assess what’s landing and what’s grazing. In the last 30 seconds, Manny shows some superb counter-punching.

0:01 am1st Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Marquez lands a left and right uppercut to the body as Manny comes in. Pacquiao misses with a big left. He’s keeping his hands high. Both miss with jabs. Pacquiao lands a left. Pacquiao’s coming forward as Marquez misses with a right. Pacquiao misses with some wild shots. Marquez scores to the body. I give the round to Marquez, 10-9.

11:59 pm1st Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Bell rings. Manny jabs as he shakes his arms out. Marquez jabs. Looks like electricity in their bodies. Manny throws a double jab. Marquez jabs and misses with a right. A lot of nervous energy. In center ring, Marquez throws a slow hook, but Pacquiao catches it. Marquez throws a jab to the belly, while Pacquiao throws a combination. Pacquiao lands a 1-2 combination down the middle.

11:57 pm1st Roundby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Ref is giving instructions. No big stare down. Touching gloves.

11:57 pmby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Manny is bouncing around, throwing punches as he is being introduced. He’s getting his neck loosened up and blesses himself. We’re finally ready to go.

11:55 pmby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Marquez is being announced as he stretches his back. The Mexican fans are going bonkers. He has to be inspired by this.

11:55 pmby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Buffer is making the final announcement. One of Manny’s trainers is pulling on his ears. Manny is wearing blue trunks. Marquez is wearing black with a white strip. Let’s get ready to rumble!

11:53 pmby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Some champions like to make their opponents wait for a long time in the ring, but Manny doesn’t do that. He’s smiling and tapping his gloves to his fans’ hands. He goes into the corner to say a prayer: head down and a quiet moment to himself. He has amazing powers of concentration.

11:52 pmby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
The group Survivor leads Manny out singing “Eye of the Tiger.”

11:51 pmby Dan HillAdd a Comment
“Cheers to Pacquiao!” everyone at my table erupts. Tequila’s flowing like water. One disturbing caveat: A man at the end of the table claims that if Marquez scores a first-round knockout, he’s going to strip down to his birthday suit and run out of here naked. Yikes. One more reason I’m rooting for Manny.

11:50 pmby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
The place is going wild! He hasn’t entered the arena yet.

11:50 pmby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Here comes Manny to a mixture of boos and cheers. You know where the boos are coming from.

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