Not that a different outcome would've changed this, but Saturday's result of Juan Manuel Marquez's bout with Timothy Bradley Jr. further proved the book is forever closed between Marquez and Manny Pacquiao.
This comes on the heels of a report from The Associated Press' Tim Dahlberg (via Yahoo! Sports) that outlines how Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum was turned down by both Marquez and Bradley prior to scheduling Saturday's fight.
At this point, a fifth fight between the two rivals would just be ridiculous for both sides. They've both fought their best against one another and made statements, and there's simply not much left to prove.
Marquez weighed in on the topic, per Dahlberg, saying money isn't everything when he makes decisions on who to fight:
"The money is important in life, but the most important is the honor, the pride," Marquez said. "Everybody knows what happened in those four fights. I'll know for all my life. If I'd won the fight with a close decision, give the fifth fight. Sign the contract after the fight. But I won a great victory for me."
One of the most storied rivalries in boxing, Pacquiao and Marquez have combined for four unforgettable fights—the first of which was a draw. The next two, the Pac-Man won in controversial fashion as Marquez enthusiasts argued everything from conspiracy to poor judging.
In the fourth go-around in December 2012, it was a one-sided affair. It took just six rounds for Marquez to connect with a right hook to Pacquiao's jaw, knocking out the famous Philippines native.
In one fateful punch, Marquez closed the chapter between him and Pacquiao for good.
Marquez certainly is reeling, too, after coming up short against Bradley. But just because both boxers are struggling doesn't mean it makes any more sense.
Marquez himself doesn't even see any reason to fight Pacquiao a fifth time.
"That chapter is closed," Marquez said (per Dahlberg). "I had a great victory over a great fighter like Pacquiao and I want to keep that great feeling. That fifth fight, I don't see why."
Seeing Marquez struggle to hang with Bradley, the best fighter in the weight class, should be enough to make Pacquiao really ponder on how fighting Marquez again could really be the best bout to chase after.
And for Marquez, there's no way he's going to give a hungry Pacquiao any chance to erase the happy ending to that chapter of his career.
Getting KO'd by Marquez in their last bout won't compromise Pacquiao's career—he has two wins against him to lean on.
And going back to Pacquiao, in Marquez's case, would just seem like a desperation move to generate hype more than anything when there are boxers out there whom he could make a big statement against.
These two boxers haven't been able to get enough of each other, much to the enjoyment of the boxing world. But those days have passed, and it's time for both parties to realize that.
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