Manny Pacquiao is one of boxing’s all-time greats – a champion in eight weight divisions known for his relentless speed, power, and humility.
Among his fiercest rivals was Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez. Their first three bouts – one draw and two close wins for Pacquiao – were hotly contested and full of drama.
By the time of their fourth encounter in December 2012, both fighters had aged, but neither had lost their edge.
The bout started fast. Pacquiao was aggressive, using angles and combinations. Marquez responded with his signature counterpunching and dropped Pacquiao in Round 3 with an overhand right.
Pacquiao recovered and came back strong, hurting Marquez in the fifth and appearing to take control. But in Round 6, everything changed. As Pacquiao lunged forward with a left, Marquez timed him perfectly with a devastating counter right.
The punch landed flush. Pacquiao collapsed face-first, unconscious before he hit the canvas. The arena fell silent. Pacquiao eventually got up, the victim of the sport’s most dramatic knockout in years. Marquez, who had long felt robbed in the trilogy, finally had closure.
Pacquiao returns to the ring this year, looking to again become the welterweight division’s oldest world champion in history having already set that record back in 2019. On his comeback chance’s, Marquez is optimistic, telling Pro Box TV:
“If Pacquiao feels good, no shoulder, knee, or foot injuries, and he’s perfectly fine — let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. Let’s see what kind of fight he has to put up against Mario Barrios.
“Will he be aggressive? Will he rely on his power? Because power is the last thing a fighter loses. Let’s give the benefit of the doubt to a historic fighter.
“What matters is the integrity of the fighter. Pacquiao still hits hard. Let’s see how Barrios handles that.”
