Juan Manuel Marquez's perfectly landed overhand right hand to the face of Manny Pacquiao guarantees fans another chapter in an epic boxing rivalry.
Sure, any hopes of a superfight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are now on life support, but that megafight could only dream of producing as many twists and turns as Pacquiao-Marquez.
Marquez knocked out Pacquiao in the sixth round of Saturday's bout in Las Vegas, proving that, sometimes, the fourth time is a charm. The shocking result, which few outside Marquez's camp saw coming, opens the door even wider for a potential fifth fight between the two superstars.
When asked about a fifth fight, Pac-Man and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum responded in harmony (via ESPN.com's Dan Rafael):
Arum: A fifth fight? Why not? Have you seen a more exciting fight in years?
Pacquiao: Why not? Yes, it's a good fight. I was just starting to feel confident because I thought I got him. If they give us a chance, we'll fight again. I'm gonna take a rest and then I am coming back to fight.
Even if Pacquiao had won Saturday's fight, there's no denying that these two boxers make for an incredible show. After watching the back-and-forth fireworks through the first six rounds, fans had to realize that they were taking part in history.
Now, after watching Marquez drop Pacquiao to the mat, fans have to be wondering when Pacquiao vs. Marquez V will take place.
It seems these two will be battling it out in the ring until one of them hangs up his gloves, which may be soon considering Marquez is set to turn 40 next August.
Still, Marquez proved that age is but a number this past weekend, and will certainly stick around long enough to at least attempt to even the score with his rival in a fifth contest.
For Dinamita, Saturday's outcome only confirms his doubts about the previous two results against Pac-Man. Therefore, a fifth fight could provide fans and both fighters with a satisfying end to one of the all-time great boxing rivalries.
Despite his stunning knockout defeat, Pacquiao is still ahead in the series 2-1-1, and can put his stamp on this decade-long fight saga with a bounce-back victory of his own in the future.
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