The fourth fight in a great rivalry finally had a decisive ending as Juan Manuel Marquez knocked out Manny Pacquiao in the sixth round. To the dismay of many fans, this could lead to a fifth matchup between the two.
Each of the first three battles between these two impressive fighters has ended controversially. The first one ended in a draw, while the other two were narrow victories for Pacquiao.
Arguments could be made that either side won all three of the bouts, which explains how close they really were.
Marquez knew he did not want to see the match end in a decision, so he took matters in his own hands and earned a knockout on one of the best fighters in the world.
For Dinamita, this solidifies his legacy as an elite fighter. His only losses since 2000 were against Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. One of which has been avenged, while the other does not diminish his career at all.
People already knew that Marquez was a worthy adversary for Pac-Man, but the win vindicates all of the rematches.
On the other hand, Pacquiao is now out of options. After two losses in 2012, he can no longer be considered one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world. This should almost eliminate a chance at a dream fight against Mayweather.
Before he can do that, though, he needs to get his confidence back and his reputation back.
One way to do that is to get back in a ring with Marquez for a fifth time.
Prior to the knockout, Pacquiao was without question winning the fight. He was knocked down in the third round, but he was more aggressive throughout the other rounds and likely won four of the first five.
He was also one his way towards winning the sixth round before going down in the final seconds.
Overall, Pacquiao landed 46 percent of his power punches, compared to only 27 percent by Marquez (via ESPN). Marquez obviously landed the two biggest hits, but this was not a dominant performance by the winner.
The Filipino boxer needs to show that this was a fluke and that he is really better than he has shown over the past year. Otherwise, this loss will continue to hang over him throughout his career after even after it.
In addition, Saturday's bout was arguably the most exciting match of the series. The fighters went toe-to-toe throughout the six rounds and it caused a great amount of drama.
This leaves fans wanting even more, and many would happily accept yet another fight in this outstanding rivalry.
With the opportunity to make more money and possibly save his career, this is the only option Pacquiao has for his next fight.
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