S. Samuel
Famed boxer Manny Pacquiao made headlines last night (December 8) after losing in the sixth round of his Las Vegas fight against Juan Manuel Marquez and his knockout punch seen throughout the world.
In a sold-out arena of over 16,000 attendees, Pacquiao could not recover from a hard-hitting Marquez swing.
After four grueling and razor-close fights between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, the demand was for, at long last, a definitive outcome in the fourth, and possibly final, fight between these great rivals. Well, it gets no more definitive than that. Marquez, desperate for victory after being down 0-2-1 in the legendary series, flattened Pacquiao with a flush overhand right hand with one second left in the sixth round of their welterweight fight, sending a jolt of human electricity through the sold-out crowd of 16,348 — in a pro-Marquez house — at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. (ESPN)
Following the fight, Maquez described the night-ending punch as simply “perfect.”
Pacquiao went down face-first and was out cold, and the judges, the source of so much controversy through the first three fights, were rendered pointless. Referee Kenny Bayless didn’t bother to — or need to — count as Marquez celebrated on the ring ropes, drinking in the cheers from his Mexican fans, who chanted for him throughout the fight. “I knew Manny could knock me out at any time,” Marquez said. “I threw the perfect punch.” It was a stunning scene and certainly brought to a close Pacquiao’s incredible run that saw him win world titles in a record eight weight classes, win a congressional seat in his native Philippines and become a global star. It was also probably the final nail in the coffin for the fight most have wanted to see for years but that has gone unmade: Pacquiao against pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. (ESPN)
The fight’s conclusion left many fans shocked including Bad Boy Records CEO Diddy and Slaughterhouse’s Royce Da 5’9.
“Manny are you ok!!!!!…are you ok Manny?….lol http://instagr.am/p/TAjE2uplzc/,” Diddy tweeted Saturday night. (Diddy’s Twitter)
“D*mn! PacMan’s “fans” are turning on him quick! Lol.. Boxing is worse than hiphop.. Where @WHUTUPDOE @MAL___ and @gracieprod ??? Smh” (Royce Da 5’9’s Twitter)
Manny’s loss comes just months after reports surfaced of G-Unit’s 50 Cent possibly working with him.
“We’re talking to each other,” Pacquiao said. “But right now, I’m kind of busy and we (haven’t) finalized anything. We can do good business together.” Pacquiao’s advisor, Michael Koncz confirmed an internet report that for the past month he’s been in discussions with 50 Cent about doing a “couple” of co-promotions together, perhaps even one before the end of the year between Pacquiao’s MP Promotions and the rapper’s, The Money Team, outfit. With Pacquiao winning a court order on Monday as part of his defamation suit against Mayweather to pay his attorney and court fees – the possibility of the Filipino boxer and rapper working together now seems more likely than Mayweather and Pacquiao ever meeting in the ring. (New York Daily News)
