Manny Pacquiao, left, jokes with members of the media while posing for photos with Juan Manuel Marquez during a news conference Wednesday in Las Vegas. Pacquiao and Marquez are scheduled to meet for boxing’s WBO welterweight title on Saturday. AP
Boxing legend Juan Manuel Marquez is no stranger to Manny Pacquiao.
The two produced, arguably, one of the greatest rivalry in recent memory after figuring in a four-fight saga with Marquez taking the most convincing win with a stinging knockout in the sixth round of the final match.
So it was a complete surprise for Marquez when Pacquiao failed to knock Australian Jeff Horn out in Battle of Brisbane back in July 2.
“What surprised me was when he had Horn in bad shape in the ninth, and then he did not go after him in the 10th,” said Marquez in an interview with ESPN Deportes h/t BoxingScene.com.
Pacquiao, despite allowing Horn to engage him throughout the match, put the Aussie in his place in the ninth round unleashing flurries reminiscent of the Filipino’s “Mexicutioner” era.
Referee Mark Nelson even told Horn during the lull between the ninth and 10th rounds that he would stop the fight, and award the victory to Pacquiao, if the eventual WBO World welterweight champion failed to protect himself.
“When the referee told Horn to show him something so he wouldn’t stop the fight, Horn came out with everything and at that moment Pacquiao was surprised, and also [Freddie] Roach was surprised.”
Marquez also believed that Pacquiao should’ve won the title and that the judges were the ones at fault for the dubious decision.
“Jeff Horn made a good fight but the judges were wrong, they were wrong again to give him the decision and the world knows,” said Marquez.
“People say that boxing no longer makes sense, but boxing is not to blame. You have to put the blame on judges who know that they should be doing their jobs well.”
Even Nelson got into the receiving end of Marquez’ verbal jabs.
Pacquiao also suffered cuts on both sides of the head after accidental headbutts.
“There is no way that you can blame boxing, it’s the [officials], from the judges to the promoters and even the referee. The referee, for example, he never too a point [from Horn] for use of the head or elbow… those people are the ones that are ruining boxing.”