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Pacquiao says his hardest fight was with Marquez
MANNY PACQUIAO BOUTS
Emmanuel “Manny" Pacquiao, the new World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion, on Sunday said his fight with Mexican boxer Juan Miguel Marquez was the most difficult since he started his professional boxing career in 1995. He said the two cuts near his right eye, which were closed with 16 stitches, made it hard for him to concentrate on how to defeat his 34-year-old opponent. “Grabe ‘yong dalawang cut ko, ang tindi. Do’n ako na-bother, hindi ako maka-concentrate." "Di ko na makita ang left jab niya. Talagang nagsu-survive na lang...talagang pag lumapit siya, suntok na lang nang suntok (I could no longer see his left jab. I was surviving through instinct, so I just repeatedly punched him when he moved nearer)," said Pacquiao. 46 victories Pacquiao fought 51 times, and won in 46 of the bouts, 35 of which were through knock outs. Before he stole the WBC title from Marquez, Pacquiao was a world champ at the International Boxing Federation super bantamweight and WBC flyweight divisions. His latest bout with Marquez in Las Vegas, Nevada was a rematch of their May 2004 battle that ended in a draw. Asked by sportscaster Chino Trinidad what made him defeat Marquez, who like him was a seasoned boxer, the 29-year-old champ from General Santos City said: “Nagkatalo sa power at saka sa puso (The power and the heart made the difference)." He said he endured the pain and kept his faith to win the tight match held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday (Sunday in the Philippines). “Kahit na masakit tiniis ko dahil ang laban na ito hindi lang dahil sa pamilya ko kundi para sa sambayanang Pilipino. Sabi ko nga itataya ko’yong buhay ko para lang sa ating bansa. (I endured the pain because this fight was not only for my family but for the Filipino people as well. I said I was willing to risk my life for the sake of our country)," he said. Style Pacquiao said his boxing style was changed by Marquez. “Maraming pagbabago. Dati jab siya ng jab, kasi ang technique na pag jab niya ka-counter-in ko. Pero hindi siya nagja-jab kaya nagbago ako ng strategy…Kailangang labanan mo siya ng counter-punch (There were many changes. His technique before was to jab repeatedly, which I countered. But he changed his technique so I had to change my strategy too, through counter-punching)." Pacquiao is the third Filipino athlete featured in video games March 15, 2005: Juan Manuel Marquez - split decision Oct. 6, 2007: Marco Antonio Barrera - unanimous decision April 14, 2007: Jorge Solis - 8th round KO Nov. 18, 2006: Erik Morales - 3rd round TKO July 7, 2006: Oscar Larios - unanimous decision Jan. 21, 2006: Erik Morales - 10th round TKO Sept. 10, 2005: Hector Velazquez - 6th round TKO March 19, 2005: Erik Morales - unanimous decision Dec. 11, 2004: Fahsan 3K Battery - 4th round TKO May 8, 2004: Juan Manuel Marquez - draw - GMANews.TV
Fight Night: Round 2, and Fight Night: Round 3. The first two are world pool champs Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante who were featured in the World Championship Pool 2004 video game. In the May 2004 mid-term elections, Pacquiao ran for a congressional seat for the first district of South Cotabato. He was defeated in the polls by Darlene Antonino-Custodio. - AMITA LEGASPI, GMANews.TV
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